In a coastline New Jersey community, there's a mystery unfolding that no one seems to know the answer to: why hasn't the big jackpot winner come forward?
Back in March, the winning ticket for the billion-dollar Mega Millions jackpot was sold at a ShopRite in Neptune Township. The store that proudly boasts selling the $1.13 billion ticket still hasn't seen anyone come forward in the past six months.
"I'm surprised. This is a big deal," James Carey, executive director of the New Jersey lottery, said.
The New Jersey Lottery has a warning for the lucky winner: the clock is ticking. The lottery winner only has one year from the date of the drawing to come forward and collect the prize. Otherwise, the prize goes unclaimed.
"Maybe they're getting their ducks in a row, maybe they're getting their affairs in order. We don't know what's going on here," Carey said.
The mystery surrounding the missing winner has been the talk of the town since the beginning of the year. With each passing day, locals want to know what is taking so long.
"They could've thrown it away," Brenda Schriber, of Neptune, said.
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"I don't know if they threw it out, but they probably put it aside with a bunch of other lottery tickets. They're going to do what I'm doing, going home and checking them," John Walsh said.
Lottery officials said it's not unheard of for this much time to pass. It took about this long for a billion-dollar South Carolina winner to come forward a few years ago. But time is running out, and if the prize goes unclaimed, the money goes back to the states that play the game.
"It's not any fun for us at the New Jersey Lottery doesn't come forward and claim their prize," Carey said. "And I can tell that player: in New Jersey, the law says that lottery winners can remain anonymous."
