Woman allegedly killed by N.C. lottery winner was shot to death, autopsy reveals

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - A woman who was allegedly killed by a former North Carolina lottery winner died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head, an autopsy from the State Medical Examiner’s Office concluded.

An investigative report from the autopsy reveals that the body of Keonna Tavangela Graham, 24, was found by maid staff around 12:30 p.m. in room 310 of the SureStay Hotel in Shallotte on July 20.

Graham was lying on her stomach on the left side of the bed, with a gunshot wound to the lower left side of her head. The report stated she was sleeping prior to the fatal shooting. The report also notes that a .45 caliber shell casing was located on the bed.

Additionally, Graham was found clenching a penny in her left hand, the report stated, and detectives found a ziplock bag containing a white powdered substance in the room.

The next day, Michael Todd Hill, 52, was taken into custody in Southport and charged with Graham’s murder.

The autopsy report stated that Hill was Graham’s boyfriend, and that there were domestic issues in the past between the two.

Hill was indicted on the murder charge on Nov. 19 and remains in the Brunswick County Detention Center under no bond.

In 2017, Hill won a $10 million lottery prize after purchasing an Ultimate Millions scratch-off ticket at a store on Maco Road in Brunswick County..

Copyright 2020 WECT. All rights reserved.