E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSUrooj Khan, 46, won $1 million off a scratch lottery ticket he bought at a 7-11 in Chicago last June, but just one day after receiving his check, he died. Now, his death has been ruled a homicide, as toxicology reports showed deadly cyanide in his system. NBC's Andrea Canning reports.
The wheel of fortune spun fast for Urooj Khan.
The Indian immigrant and Chicago-area dry cleaning store owner struck it big with a $1 million lottery win in June. He died a month later, succumbing to cyanide poisoning in what police are now investigating as a homicide.
The death was a dark end to the family man’s otherwise hopeful tale.
Khan came to Chicago in the 1980s and found work in a local dry cleaning business. After years of working for others, he opened Style Dry Cleaners in the Rogers Park area of Chicago in 2004. Over time, Khan became proprietor of three dry cleaning stores of his own, according to the Chicago Tribune.
He also owned five condominiums, which he rented out, the paper reported.
In a June 26 press release from the Illinois Lottery, a giddy Khan described his reaction after buying his golden ticket at a 7-Eleven in Rogers Park. “I scratched the ticket, then I kept on saying, ‘I hit a million!’ over and over again,” an effusive Khan said of his sudden riches. “I jumped two feet in the air, then ran back into the store and tipped the clerk $100.”
Khan stood to bank $424,449.60 from the win after taxes on his lump sum payout of over $600,000. He would give some of the money to St. Jude Children’s Research hospital, he said, and invest another share in his dry cleaning business. The lucky entrepreneur gripped an oversized check at the summer lottery ceremony where he was joined by his wife, Shabana Ansari, 32, and their daughter Jasmeen, along with several friends.
“Winning the lottery means everything to me,” Khan gushed in June.
$1 million lottery winner fatally poisoned by cyanide
But he never got to enjoy the windfall, dying suddenly on July 20, just one day after the check with his winnings was issued by the Illinois Comptroller’s Office.
Cook County Medical Examiner Stephen Cina performed a limited exam on the 46-year-old and found no signs of trauma. Cina’s office concluded that he had died of natural causes. Six months later, in a sudden turn of events, officials said on Monday that they were looking into Khan’s case again after further toxicology reports determined that his system held lethal amounts of cyanide.
Those tests were run at the urging of an unnamed family member.
Khan’s wife described him as a “kind and good-hearted person” to NBCChicago.com. Khan ate dinner at home with his family on the night he died, the Tribune reported, citing an internal police document. He went to bed. After he awoke screaming in the night, he was taken to St. Francis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Khan was a “workaholic,” his wife of 12 years told the paper. “He made clients happy by doing his job. He could not be everywhere, but he had to be everywhere.”
Khan’s purchase of the winning ticket came in a moment of weakness, convenience store clerk Ashur Oshana told The Associated Press. The doomed man had sworn off gambling in 2010 after going on the hajj, the pilgrimage all faithful Muslims are obligated to make once in their lives. He yielded to temptation one last time, and laid down $60 for a pair of scratch-offs.
Lottery winner's death investigated as a homicide
“Right away he grabbed my hand,” Oshana said of Khan’s emotional win. “He kissed my hand and kissed my head and gave me $100. He was really happy.”
Jimmy Goreel owns the convenience store where Khan bought his winning ticket. He said Khan had been kind to him after an earlier, smaller win.
“I sold him a winning ticket for $5,000,” Goreel told NBCChicago.com. “He was so generous he reached for a hundred dollars, and he threw it on the counter for me.”
“He was a family man who worked hard for his family,” Goreel said. “I just can’t see it happening. If that’s true, it’s sad.”
Khan was buried at Chicago’s Rosehill Cemetery. Cina said exhuming his body may be the next step in investigating the death.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Conn. politician apologizes after saying Giffords should 'stay out of my towns'
- 'Please save us': Teens feared to have fallen through lake ice
- Cops: Fingernail DNA helps catch woman's killer 28 years later
- Teen in crude video about alleged Ohio rape not involved, lawyer says
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
nice story but what of the investigation.....where did the money go?
Here's hoping for a successful and swift prosecution of the despicable greedy murderer.
Cook County Medical Examiner Stephen Cina performed a limited exam on the 46-year-old and found no signs of trauma. Cina’s office concluded that he had died of natural causes. Six months later, in a sudden turn of events, officials said on Monday that they were looking into Khan’s case again after further toxicology reports determined that his system held lethal amounts of cyanide.
Nice job Chicago ME.
Makes you wonder how many other autopsies are being botched.
Uncle Urooj, is that you?
Suspect # 1: The wife
Denver bill, that's MY Uncle Urooj. I'm his favorite, may he rest in peace.
In all seriousness, he had already turned in the scratch off, so he wasn't killed for it. That leaves someone who would inherit the money. Hmm maybe Mrs. Urooj was a bery bery bad lady.
Poisoning is a favorite way of offing someone in India. Inside job for sure.
@TFNJ - I agree. Another interesting motive is the Muslim angle. While a remote possibility, I wonder if it's possible he was killed because he's a Muslim that was gambling (which according to the article is a no no). Although I bet that's a very slim chance of that being the case. Who in their right mind would poison their relative the day after he won the lotto... Interesting.
Wouldn't murder also be bad thing for a muslim? Unless the killer is an extremest...in which case murder to support the religion is OK...in which case, stealing the money THEN murdering him would also be OK.
So many possibilities. Maybe even a partner in the cleaning business.
But since someone tipped the police on the poisoning, I imagine that person also has more information, like Who Done It.
@Geo4444 - I think it happens though. I am not an expert but I know that people perform honor killings in that religion sporadically. This could be the same thing. The guy would be plastered all over the paper as a gambler and share the last name as the rest of the family. Know what i mean? I don't think it's at all likely but maybe.
@TFNJ - I think the partner would be most likely.
The guy owned six apartment buildings and a business. If the wife had offed him any time before then she would've been able to sell the business and buildings for a lot more than 500 grand.
Now if he had a partner that was taking over the business by killing the guy, poisoning the guy the day after he wins the lotto would make it look like the wife did it and allow him to grab up shares of the business (in theory). Although, he'd still have to buy it so I don't know.
Or maybe the guy just drank himself to death in celebration, and this is all a mistake.. LOL
This story has been running 3 days now with zero info regarding the cyanide. WWWWH? Journalism at its epic fail point.
Or the police not releasing anything new.
James, How can an autopsy be botched if one was not done to begin with? His body will be exhumed and THEN the autopsy will be done! It was Khan's brother that demanded further testing related to his suspicions. Read up on state law concerning autopsies because each state has different laws.
An initial toxicolgy screening was performed. This article just fails to mention it by instead stating a limited exam was performed. Another article mentioned he was found to have some coronary damage which led to the natural causes conclusion. Autopsies were not done if the deceased was over 45 years old. They tested for carbon monoxide poisoning, cocaine & opiates initially.
who says this guy was a muslim. he was from india. isn't that usually a hindu religion in most places in india. like 80 percent. 5 percent janism. 7 percent buddhism. 2 percent sikhism. yes some muslim christians and jewish but mainly hindu. If I have misread let me know
HIs wife, no doubt....
Indian women seldom, if ever, kill their husbands. The life of an Indian widow, even in a country like US, is one big hell. I will be very very surprised if it is the wife.
Yep. What tipped you off? For me, it was when the article said she's a woman. Then I knew it must have been her.
I doubt very much that it was his wife. They had other family members at dinner, and those people are being investigated, as well as anyone who delivered food to the house, or even visited the home in the previous days.
A movie-of-the-week type of thing would have had someone who knew what medications he took, disguised cyanide to look like one of the pills, and put it into his prescription bottle while visiting the bathroom or the kitchen--someone who knew him well enough to have had access to it. That way, the day of the death would be a lottery, one that would happen by the time the bottle was empty, so the killer would be someplace else at the time of death. Mr. Kahn probably remembered to take his medicine in the middle of the night, and there it was.
I didn't know that screaming was a symptom of cyanide poisoning.
And, no, I didn't do it.
hmmm......... Indian or any background widow in America with 475K .... wouldn't call that hell.
Haven't found anywhere that says that screaming has anything to do with cyanide poisoning.
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cyanide_poisoning/page3_em.htm#cyanide_poisoning_symptoms
"Screaming" would not be a symptom of the poisoning, but it can cause the heart to suddenly collapse, which could be painful much like a heart attack.
I'm not saying the wife "did" it, i was actually trying to comment on:
"patrick-2848866
nice story but what of the investigation.....where did the money go?
the wife will inherit the money? no?
i still think she & anyone that had access to his meals should be investigated, for sure.
note to self: If I win the $1 million or more lottery, never ingest anything with cyanide. However, dinner at home may be another story in this article.
Well thank goodness it wasn't an assault rifle! That would be a tragedy that would lead to more obama speeches.
Yes and that won't even require somebody to win a lottery. Any mad monkey can operate a gun and kill people without reason.
Or a car which kill many more people.
I think it's time to turn in your beamer PJ, we can't have it any more.
My children need safety so you get to ride the bus and get jumped at the bus stop.
But you don't get anything to protect yourself either.
Deal?
I didn't even have to look at your name to know it was you. You use EVERY article to slam the President, especially when the article has NOTHING to do with him. Get over yourself you hatefilled bigot. Just for the sake of hoping you do read this post, answer this question:
If this Nation's elected leader didn't say anything about gun violence what would you have to say then?
The President will never do anything right in your eyes.
Ban dry cleaners.
Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. Man wins lottery and collects winnings and dies on the same date allegedly after a consuming a meal prepared by his wife? If not her then certainly someone within his immediate family that also had access to his last meal. Duh! How awful.
It would be a little stupid on the wife's part, wouldn't it, since she knew she would be suspect number one under those circumstances? Let's not forget that the medical examiner's office has thus far proved to be inept, and cyanide is naturally occurring in some food products. It could be yet another lab screw-up.
Considering the idea that ingesting enough cyanide to kill you causes death in minutes, I rather doubt that he got it from eating his dinner, hours earlier.
ElkMeadow
you are correct. Cyanide works fast. Just ask Jim Jones
What did this family member know and why didn't they come out earlier with their suspicions??? Terrible that Mr. Khan never got to enjoy his winnings. Hopefully, the murderer will not get to enjoy it, either - or at least for much longer. The things people do for love or money...WOW!!!
Hey, jack. Hope you had a nice New Year.
Hey Chefaz
Happy New Year to you too! Down here in B'bados, the rum is fine any time of year!!!
Oh...that sounds wonderful!!! ☺ Have one for me. I'm off to work now.
Sad story, but it has happened to other winners out there. That's why privacy is paramount when you win, and Lotto agencies should give winners that choice no matter how big the jackpot !!!
You have to name names to keep the lottery corporations honest.
Ross...
Once proven your a winner, you rights supersede the Agency's in order to remain anonymous... Their right to be a viable honest entity will always be their problem, not yours !!!!!!
Be careful what you wish for, you might get it...
That is so sad! That man deserved to enjoy his winnings! I really hope they are able to figure out what happened and that justice will be served.
More proof that GUNS don't kill; PEOPLE kill.
"Guns don't kill people,people with guns kill people without guns" A very wise man said that, me. No,I don't have a problem with humility,thank you.
what does this have to do with a man who died from cyanide poisoning?
He was not killed by an assault rifle.
Yes, exactly correct
Nor was he killed by a knife, club or baseball bat or car.
Which incidentally kill many more people than assault rifles.
@Gorge - Obviously he was. He licked the cyanide off an assault rifle.
He comes here from another country works his butt off and is very successful, yet there are so many lazy losers out there who were born here and live off the system and have no interest in getting a job. Yet this country has no problem with raising the taxes of the working person to give them handout after handout. I know I'm off topic, but...
Very off topic. Dementia-esque.
Lol, I like the "Dementia-esque" line. Very funny.
Notice the article was very proud that he was an immigrant (legal or illegal?) and not an American citizen.
He very well could have been a naturalized citizen. I could see it being left out because there just wasn't room in the story, and it's more interesting that he be seen as someone who came to this countryy and worked his tail off and succeeded at the American dream.
People who weren't born here aren't really citizens any more than a gentile convert is a Jew. You can't make Jewish jokes because everybody knows you're not really a Jew.
Technically they are but they don't believe in the constitution or our laws, they want us to change for them.
Ask this man his opinion on the 2A and I think you'd get the real story.
"Technically they are but they don't believe in the constitution or our laws. They want us to change for them."
Congratulations: you take the prize for the most ignorant nonsense posted on News Vine today.
I think the effect they are looking for is to point out that he came to America to have a better life. Not everything has to be looked at negatively or with suspicion. TraceyS is right!
Why was it important to mention that he was an immigrant? Was it also important to put his financial business in the article? The story would have been just as relevant if the headline read:
"Lottery winner poisoned by cyanide, police investigating death as homicide". and left it at that.
Joe, I agree. But they were going with the sympathetic approach of "Man looking for better life killed". For some reason you are supposed to feel more sorry for an immigrant man killed than a non immigrant.
As you can see by the comments, that tends to backfire.
@cunical - That struck me as odd too. My first thought was, "Are they trying to dehumanize the guy or something?"
I disagree, TFNJ. Feel sorry because he was an immigrant? No. I call that there will be variations of this real life story in CSI episodes in the next two seasons. Having the immigrant angle, and the successful business story makes it more interesting, opens up the door to imagination and intrigue, and makes it more likely that others may come forward with more tips or clues.
Was the murderer also from outside the country, wanting to settle some centuries old family score, and discovered Mr. Kahn's whereabouts by the lottery news story? A disgruntled employee who was annoyed that St. Jude Hospital was going to get a money gift instead of bonuses all around? A spurned associate? Someone who hoped to have a share of the estate? Someone who wanted to punish him for gambling? Did a latter-day Lucretia Borgia have the wrong address, and the poison was meant for someone down the street?
Why did Mr. Kahn wake up screaming, when that's not a symptom of the poison?
My condolences to the family, and my thanks to the unknown tipster relative.
Mr Khan died in hospital on July 20, but no post-mortem was carried out as, at the time, the County Cook Medical Examiner’s Office did not generally perform the procedure on people over 45 unless the death was suspicious. FYI per another article
Autopsies are a standard practice regardless of age. To not perform an autopsy is a form of medical malpractice becausing the attending mortician is assuming that they know the cause of death without implementing the tools and methods of their practice to determine from accurate medical techniques the cause of death.
Its just like a doctor who assumes that an injury cannot possibly have occured because they only view the records and testimonies based upon a fable viewpoint of reading the first thing that they read as being the cause for an injury without using their medical knowledge to accurately diagnose the injury without regards to political or relgious intrepretation of how the injury should be viewed and treated.
@katykaty - I believe they gave him an autopsy. The tox screen came back negative. Something was faulty. Everyone gets an autopsy even if there is no need (normally). I know we had a choice with my grandmother but I think any other time they do them no matter what. Could be off on that.
Looks like someone was trying to save the tax payers some money. That's the trouble with budget cut-backs--stuff gets cut back.
nolan,
In one of the states I lived in, autopsy were routine, except in cases where there was medical monitoring going on. One 97 year old lady didn't get one, as her doctor had been seeing her weekly for a while, and had just seen her a few days before death. And if 97 year old people don't have permission to peacefully die in their sleep, no one does.
I think you are looking too deep into that just because of the word "immigrant". Remove the phrase from your mind and don't let the media guide your opinion.
Makes you wonder if this wasn't a case of racial hatred by a jealous party who knew this guy.
Investigative Fail.
greed has no religion, race or color
He woke up screaming in the middle of the night.
Cyanide would kill you pretty quick, ate dinner at home with family.
Not looking too good for the wife, it either happened at dinner with his food or shortly before bed.
I'm very sorry for this man's family and I hope they catch the perpetrator, but the whole thing sounds like a "Law & Order" plot.
I love Law & order, and yes it does. Is that still on? I stopped watching during the Special Victims one, since I didn't like it. But the older ones were great.
I wonder if the unnamned family member has since left America?
oh the curse of lotto.
I could have been a build up of dry cleaning solvents built up over time or a disgruntled client when he told them--- no tickie no washie.
I suspect the wife...she didn't need him or his businesses any more, just his winnings.
The only thing that sticks out to me there is the man had a business and six apartment buildings. Even before this lotto if the wife would've killed him she would've been set up for life. (Apartment buildings would be worth a lot more than 500,000 dollars). Odd crime. I am pretty interested to see what they find but I suspect you're right.
Perhaps the cold hard cash was easier to escape with than investment properties. But yeah it doesn't make sense since it sounds like they were already well off.
But I never under-estimate greed.
Yeah, money is the motive smacking someone in the face lol. I think the article said he was from india or something. You could live like a king (or queen) in India for 450 grand.
Yup
My theory - wife is cheating on the hubby with another guy. He wins lottery. Wife/Mansteress plan murder. Maybe the guy works in a chemical company/industry? He knows how to mask cyanide in food, tells wife, she prepares meal that she knows he only eats and nobody else in the family.
Not a bang up job masking the cyanide.
maybe they just put some cleaner chemical in his food. There are many toxins in cleaners to choose from.
I was pretty much killed and my unborn,born children,family and friends killed when I had lottery tickets in sweatshirt that was transported with me to Fairfax INOVA Hospital in Virginia. While they killed my unborn babies,removed my sexual organs,organs,body parts,genitals,brandings,identifiable marks,overdosed me,etc.etc. and never treated me for any of the ailments I supposedly was brought to the hospital to address i.e.; "fell asleep" found unconscious in shower(woke up naked to rescue squad)Was trying to get relief from painful itchy rash/hives(also never addressed) extreme back pain (due to broken back)( also never addressed )possible concussion(since last thing I remembered was showering)(never addresses)Extremely low blood sugar 56(never addressed)And extreme poisoning (never addressed).While they had their sick fun my home was also completely destroyed, ripped off (for more unclaimed lottery tickets and belongings) along with my health,livelihood,tools,eyesight,etc.etc..When I finally got away from fairfax INOVA "health-care" system minus lots of body parts and only weighing 68 lbs went in at 115. I reported home thefts to Prudential insurance GOT NOTHING,and to Gettysburg PA police who I gather decided that was a good reason to come rip me out of my home(giving no reason)transport me to Gettysburg PA WELLSPAN "health-care" have me brutally and forcefully held down(sat on, not unlike fairfax) and overdosed with dirty needles so heavily I came to a week later bruised and battered with no knowledge of how I got there in YORK PA WELLSPAN Hospital. My reputation is completely been destroyed, I'm stalked and daily/continuously electrocuted by "people" with those "self protection" devises and possibly implant/dog collar like thing in body. Between having back broke/attempted murder by corrupt government privately owned "charity" incorporation for life insurance policies they take out at their employees expense with out their knowledge and of course with them (S.C.C.A.P.)(South Central Community Action Program)as only named beneficiary.Poisoned by them and other serial killers(who also have stolen about everything I've ever owned or had rights to).I now pretty much starve,am homeless, destitute,still charged quite possibly millions in medical cost for a multitude of " procedures" that were completely unwarranted, unnecessary,and totally heart-breaking.For in this day and age rape, forceful abortions, forcefully sterilizing,maiming,and murdering people especially if they have something a "nurse","doctor",or "politician" want or if frankly they just don't like you or your looks is completely acceptable.For while I was semi-coherent in Faifax Hospital they made it quite clear I wasn't their only victim.{(Its quite common/the normal practice)easy way for them to overbill , get lots of drugs for their personal use,and their psychotic sheer fun plus they acquire any possessions they want of yours }.So sadly if you play the lottery keep armed guards around you,hopefully that mans family can make claim, for mine were killed to the best of my knowledge(ones "playing them" neither right height,personality, nor intelligence)doubt if fingerprints match. At least his death was possible quick for mine is an on going suffrage with constant pain and failing health along with hunger and homelessness.Before I was poisoned,raped,"hospitalized",maimed,butchered etc.etc.etc. I was getting ready to relocate,had just got bike license, had secured employment,was going to sue past employer for injuries ,illegal pay ,and illegal firing . Now I just try unsuccessfully to stay away from the people who are further causing me brain damage ,poisoning what little food and drink I have,and stealing everything they want . Must be nice these days to be something other then an "American citizen".
I can't believe I read some of that.
I only read the first two sentences. Creepy.
WTF Spock. Beam that dude up!!!!
It was so crazy I couldnt stop reading! Needs help, bad.
Dude...
Days when I feel like that I take an Ibuprofen.... it really works !!
i think i need a drink
Although I am always curious to see pictures of Lotto Winners, I would like new laws to protect winners. New laws should consist of: No pictures and names should be revealed; the only things that should be revealed to the public are description of winner, location ticket was purchased, age of winner, occupation of winner and race of winner.