Falicia Blakely

Summary

Snapped: Women Who Murder – Episode Summary: Felicia Blakely

Introduction In the gripping episode titled "Felicia Blakely" from Oxygen's "Snapped: Women Who Murder," listeners are taken through a harrowing true crime story that unfolded in Atlanta's vibrant club scene in the early 2000s. This detailed account explores the brutal murders of three men, the subsequent investigation, and the eventual arrest and confession of Felicia Blakely and her accomplice, Amisha Irvin.

Background Atlanta in the late 1990s and early 2000s was a hotspot for nightlife, particularly within the adult entertainment industry. The city’s booming club scene attracted celebrities and affluent individuals, creating an environment where large sums of cash circulated freely. Ray Goodwin, a 30-year-old Atlanta resident, was a well-known figure in this scene. Raised in Birmingham, Alabama, by a single mother, Ray was beloved by his siblings, especially his sister Carlita Knox.

The Crimes Unfold On August 15, 2002, the tranquility of Atlanta was shattered when Ray Goodwin and his friend, Claudell "Doc" Christmas, were found murdered in Ray's apartment. Detectives quickly identified the murders as part of a growing crime spree targeting affluent men in the club scene.

• Discovery of the Murders Carlita Knox recounts the tragic discovery:

  "Finding my brother dead, that changed my life forever. Everything was rushing through my head. Who, what, when, why? I just broke down crying." ([06:59])

  The crime scene showed no signs of forced entry or struggle, suggesting that the victims knew their assailants. Both men had been shot multiple times with .32 caliber bullets, a detail that would later prove crucial.

• Expansion of the Crime Spree Just two days later, on August 17, 2002, another man, Lamitrius Michi Twitty, was found dead under similar circumstances. The consistency in the modus operandi—executed style shootings with the same caliber firearm—led investigators to suspect a single perpetrator or a closely linked group.

Investigation Intensifies As detectives delved deeper, they uncovered that both Ray and Doc frequently carried large amounts of cash, making them prime targets for robbery. Additionally, witness statements pointed towards potential female suspects involved in these robberies, a notable departure from the typical profiles of such crimes.

• Emergence of Suspects Carlita Knox took an active role in the investigation, conducting her own inquiries to identify the suspects. Her efforts led her to identify two dancers, known by the nicknames Peaches and Snow, who had been present at Ray's apartment on the night of the murders.

  "I got a bad vibe from her. I said, man, Ray, I don't like these girls." ([18:02])

  Through permit books at various strip clubs, Carlita identified Felicia Blakely as Peaches, linking her to the crime scenes.

Arrest and Confession On August 25, 2002, Felicia Blakely and Amisha Irvin were apprehended at a Mrs. Winters restaurant in Atlanta after a series of armed robberies. The discovery of a .32 caliber handgun in the bathroom corroborated the evidence linking them to the murders.

• Felicia's Admission During her initial interview, Felicia confessed to the murders without hesitation:

  "I killed Michi and Ray and Doc." ([34:35])

  Her straightforward admission shocked investigators, who had not anticipated such candidness.

• Amisha's Involvement Amisha Irvin's statement aligned with Felicia's account, detailing their coordinated efforts to rob and murder their victims. Together, they were charged with three counts of malice murder, armed robbery, felony murder, and theft.

Unveiling the Motive and Manipulation Further investigation revealed that Felicia Blakely was allegedly under the control of Mike Berry, her pimp, who manipulated her into committing the crimes. Felicia claimed that Mike coerced her into targeting Ray and Doc for their financial assets.

"She explains Mike Berry was her pimp. She was forced to do it due to Mike Berry and that he was the one that really wanted the money and put her and Amisha up to these crimes." ([42:30])

However, detectives found no concrete evidence linking Mike Berry to the murders, and without Amisha corroborating her claims fully, the prosecution focused solely on Felicia and Amisha's direct involvement.

Trial and Sentencing In 2004, Felicia Blakely accepted a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, receiving three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Amisha Irvin also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to concurrent life terms with the possibility of parole in 2027.

Carlita Knox expressed mixed emotions regarding the outcomes:

"Phylicia could have made different choices... it doesn't make me feel better about what happened. I miss him. I miss him a lot." ([46:45])

Additional Crimes and Broader Implications Post-arrest investigations linked Felicia to an attempted murder in Orlando, Florida, raising questions about the extent of her criminal activities. Despite her claims, she was never charged for the Orlando incident, as prosecutors deemed she would remain incarcerated for her already severe sentences.

Conclusion The episode of "Snapped: Women Who Murder" detailing Felicia Blakely's case underscores the complexities of criminal motivations and the potential for manipulation by influential figures like Mike Berry. Felicia's actions, driven by desperation and alleged coercion, led to a series of tragic murders that shook Atlanta's social fabric.

Carlita Knox's relentless pursuit of justice highlights the profound personal impact of such crimes on families and communities. While Felicia and Amisha face significant prison terms, the emotional scars and unanswered questions linger for those left behind.

Notable Quotes:

• Carlita Knox on discovering her brother:

  “Finding my brother dead, that changed my life forever. Who, what, when, why?... I just broke down crying.” ([06:59])

• Felicia Blakely’s confession:

  “I killed Michi and Ray and Doc.” ([34:35])

• Carlita on seeking justice:

  “I wasn’t just going to sit there and be scared. Nobody want to talk to the police. So that’s where I came in at.” ([26:02])

This episode serves as a poignant reminder of the far-reaching effects of crime and the importance of perseverance in the pursuit of justice.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

A string of brutal crimes rocks Atlanta's hottest social scene.

[Expert/Commentator]

The adult entertainment industry was booming. Men had a lot of cash going into these clubs. He was shot execution style.

[Carlita Knox]

I was shocked. We actually was just so scared.

[Narrator]

Detectives search for a killer in a world of glamour, sex and secrets.

[Ray Goodwin]

There were huge clubs. There were mega celebrities.

[Expert/Commentator]

The club owners, the bouncers, the security. They're not real excited to have police combing through their establishment.

[Narrator]

And the pressure is on as the.

[Expert/Commentator]

Crime spree continues, there's been another shooting. The third male.

[Detective]

The Orlando police department contacted our agency concerning a similar incident that they were investigating.

[Narrator]

Could a stark confession reveal the truth?

[Witness]

This was a girl who just lays it all out. She didn't sugarcoat it.

[Expert/Commentator]

He made all these promises, sold her this huge pipe dream.

[Narrator]

Is there more to this tale than meets the eye?

[Ray Goodwin]

She was under the control to some extent of him.

[Detective]

This is one cold blooded female that just does what she wants to do. I mean, I don't know if I'd ever seen anything like that.

[Narrator]

August 15, 2002. Atlanta, Georgia. The height of the city's club scene.

[Ray Goodwin]

2002 was a time in Atlanta when the nightlife scene was an international destination for partying. Like there were huge clubs. It was a very wild time.

[Carlita Knox]

2002, Atlanta was lit. It was the place to be anytime celebrities come in town, you know, they call us, you know, to come party. Everybody who was on our scene was real players, real heavy hitters.

[Narrator]

30 year old Atlanta resident and staple on the club scene. Karlita Knox, better known as Smokey, is getting ready for a night out with her brother Ray.

[Carlita Knox]

I talked to Ray about 8:30. He told me to come on over there and you know, we'll go hang out. So I was like, okay, cool. He was like, he was cooking. He was grilling some steaks for some friends. So my friend me and Sam wanted to go over there.

[Expert/Commentator]

Ray was at the apartment partying with his friend Doc.

[Narrator]

Just 30 minutes later, Carlita receives another phone call.

[Carlita Knox]

I got a call from G, one of Doc's friends. And G was like, hey, you know, I was on the phone with Doc and I heard gunshots and something like he couldn't breathe or something like that. He said he did hear some female voices in the back saying, get the money, get the money. I kind of brushed it off, but I said, let me call him. So I kept calling Doc, kept calling Doc. No answer. I'm like, what the hell? That's strange. So I kept trying to call Ray.

[Ray Goodwin]

He's not picking up. She's getting panicky. She's like, let's go over to his place.

[Narrator]

Karle Rita and her friend Sam head over to Ray's apartment.

[Carlita Knox]

The whole ride over there is just such a dreary, dreadful feeling. Me and Sam got out the car and we walked up and when we got to Ray's door, it was cracked a little bit. So Sam peeped in. He was like, it's not good, it's not good. I'm like, what? What happened? What happened? He was like, they're dead. They did. I was like, oh, my God. So I end up calling 911.

[Narrator]

First responders with the DeKalb County Police Department arrive on the scene.

[Detective]

Both victims were deceased in the living room. One close to the couch, the other on the floor. I started documenting the crime scene as I saw it. They secured the crime scene and then notified the DeKalb County Police Major Felony Unit to respond.

[Narrator]

Outside the apartment, Carlita is in shock.

[Carlita Knox]

Finding my brother dead, that changed my life forever. Everything was rushing through my head. Everything was rushing through my head. Who, what, when, why? I just broke down crying. We couldn't wrap our minds around it.

[Narrator]

Born in 1968, Raymond Goodwin was raised by his mother in Birmingham, Alabama.

[Carlita Knox]

She was a single mom raising five kids by herself, so it wasn't, you know, roses. But she did the best that she could. Ray was the middle child, and he was always helping people. Always. I called him Captain because he was always reaching out and helping people. Growing up, Ray was just always active into the high school band and different stuff like that. He started working at 16 years old. I remember he worked at McDonald's in high school.

[Narrator]

Ray was close with all of his siblings, but especially with his sister Carlita.

[Carlita Knox]

My mom and Ray, they were best friends. They were always together, them two. They were the youngest, so they had a special kind of relationship.

[Narrator]

By the late 90s, Ray and most of his siblings had migrated to Atlanta. There, he stayed close with his family.

[Carlita Knox]

Ray was like the legendary uncle. He was the house to go to. He's gonna rent us 10, 15 games, movies. We got board games. He's gonna cook the whole weekend. It was the place to be as a kid. He was always the comedian, always kept people laughing. He was full of life.

[Narrator]

After a successful stint as a car salesman at age 31, Ray changed lanes to pursue a lifelong dream.

[Carlita Knox]

Photography was Ray's passion. He was always into that. He would go into, like, the Walmart, and he would have these booths set up to do his photography. He was very good at it.

[Narrator]

But Ray had bigger dreams than taking pictures in department stores. He wanted to break into the booming Atlanta entertainment scene, something by the late 90s, Carlita had already done.

[Carlita Knox]

We were in the adult entertainment industry. I started dancing on a regular basis then, and I just became great at what I was doing.

[Expert/Commentator]

She would hook Ray up with other dancers who needed to make, like, flyers or portfolios in order to market themselves. Ray would take their pictures for them.

[Carlita Knox]

He created a whole photography company within like a few months, time just catapulted to another level.

[Narrator]

Ray found his niche working with dancers at Atlanta's multitude of high end clubs.

[Carlita Knox]

He did a lot of my photography. He made my portfolios. He made portfolios for all of my girls.

[Narrator]

Ray developed a huge network of friends in the city, including 35 year old Claudell Christmas, aka Doc.

[Carlita Knox]

Doc was very suave. He was a cool guy. He called himself the doctor. I met him at the club through a mutual friend. He liked to go to the casinos. He just liked to, you know, party just like everyone else back then. He became one of my best friends as well. Doc was a very giving person, very great person, great energy. Everyone knew him, loved him. Our whole family and friend network was very tight.

[Narrator]

Ray found success, status and popularity in Atlanta. When he met Akasha Turner in 2001, he also found love.

[Carlita Knox]

I met him at a dance club. He just came up to me laughing. Raymond. Even amidst that type of environment, he stood out differently. He was very religious, he was very spiritual. I had a friend, like a best friend. They had been together for a couple years. She loved him. They were in love.

[Narrator]

By the summer of 2002, Ray was at the peak of success in a city where the sky was the limit. But on August 15, his rise to the top is cut short. Detectives with the DeKalb County Police Department enter Ray's apartment where they find the bodies of 34 year old Ray Goodwin and 35 year old Doc Christmas.

[Detective]

We'd look for any damage to the door, which there was none. We'd look for any broken windows and there was no damage indicating any type of forced entry. There was none. There was no immediate signs of any type of struggle. Nobody had any other injuries besides the gunshot wounds. Doc received one gunshot wound to the head. Ray received a gunshot wound to the head along with other gunshot wounds to his torso.

[Narrator]

When asked why anyone would want to hurt her brother, Carlita says she believes burglary may have been the motive.

[Expert/Commentator]

He kept very expensive photography equipment. Both of these victims, Doc and Ray, were known to carry a large amount of cash, especially being around the entertainment industry. They would go to the clubs with wads of cash and just, you know, spend all kinds of crazy money.

[Carlita Knox]

My brother, he bought major equipment. I mean, he had so much stuff. Doc, he was a little flashy too, you know, and I thought napar was like, shoot, we gonna rob him too.

[Narrator]

Carlita also tells investigators of the bizarre call between Doc and her friend G that led her and Sam to the apartment in the first place.

[Expert/Commentator]

While Doc was speaking with this individual, gunshots rang out.

[Witness]

He actually heard a female voice say, get the money, get the money.

[Narrator]

Investigators wonder if Ray and Doc fell victim to Atlanta's growing crime wave.

[Expert/Commentator]

During this time frame, the adult entertainment industry was booming. People would want to rob the men knowing they had a lot of cash going into these clubs. They started to have a lot more robberies within our city and they were being committed by females.

[Narrator]

Coming up, a pair of suspects emerge.

[Expert/Commentator]

Whoever this voice was on the phone saying, get the money. It was somebody they knew.

[Narrator]

And the discovery of another body strikes fear in this close knit community.

[Detective]

He suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

[Carlita Knox]

We actually was just so scared and everything. We got a serial killer out here.

[Narrator]

Dekalb county detectives are investigating the murders of 34 year old Ray Goodwin and and his friend, 35 year old Claudell. Doc Christmas.

[Witness]

Raymond had been shot five or six times. Doc had been shot one time to the head.

[Expert/Commentator]

Robbery could have been a motive. Ray and his business had a lot of very, very expensive high end photography equipment. Carried a lot of cash and the money from their wallets was missing.

[Narrator]

Inside Ray's apartment, detectives search for clues.

[Expert/Commentator]

In this particular case, it appears that they were having a party, getting ready to go out for the evening. There were drink glasses and they were about to cook out. So it appeared initially, at first glance that the victims knew and let the killers in willingly.

[Detective]

There was no tables turned over. There was no damage to any of the other property inside. I would have to say the incident appeared to have been almost by surprise.

[Expert/Commentator]

Doc was shot execution style in the head. That tells us that he was probably shot first. It appeared that once Ray saw what happened, he tried to flee and it just unloaded on Ray. And that's why Ray has a lot more gunshot wounds than Doc had. Ray and Doc were obviously very comfortable with the people that were in the house with them because they were drinking. Whoever this voice was on the phone saying get the money was somebody they knew. Based on the information they heard about this phone call. Detectives thought we had at least two perpetrators.

[Witness]

They were invited in and that means you can focus your attention on people who might have had access to the apartment.

[Detective]

Two cell phones were recovered from the crime scene. One being docs and the other being raised. I sent out subpoenas for the phone carriers to find out who they had been communicating.

[Narrator]

Investigators discover one more potentially important clue.

[Detective]

There were seven bullets fired. All of the shell casings located were.32 caliber bullets.32 calibers.

[Expert/Commentator]

It's a very small gun and you Know with a small gun. Who carries small guns? Typically females. Because we have a female voice say, get the money. Get the money. The suspect in this case is most likely a female.

[Narrator]

Detectives head back outside where Ray's sister Carlita is waiting. She says she's just gotten off the phone with Ray's girlfriend.

[Expert/Commentator]

Carlita found out that on this particular day, two individuals might have been at the apartment partying with these guys.

[Carlita Knox]

He had people around, per usual. He naturally does. Tells me what he's doing, who he's with. He said the names of who he was with. It was nicknames.

[Expert/Commentator]

Ray and Doc were hanging out with two dancers from the area, and she identified them as Peaches in Snow.

[Narrator]

Carlita tells them she thinks she met Peaches and Snow a few weeks earlier.

[Carlita Knox]

A light bulb immediately went off. Ding. It's got to be them girls. It's got to be them girls. I didn't know Peaches and Snow. I didn't know their names at the time, but three weeks before this incident had happened, I had a yacht party at Lake Lanier. My brother, we were supposed to have a photo shoot there. So he set up everything for the girls and invited them to the photo shoot. These girls were dancers at, you know, less popular clubs. One stood out to me. She was tall. She was like 57 or 59 or something like that. When I first met them, I got a bad vibe from her. I said, man, Ray, I don't like these girls. I mean, something came over me immediately, and I was just like, no, sir, not them.

[Narrator]

Investigators turn to the only other detail they know about Peaches and Snow.

[Detective]

Detectives went to some of the strip clubs in the Atlanta area.

[Expert/Commentator]

Dealing with the clubs was difficult. You know, you couldn't even get past the door. The club owners, the. The bouncers, the security, they're not real excited to have police, you know, combing through their establishment.

[Narrator]

Two days after the murders on August 17, 2002, DeKalb county detectives are called to the scene of another homicide.

[Expert/Commentator]

There's been another shooting, and it's just across town. The third male murdered.

[Narrator]

At the crime scene, detectives find 29 year old Lamitrius Michi Twitty dead on his living room floor.

[Detective]

It appeared that he had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including to the head, back, abdomen area, and that they were in intermediate range, probably 5 to 6ft.

[Narrator]

It doesn't take long for detectives to notice eerie similarities between the two crime scenes.

[Detective]

These murders, they're in close proximity, both occurring in the same county.

[Witness]

You've got a deceased guy in his Apartment. He, too, has been executed. Neither one of them has a forced entry.

[Expert/Commentator]

And then while going over the scene, they found the same.32 caliber shell casing that they did on the scene with Ray and Doc.

[Detective]

The fact that the same caliber, which was an unusual caliber, was used, it would not be far from saying that the same individual committed all three murders.

[Narrator]

Detectives on the scene step outside, where they find Miche's friend, Marchetti Townsend.

[Expert/Commentator]

He said Michi didn't show up for work that day, and he was concerned.

[Detective]

Michi and Mr. Townsend worked together as barbers. Mr. Townsend had tried to reach his friend several times by phone. He went to the apartment. At that point, he found Miche dead.

[Narrator]

Distraught, Marchetti explains that Miche was a beloved figure in their tight social circle.

[Expert/Commentator]

Miche was very popular as being a master barber, and he cut a lot of people's hair. He was high in demand. People would pay in cash, so he always had a lot of money on him.

[Narrator]

But there is no cash to be found in Michi's apartment. And that's not the only thing that's missing.

[Detective]

Michi had been renting a gold Nissan Maxima. That car was missing from the scene.

[Narrator]

As detectives search for the gold Nissan, news of Michi's death reaches him.

[Carlita Knox]

I knew Michi, you know, we always just on the same scene. Ray knew Michi as well. We heard he got killed. So we like, what the heck? You know, what the heck is going on? I was shocked. I could not believe it.

[Narrator]

Still reeling from her brother's murder, Carlita fears the worst.

[Carlita Knox]

We actually was just so scared, you know what I mean? We got a serial killer out here.

[Narrator]

Coming up, investigators enlist help to stop a killer.

[Carlita Knox]

Nobody want to talk to the police, so that's where I came in at.

[Narrator]

And they make an important discovery.

[Detective]

Two handguns were located in the toilet tank. It was the same caliber handgun used at both crime scenes.

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[Narrator]

After a string of three murders, DeKalb county detectives are urgently trying to track down their only possible suspects, two dancers named Peaches and Snow.

[Carlita Knox]

I'm asking the police, hey, you know, you guys hear anything? You guys hear anything? Nope, nope, nope, nope. Week went by. They was like, man, we don't have any leads. We don't have anything yet.

[Narrator]

Unwilling to let the murders go unsolved, Carlita takes matters into her own hands.

[Carlita Knox]

I wasn't just going to sit there and, you know, be scared. Nobody want to talk to the police. So that's where I came in at.

[Narrator]

Carlita hits the streets trying to uncover anything she can on the two dancers who were allegedly at her Brother's apartment the night of the first murders.

[Carlita Knox]

I reached out to everybody. I went to about three, four strip clubs. They're not supposed to let you do this, but because of my status, they allowed me to go and look at the permit books.

[Expert/Commentator]

Because she was a dancer and she wasn't law enforcement, they let Carlita sift through these permit books. It'll tell your name, your age, you know, all the basic information, and she was able to identify Peaches.

[Carlita Knox]

I came across this one permit of Phylicia Blakely, and her height and weight stood out. She was tall and skinny. She was like five something and 114 pounds. I said, you know what? That looked like her. I called the detective and I told him what I had found, and he was like, okay, meet me and I'll run everything.

[Narrator]

Felicia Blakely was born in 1983 to a single mother in Jacksonville, Florida.

[Ray Goodwin]

Felicia had an absent father. She was bounced between her mother and her grandmother in Jacksonville her whole childhood.

[Narrator]

In 1998, at the age of 15, Felicia moved with her mother to Atlanta.

[Ray Goodwin]

The mother had been transferred to Atlanta with some kind of warehouse job.

[Narrator]

Phylicia's already tense relationship with her mother became even more difficult after the move.

[Expert/Commentator]

She had a lot of anger. Her relationship with her mom was so estranged, she had to find a way to support herself. So she got a fake permit or ID to make herself look older, and she began dancing in these clubs. It was very lucrative for her.

[Narrator]

Phylicia left home at age 17, young and beautiful. She made enough money dancing to get by.

[Expert/Commentator]

After Phylicia was dancing in these clubs, she was dating a guy. She got pregnant, but she didn't want to have anything to do with the guy, so she was just gonna raise the baby on her own. But she couldn't dance as she got bigger in the pregnancy. So there was one particular night that she was dancing and she was showing quite a bit, and she wasn't making very much money. And a guy in the audience approached her. Alicia described him as good looking, you know, charismatic. He approached her and gave her a big wad of cash.

[Narrator]

At the end of the night. The man introduced himself as Mike Berry.

[Carlita Knox]

Made her feel like she was on top of the world and she could have everything. There was no guidance in her life. You know, you're going to latch onto the first person that shows you any type of affection, love, or stability.

[Narrator]

Quickly, the two began dating. And Mike offered Felicia dreams of a.

[Expert/Commentator]

This was everything she probably ever wanted, was what she saw in Mike Barry. He was giving her love Spending time with her, buying her things for coats and cars and offering to, like, take the role of being this baby's father.

[Narrator]

However, Phylicia's relationship with Mike didn't turn out as she hoped.

[Carlita Knox]

When you have a. A master manipulator, they know who to target. They're not going to target the flamboyant chick in the club. You know, they're going to target the one that they think that's very insecure.

[Expert/Commentator]

He was much older than her. He made all these promises to her. We're going to get out of Atlanta. We're going to have a better life. He just sold her this huge pipe dream, and Felicia bought into it.

[Narrator]

But in the end, none of that happened.

[Expert/Commentator]

Phylicia's transient. She has no real known address. She would drop the baby off at daycare and then just not pick the baby up. And so Phylicia's mom got the baby. Phylicia tried to fight her on that, but the mom ended up getting the custody, and Phylicia went back to dancing in these clubs.

[Narrator]

Now, In August of 2002, Felicia's name is at the center of a triple homicide investigation.

[Expert/Commentator]

You're dealing with a suspect who dances at different clubs in different areas of the city. So trying to hunt and find her location, you're losing a lot of time.

[Narrator]

Meanwhile, just a few miles away inside the Atlanta city limits, a call comes in to 911.

[Detective]

On August 25th, City of Atlanta police were contacted regarding some suspicious individuals in the lobby of a Mrs. Winters restaurant.

[Witness]

There had been a series of robberies, armed robberies at a fast food fried chicken restaurant all over the Atlanta area, and the perpetrators were female. As such, the word got out among the various franchises of the restaurant. Be on the lookout for women who are acting suspicious.

[Narrator]

The manager reports there are three women in the dining room who match the description of the suspects at large.

[Detective]

When Atlanta police get there, the females are seen running into the bathroom. Atlanta police order the females out of the bathroom.

[Narrator]

The women are placed in the back of a squad car and hand over the keys to the vehicle they arrived in.

[Detective]

City Atlanta ran the tag on the gold Nissan Maxim that was in the parking lot that the females arrived in. When they did that, they learned that it had been taken in a homicide to capcounty, which was Michi's homicide.

[Expert/Commentator]

In Michi's crime scene, the one thing that was taken was a car that Miche had rented. It was a gold Nissan.

[Narrator]

They also discover the women had attempted to ditch something in the restaurant bathroom.

[Detective]

Two handguns were located in the toilet tank within the bathroom. One of them was a.32 caliber automatic handgun. It was the same caliber handgun used at both homicides.

[Narrator]

Outside officers ask the women for identification.

[Detective]

The women that were arrested by the city of Atlanta police that Mrs. Winters were Amisha Irvin and Felicia Blakely.

[Narrator]

Coming up, detectives learn of another potential victim.

[Detective]

The Orlando Police Department contacted our agency concerning a similar incident that they were investigating.

[Expert/Commentator]

Detectives think she's done more murder than we've discovered.

[Narrator]

It's been 10 days since the murders of Raymond Goodwin, Doc Christmas and Michi Twitty. And Atlanta authorities have just arrested their suspects, 18 year old Felicia Blakely and 20 year old Amisha Irvine.

[Expert/Commentator]

We've been on the hunt for Felicia Blakely and here we have Phylicia in michi's vehicle with a.32 caliber handgun.

[Narrator]

Detectives begin their interviews with 18 year old Felicia while taking note of her unusual necklace.

[Detective]

It was a chain with a padlock on it. It was odd.

[Expert/Commentator]

When detectives got to interview Felicia, she admitted without too much trouble that they killed Michi and Ray and Doc.

[Detective]

She knew we had the gun, we had the car. I mean, how do you lie about.

[Witness]

That with Ms. Blakely? Her statement was remarkably candid. This was a girl who is being charged with three different murders and just lays it all out. She didn't sugarcoat it.

[Narrator]

Felicia tells them that she met Ray through her friend and fellow dancer, Amisha, also known as Snow.

[Detective]

Amisha and Ray is a photographer. He had given her his business card to have photos taken.

[Narrator]

She says the women had socialized with Ray a few Times. And on August 15, she and Amesha went to Ray's house to party before heading out to the clubs. While she'd hung out with Ray before, this day was different.

[Detective]

Phylicia believed that Ray possibly had money and that's why she was there to actually rob him.

[Narrator]

Desperate for money, Phylicia says she decided to make her move.

[Expert/Commentator]

When Phylicia went to hang out with Doc and Ray this particular day, she had her gun with her.

[Narrator]

Phylicia confesses to investigators she purchased the gun illegally.

[Ray Goodwin]

Doc is on his own phone with somebody. She walks up behind Doc. He turns just in enough time to see her with the gun. She pulls the trigger. Ray tries to leave and she shoots him.

[Expert/Commentator]

Phylicia disclosed that Ray had withdrew about $1,000 that day. So about $1,000 was taken from Ray.

[Narrator]

As had been the plan all along. Phylicia says she and Amesha hit the.

[Detective]

Clubs shortly after the robbery of Ray and Doc. They had gone partying in Buckhead.

[Narrator]

Felicia tells investigators, while riding high from success, the women spotted another potential victim.

[Detective]

They had met Michi while out partying, and Felicia believed he had money.

[Carlita Knox]

Michi used to come to the club all the time. He was a flashy guy. He loved big, bulky jury and, you know, he was a flashy guy. So I think that's why they targeted him.

[Ray Goodwin]

Michi wants to party with these pretty girls and invites them back to his house. They're partying, hanging out. I believe he dozes off and wakes up to the gun.

[Detective]

Felicia shot him several times, got $650 in cash, and they left in his car.

[Narrator]

Felicia confesses to investigators that over the next few days, she and Amisha continued their crime spree, hitting numerous fast food restaurants.

[Expert/Commentator]

They start getting thirsty, you know, to do more robberies, because these men were just easy to lure in. They're at these clubs, they're spending money, they're trying to have a good time, and they, they meet these pretty ladies and so that's what happened with Michi.

[Narrator]

Investigators are taken aback by Felicia's matter of fact confession.

[Detective]

This is one cold blooded female that just does what she needs to do and does what she wants to do. I mean, I don't know if I'd ever seen anything like that.

[Narrator]

Next, detectives turn their attention to 21 year old Amisha Irvin, aka Snow.

[Detective]

Her statement matched up pretty well. She goes into some details about how they took some money and how Phylicia did all the shooting.

[Expert/Commentator]

When Phylicia starts firing during these murders, Amisha hits the ground. And then Phylicia kept screaming, get the money, get the money. You know, like, let's get out of here. She helped take the money.

[Narrator]

After both confessions, Felicia and Amesha are charged with three counts of malice murder, armed robbery, felony murder, and theft. By taking.

[Carlita Knox]

Once I got the news, I was like, oh my God, thank you, Lord Jesus. And I immediately felt a little bit more safe because someone was in custody. Ray didn't deserve that. He did not deserve that at all. Doc didn't deserve it either. They both were good guys.

[Narrator]

As prosecutors prepare for trial and news of Phylicia's arrest hits the media, Dekalb county investigators get an unexpected call from detectives in Florida.

[Detective]

After the arrest of Felicia and Amicia, the Orlando Police Department contacted our agency concerning a similar incident that they were investigating in their jurisdiction four months before their arrests.

[Narrator]

On the night of April 17, 2002, an Orlando man invited a young woman back to his motel room to party. Instead, he was attacked that individual was.

[Detective]

Robbed and shot in the head. However, he was still alive and the caliber of weapon used was a.32 caliber automatic handgun. According to the victim in the city of Orlando, the female was described as a black female. He mentioned that she was wearing a necklace with a padlock on it. Felicia Blakely, when she was arrested, she also had a necklace with a padlock on it.

[Narrator]

Did Phylicia commit this attempted murder across state lines? And if so, how much blood is on her hands?

[Expert/Commentator]

Knowing that Phylicia had attempted to kill somebody before these three victims, it raised suspicion for detectives that possibly she's done more murder than we've discovered.

[Narrator]

Coming up, a courtroom revelation no one sees coming.

[Detective]

The necklace represented that she was his property.

[Narrator]

Is Phylicia a cold blooded killer or is someone manipulating her every move?

[Expert/Commentator]

He knew how to pick his prey.

[Narrator]

After a killing spree that left three dead in less than 24 hours, Phylicia Blakely and her accomplishment accomplice, Amisha Ervin are in jail awaiting trial.

[Expert/Commentator]

At the initial interview, even though Phylicia was being truthful, they just still had this sense that maybe there was more information that she wasn't telling, but they just couldn't figure out exactly what that piece was. So Phylicia was interviewed later after her arrest.

[Narrator]

During her second interview, Phylicia makes a stunning allegation.

[Expert/Commentator]

Phylicia explained Mike Berry was her pimp. She was forced to do it due to Mike Berry and that he was the one that really wanted the money and put her and Amisha up to these crimes. Mike Barry knew how to pick his prey. He knew exactly who his target would be, and he selected his girls carefully. Felicia had a necklace with a padlock on it, and she had disclosed that the only person that had the key to that padlock was Mike.

[Detective]

The necklace represented that she was his property.

[Narrator]

According to Phylicia, Mike believed the successful photographer would have cash on hand, and he ordered Phylicia to rob Ray.

[Ray Goodwin]

According to her, Mike Barry had been ordering her to collect more and more money. That there was all of this pressure.

[Narrator]

Mike enlisted Amesha to be her accomplice. When she and Amesha arrived at Ray's that afternoon to party, Felicia says she had a hard time building up enough nerve to pull out the gun. But Mike wasn't letting it go.

[Ray Goodwin]

Felicia says he keeps calling her while she's there and saying, when are you going to do this? Finally, she calls him back, leaves the phone, like, sitting on the couch so he can hear what's happening.

[Expert/Commentator]

He was on the line and he heard the whole murder.

[Narrator]

Felicia says once the deed was done, Mike insisted she kill again. And within hours, Michi was also dead.

[Detective]

Her defense attorney attempts to use Mike, her pimp, I guess at some extent as being the catalyst to this. They also went and interviewed Mike and he didn't admit to anything. There's really no evidence on our end involving Mike.

[Expert/Commentator]

I think if Amesha had come forward and corroborated some of Phylicia's information, detectives could have built a case on Mike, but that just wasn't the case.

[Narrator]

Regardless, the 20 year old does not deny that she was the one to take the lives of police three men.

[Ray Goodwin]

She was really clear about her own level of responsibility, even though she was under the control to some extent of him.

[Witness]

We started out seeking the death penalty. Absolutely at the time, you could not get a life without parole sentence unless in fact you were seeking the death penalty.

[Narrator]

In 2004, Phylicia accepts a plea deal.

[Ray Goodwin]

Phylicia and her lawyers made the decision for her to plead guilty and avoid that trial and serve life in prison rather than be considered for the death penalty.

[Narrator]

Phylicia is spared the death penalty. Instead, she receives three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

[Carlita Knox]

I was like, thank you, God. There is a God. Thank you so much, Lord, that this girl is off the street and she can no longer hurt anybody else.

[Narrator]

Amisha also pleads guilty. She receives concurrent life sentences with the possibility of parole.

[Expert/Commentator]

The Florida case was never pursued just because the court system believed that Phylicia was never going to be out of prison for these three murders.

[Narrator]

For those who lost loved ones during Phylicia's 24 hours of bloodshed, her claims at sentencing bring mixed emotions.

[Carlita Knox]

Phylicia could have made different choices. You did what you did because that was the person you are on the inside. It doesn't make me feel better about what happened, you know, it's very, very, very small amount of relief. I miss him. I miss him a lot.

[Stephanie Gomolka]

Felicia Blakely is housed at the Arendelle State Prison, serving three life sentences without the possibility of parole. She has never been charged for her alleged role in the Orlando shooting. Amicia Irvin is housed at the the Same person serving three life sentences. She will be eligible for parole in 2027. Mike Barry continues to deny all claims of his alleged role in the murders and has never been charged.

[Narrator]

What's your final view on to what.

[Expert/Commentator]

Degree she believes all this stuff?

[Detective]

She lied, tried to manufacture evidence.

[Narrator]

I'm Christopher Goffard with a new series from LA Times Studios. This is one of the most heartbreaking cases. The victim couldn't be more innocent.

[Carlita Knox]

Each week, we'll be diving into a consequential case.

[Detective]

I didn't just start as some nutjob.

[Carlita Knox]

That wanted to go do violent shit.

[Detective]

I didn't want to do any violent.

[Carlita Knox]

Shit, really, at all.

[Narrator]

From Los Angeles and beyond, what was.

[Expert/Commentator]

So startling about the case was that it did mark the first time that there was a criminal trial which disclosed that the government had lied to and.

[Detective]

It'S hard to remember.

[Narrator]

Crimes of the Times. Subscribe to Crimes of the Times on your favorite listening app. A link to video episodes will also be available in the show. Notes. I never told anyone for 25 years. I just was scared. Now, at 81, what the hell.