Falicia Blakely is a Georgia woman who, at 18, robbed and shot three men to death in Atlanta over two days in August 2002 and is now serving three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. She pleaded guilty in January 2004 in DeKalb County Superior Court in exchange for prosecutors dropping the death penalty.1Creative Loafing. Pimp Who Was Blamed in Killings Arrested on Other Charges A teen mother and former exotic dancer, she told police she had acted under the direction of her pimp, Michael “Dino” Berry.
The August 2002 Killings
On August 15, 2002, Raymond Goodwin, 34, and Claudell “Doc” Christmas, 35, were found shot to death in Goodwin’s apartment. The two had been lured there and killed with a .32 caliber handgun during a robbery that netted roughly $1,000 in cash. Prosecutors later called the shootings “classic executions.”2BBC News. US Teenager Faces Death for Triple Murder
That same night, Blakely and her accomplice, fellow dancer Ameshia “Pumpkin” Ervin, 20, went to a nightclub in Buckhead. They met Lemetrius “Meechy” Twitty, 29, and lured him to an apartment with promises of sex. On August 16, Twitty was shot with the same .32 caliber weapon. The women took $650 and his gold Nissan Maxima.3Oxygen. Atlanta Stripper Falicia Blakely Kills, Robs 3 Men
How Blakely Was Caught
About ten days later, police responded to a call about two suspicious women at a Mrs. Winner’s Chicken and Biscuits in Atlanta. Officers found Blakely and Ervin hiding in the restroom, apparently preparing to rob the restaurant. They had the .32 caliber handgun used in all three killings and were driving Twitty’s stolen Maxima. Both women confessed. Assistant District Attorney Tom Clegg said the prosecution was “100% certain” Blakely was the shooter.2BBC News. US Teenager Faces Death for Triple Murder
Guilty Plea and Life Sentences
Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty. Blakely’s attorney, Ken Driggs, argued she was a product of a “horrific” upbringing in Jacksonville, Florida, where her father was frequently incarcerated on heroin charges, and that Berry had ordered the killings after exploiting her since her mid-teens.2BBC News. US Teenager Faces Death for Triple Murder
In January 2004, Blakely pleaded guilty to all three counts of murder. In exchange, prosecutors withdrew the death penalty. She received three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.1Creative Loafing. Pimp Who Was Blamed in Killings Arrested on Other Charges
Michael “Dino” Berry and the Coercion Claim
Blakely consistently said Berry, a pimp she described as controlling her, had ordered the robberies and killings. DeKalb County authorities investigated him, but as of early 2004 said they lacked sufficient evidence to bring murder charges before a grand jury. Berry denied involvement, and Ervin did not corroborate Blakely’s account.1Creative Loafing. Pimp Who Was Blamed in Killings Arrested on Other Charges
Berry was arrested on February 28, 2004, on unrelated drug sale and possession charges and released on $15,000 bond. He has never been charged in connection with the three murders.1Creative Loafing. Pimp Who Was Blamed in Killings Arrested on Other Charges
What Happened to Ameshia Ervin
Blakely’s co-defendant reached her own plea deal. On June 9, 2004, Ervin pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder and armed robbery. She was sentenced to three life terms and three 20-year terms, with eligibility for parole consideration.4Creative Loafing. Pumpkin’s Plea
Where Falicia Blakely Is Today
Blakely remains incarcerated in Georgia, serving her three consecutive life-without-parole sentences. Under Georgia law, standard parole-eligibility timelines do not apply to sentences of life without parole.5Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. Life Sentences No specific legal challenge or legislative proposal addressing her sentence has been publicly reported.
The 2017 TV One Film
In 2017, TV One premiered When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story, a made-for-television film based on the case. Tasha Smith directed, in her feature-length debut, from a script by Cas Sigers-Beedles. Niatia “Lil Mama” Kirkland played Blakely, Lance Gross played Berry, and Tami Roman played Blakely’s mother. Floyd Mayweather Jr. appeared in a supporting role.6Blackfilm. Tasha Smith’s When Love Kills Starring Lil Mama, Lance Gross Airs Tonight on TV One The August 28 premiere drew 1.2 million unique viewers, making it the highest-rated original movie premiere in TV One’s history, and its hashtag reached the top trending spot nationally on Twitter.7BroadwayWorld. When Love Kills Ranks as TV One’s No. 1 Original Premiere of All Time The film grew out of an episode of TV One’s true-crime series For My Man and portrays Blakely primarily as a young mother manipulated by Berry.8TV One. About When Love Kills