Mega Millions winner drops out of sight

RATHDRUM, Idaho - Holly Lahti burst into the spotlight a week ago in a feel-good story about a single mother who won a $190-million Mega Millions jackpot.

Then came the mug shot: a thin young woman with disheveled brown hair, sporting 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 he has a possible claim to some of the money through a quirk in Idaho law.

Lahti, 29, went underground with her two daughters immediately after learning she had won half of a $380-million jackpot in the Jan. 4 drawing.

The mug shot was taken after Lahti and her husband, Josh, were arrested during a domestic dispute in 2003. The charges were dropped, and the couple has long been separated.

Josh Lahti said he did not know Holly had won the lottery until told last week by an Associated Press reporter. "That's awesome! I won't have to pay child support!" he said.

As it turns out, the husband could be entitled to a chunk of the winnings because he and Lahti never divorced and were never legally separated. Idaho's murky law on the issue requires a divorce filing to grant separation, which is a key factor in splitting up assets between spouses.

While the lawyers sort out the issue in the months ahead, Holly Lahti can rejoice in the fact that her troubled past has given way to riches beyond her wildest dreams.

She quit her job as a customer service representative for a bank, then asked family and friends not to talk with reporters. She did not appear at the Jan. 12 news conference in Boise in which her good fortune was revealed.

Holly Lahti still lives in the couple's home in Rathdrum, in the Idaho Panhandle. Josh Lahti said he sees his daughters, age 12 and 10, most days.

Holly Lahti opted Friday to collect her jackpot in a lump-sum payment, instead of annual payments over 25 years. She will get $120 million, which will be reduced to $80.6 million by federal and state taxes.