A forklift operator who recently won a nearly half-million dollar Georgia lottery jackpot was killed overnight Thursday during a home invasion robbery, investigators confirmed.
Officials said 20-year-old Craigory Burch, Jr. died from gunshot wounds at a home on Stubbs Avenue.
Burch had won a $434,272 Fantasy 5 jackpot in November 2015.
Once on scene, GBI agents spent the overnight hours collecting evidence from the home.
Investigators said Burch's girlfriend, Jasmine Hendricks, was in the home at the time and ran for help.
A shotgun blast blew open the door and three masked, armed men ran in, she said.
"When they came in, he said, 'don't do it bro. Don't do it in front of my kids. Please don't do it in front of my kids and old lady.
Please don't do that bro. Please don't. He said I'll give you my bank card," Hendricks recalled.
That's when Burch threw his pants to the robbers, who looked for but couldn't find his wallet.
Then they shot and killed him before running away.
Burch's mother Leslie Collins relayed an emotional message for those responsible in the killing.
"I want them to know what they took from me. They took a part of my life away from me. My child that I carried and raised for 20 years," she said.
Authorities said they were following leads and interviewing people, but they have still not named persons of interests or suspects in this case.
Friends of Burch said that he had recently used some of his winnings to buy Christmas presents for people in need.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Ben Hill County Sheriff's Office at 229-426-5161.
