Iowa Lottery officials had a lot of questions on Friday while trying to unravel the mystery behind a year-old winning ticket that was turned in less than two hours before Thursday’s deadline for a jackpot worth up to $14.3 million.

Here is what they know so far. Lottery checker

Two attorneys with Des Moines-based Davis Brown Law Firm showed up at Iowa Lottery headquarters at 2.10pm Thursday with the winning ticket before the 4pm deadline. Powerball lottery

They represent Hexam Investments Trust, whose trustee is a lawyer and businessman named Crawford Shaw from the wealthy town of Bedford, New York.

Shaw signed the ticket, which was validated as the winner, on behalf of the trust.

But before Iowa Lottery officials pay a dime, they will conduct a thorough investigation to make sure the ticket was legally purchased, possessed and presented.

Steve Bogle, the lottery’s vice president of security, said he had never faced similar circumstances in its 26-year history: a huge jackpot claimed so close before the deadline, a winner who sent tight-lipped lawyers to claim the prize, and a trust whose members weren’t immediately clear.

‘We will do this as expeditiously as possible but we will be very thorough and comprehensive.’

Neubauer said it’s not known whether Shaw is the winner or whether he simply represents others.

Attorney Beau Gamble of the Davis Brown Law Firm claimed he had ‘no idea’ who actually bought the ticket and his firm is simply representing the trust. As to whether Shaw was the winner, Gamble said: ‘That will be up to the Lotto to decide. Mr. Shaw is not claiming to be the winner. He’s just the trustee of the trust.’

Lottery officials said they first heard from the law firm Tuesday and were told it was representing a trust in connection with the jackpot. Neubauer said the ticket was shipped on Wednesday through FedEx, presumably from New York, and arrived at the firm Thursday.

‘We look forward to learning the details we’ve all been wondering about these many months, such as: How did the winner find out he had the jackpot-winning ticket? How long has he known he’d won? Why did he wait until the last day to turn in the ticket?’ Lottery CEO Terry Rich said. ‘Every winner’s situation is different, and it’s always fun to hear the story.’

But Shaw wasn’t talking Friday as he did not return phone or e-mail messages. And his son, Crawford Shaw, Jr., wouldn’t reveal what he knew.

‘I’m not an attorney. I can’t get into it,’ he said.

Neubauer said the jackpot had an annuity value of $16.5 million when the prize was drawn, but has dropped to about $14.3 million because of a weak bond market. She said the winner has 60 days to decide whether to take the annuity or a cash payout of $10.75 million.

Despite the murky circumstances surrounding the ticket, she said its appearance should be a relief to hundreds of Lottery players who called suggesting they might be the winner.

‘They didn’t wash the ticket. They didn’t lose the ticket. The dog didn’t eat their ticket,’ she said. ‘We’d heard all of those stories and more.’

Now it’s up to Iowa Lottery officials to answer many more questions in the air before handing in the money. No doubt that story will continue.