Ohio woman claims mega millions jackpot after another woman says she lost winning ticket

Jet, Jan 26, 2004

Two Ohio women laid claim to a $162 million lottery jackpot earlier this month, though only one provided the winning ticket.

Rebecca Jemison, 34, of South Euclid (suburban Cleveland), turned in the lucky ticket for the 11-state Mega Millions jackpot at Ohio Lottery headquarters. The lottery validated it as the sole winning ticket for the Dec. 30, 2003, drawing and Ohio Lottery Director Dennis Kennedy said the lottery is confident Jemison actually bought her winning ticket.

And at JET press time, Elecia Battle, who had filed suit to halt any pay-out to the winner because she lost the winning ticket, dropped the lawsuit making the decision to end the legal battle over the jackpot.

"I apologize to Rebecca Jemison and I wish her well. I wanted it so bad to change my life it was just overwhelming," Elecia Battle said at a news conference to end the controversy. "It just took over me. I don't know what happened to me," she cried.

Battle recently said she bought a single ticket and lost it-just not the winner.

The day before Jemison's claim, Battle, 40, filed a police report saying she dropped her purse as she left the store after buying the ticket. She said she realized after the drawing that the ticket was missing and told police that the numbers she picked represented family birthdays and ages.

"My ticket was lost. I do recall all the numbers. They are all somehow family-related. No one can tell me what I did and did not play. I did it honestly and I have no doubt," Battle told The Associated Press after the drawing.

Jemison, as proof, provided the lottery another ticket purchased at the same time and place as the winning ticket and had an outdated lottery ticket that showed she had played the same numbers in the prior drawing, Kennedy said.

A hospital worker, Jemison took her winnings in an immediate lump sum of $94 million, before taxes. After taxes, it will be worth an estimated $67.2 million. She said she is looking forward to buying a new home, taking a vacation and sharing her prize with her family. She and her husband, Sam, have a 12-year-old daughter.