Winning the lottery should be the ultimate dream.. but for Tonda Dickerson, it became a nightmare. In 1999, a simple gift from a friendly regular at Waffle House turned into a $10 million jackpot that brought lawsuits, IRS battles, and a kidnapping that ended in blood.

Was Tonda cursed by her luck, or is there something darker about sudden wealth? In this episode, we explore the real-life “lottery curse,” the myths and tragedies surrounding big wins, and the shocking story of how fortune nearly cost one woman her life.

📍 Location: Grand Bay, Alabama
🕰️ What We Cover in This Episode:

• The day a Waffle House waitress became a millionaire
• How a $10 million ticket led to lawsuits and IRS battles
• The dark truth about the “lottery curse” and myths around sudden wealth
• The kidnapping that ended in self-defense and bloodshed
• Where Tonda is now and what we can learn from her story

🎧 Macabre Mondays is a true crime and paranormal podcast hosted by Alejandra and her husband Tom. Each week, storyteller and spooky enthusiast Ale unpacks some of the most haunting cases she’s researched—pulling her husband along for the ride, whether he’s ready or not. He’s hearing it all for the first time… just like you.

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We’re your guides through the strange, the sinister, and the spooky…