Retired US couple claim share of Mega Millions prize

Washington, Apr 19 (ANI): A retired southern Illinois couple claimed the third and final share of last month's record 656 million-dollar Mega Millions jackpot on Wednesday.

Merle and Patricia Butler revealed that they plan to treat themselves, possibly even to a vacation, once they've sorted out how to invest their windfall.

The couple bought a 3 dollar quick-pick ticket to the March 30 drawing at the Motomart convenience store in their village of Red Bud, a farming community about 40 miles southeast of St. Louis.

They have opted to collect their winnings, 111 million dollars after taxes, in a lump-sum payment.

Merle Butler, 65, said that until Wednesday's news conference, fewer than five people knew they had won the lottery, other than the cadre of financial advisors and the lawyer with whom they've been meeting.

"I was retired. It looks like I have another full-time job," CBS News quoted the former computer systems analyst as saying.

The couple, who have grandchildren, have no immediate plans other than to craft an investment strategy, then look into how to treat themselves in a few months or a year, Merle said.

"There could possibly be a vacation in there," he quipped.

Of the three jackpot-winning ticket holders, only the Butlers came forward publicly. The Illinois Lottery requires, with rare exceptions, that winning ticket holders appear for a news conference and related promotions, partly to show that it pays out prizes as promised. Winning ticket holders in Kansas and Maryland opted to remain anonymous.

Since the drawing, the collective hobby in Red Bud has been speculating about who bought the winning ticket, with locals wondering if it was one of their own or someone who had pulled off the nearby highway while en route to other parts.

About 100 locals gathered outside the community hall during Wednesday's news conference, and they gave a rousing cheer to the Butlers when they emerged afterward.

The 62-year-old former program analyst said that since the drawing, they have been so busy mapping out how to deal with the life-changing event, they haven't spent a lot of time with their friends and neighbors.

"It's just very exciting. We've been meeting with a lot of people, just not here in town," she said.

Despite their newfound wealth, Merle Butler said he and his wife do not plan to move away from Red Bud and its roughly 3,700 residents.

"This is a nice, comfortable, family-oriented community. We've lived here a long time. We don't plan to go anywhere else," he added. (ANI)