Nation & World News

Mother, daughter shot dead months after winning $2 million lottery prize

Husband also dead after double murder-suicide in Oklahoma
Tiffani Hill, 31, and her 1-year-old daughter, Leanne, were found mortally wounded inside their home in Calera, Oklahoma, on July 30, less than a year after the mother won $2 million in the California lottery. Hill's husband, John Donato, also died after turning the gun on himself.
Tiffani Hill, 31, and her 1-year-old daughter, Leanne, were found mortally wounded inside their home in Calera, Oklahoma, on July 30, less than a year after the mother won $2 million in the California lottery. Hill's husband, John Donato, also died after turning the gun on himself.
Aug 11, 2021

An Oklahoma mother and her 1-year-old daughter were shot to death last month in a double murder-suicide less than a year after winning $2 million in the California lottery, according to reports.

The husband who pulled the trigger also died after turning the gun on himself, police said.

Tiffani Hill, 31, John Donato, 42, and their daughter, Leanne, were found mortally wounded inside their home in Calera, Oklahoma, on July 30, according to news station KXII.

All three suffered gunshots to the head.

The woman’s three other children were in the home at the time of the shooting but were left unharmed. They are currently in state custody.

Hill, a member of the Choctaw Nation, collected more than $2 million in November from a winning scratch-off ticket she bought in Valley Springs, California, her family said, according to KXII.

A few months later, she married Donato, and the family moved to Oklahoma.

Not long afterward, however, the lottery winnings became a source of friction in the marriage, according to an attorney hired by Hill’s family.

Tiffani Hill married John Donato a few months after winning $2 million on an Instant Prize Crossword Scratcher, according to reports.
Tiffani Hill married John Donato a few months after winning $2 million on an Instant Prize Crossword Scratcher, according to reports.

“Could that have sparked that argument? We’ll never have any way of knowing. But I do know there were times it caused conflict between them,” Theresa McGehee said, according to the station.

The money remaining from the lottery winnings has been put into a trust for the surviving children, McGehee said.

The FBI is investigating the case because it occurred on tribal land, reports said.

A GoFundMe has raised more than $3,600 so far to cover funeral expenses.

About the Author

ArLuther Lee is a visual editor and occasionally covers national and world news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from The University of Florida and has been a journalist for more than 25 years.

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