Felicia Jean Goff, a 40-year-old White / Caucasian female from Walker, West Virginia, died on May 19, 2024, in a case that began as a report of a house fire but quickly became a double-homicide investigation. Fire crews were called to a single-story home on Morgan Ridge Road in Wood County, where flames had partially engulfed the residence. When firefighters brought the fire under control and entered the home, they found Felicia and 41-year-old James Clifton Bailey dead inside.
Early information from authorities indicated the two had died before the fire was set, meaning the blaze was not the cause of their deaths.
As investigators worked through the scene, the case shifted from a fire investigation into a murder inquiry. Authorities later determined that Felicia Goff and James Bailey had both suffered gunshot wounds before the fire. Investigators also believed the fire had been intentionally set, reportedly from multiple locations in the basement of the residence. The home was described as belonging to the victims, and the circumstances suggested that whoever killed them may have tried to use the fire to conceal what had happened inside.
The investigation soon focused on Bradley Joseph Cantwell, who was identified as an acquaintance of both victims. Authorities said Cantwell had been staying at the home at times, but had been told around May 16 to leave and not return. Witness accounts became a major part of the case. One witness reportedly placed Cantwell at the residence on the morning of the fire, shortly before it was reported. Another witness said Cantwell made a remark suggesting he knew the house was on fire before the fire was reported. A separate witness told investigators that Cantwell had allegedly admitted he had killed two people and needed somewhere to hide. Authorities also said there had been an argument days before the killings in which the couple accused Cantwell of stealing from them, and he allegedly made a threatening statement afterward.
After investigators obtained warrants, Cantwell was publicly identified as a suspect wanted on two counts of first-degree murder. Law enforcement warned that he should be considered dangerous and advised the public not to approach him. On May 29, 2024, Cantwell was arrested without incident in Parkersburg while leaving an area business. Another man, Gage Robert Foutty, was arrested at the same time on unrelated charges; authorities said Foutty was driving the vehicle Cantwell was in, but the charges against Foutty were not connected to the homicides.
Following his arrest, Cantwell was held without bond. In January 2025, a Wood County grand jury indicted him on two counts of murder, first-degree arson, two counts of concealment of a deceased human body, and petit larceny connected to the May 2024 deaths of Felicia Goff and James Bailey. The indictment reflected the prosecution's theory that the victims were killed before the fire was set and that the fire was part of an effort to cover up the crime.
In April 2026, Cantwell entered a Kennedy/Alford plea in Wood County Circuit Court to two counts of second-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Felicia Goff and James Bailey. Under that type of plea, he did not formally admit guilt, but acknowledged that prosecutors had enough evidence that a conviction was likely if the case went to trial. The plea marked a major resolution in the criminal case, connecting Cantwell legally to the deaths of both victims after nearly two years of investigation and court proceedings.
