Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Holly Lahti burst into the spotlight a week ago in a feel-good story about a single mother who won $190 m in a lottery.
Then came the mugshot: a thin young woman with disheveled hair,a black eye and cuts and bruises on her face and neck. It turned out she was separated from a man who court records indicated had abused her,and now has a possible claim to some of the money through a quirk in Idaho law.
Lahti,29,went underground with her two daughters after learning she had won half of a $380 m jackpot in the January 4 drawing. She has not been seen or heard in public since.
The mugshot was taken after Lahti and her husband,Josh Lahti,were arrested during a domestic dispute in 2003. The charges were later dropped,and the couple has long been separated. Josh said he did not know about Hollys win until told by a reporter last week.
