Angela Michelle Bledsoe, a 44-year-old woman, was tragically killed on October 22, 2018, in her Montclair, New Jersey, home. On that day, after dropping off her and her partner's daughter at school, she was shot multiple times. Bledsoe had been planning to move out of the residence she shared with her live-in boyfriend, James Ray III, and had an appointment with a realtor scheduled for later that day.
Following the shooting, Ray, an entertainment lawyer, fled the country. He first traveled to Mexico and then to Cuba. Before absconding, he picked up their daughter from school and left her with his brother at a restaurant. An international manhunt ensued, leading to his capture and return to the United States in November 2018 to face charges.
Authorities discovered an 18-page diary written by Ray in the days after the shooting, in which he claimed he acted in self-defense.
The case went to trial, and in May 2023, a jury convicted James Ray III of murder and weapons offenses. Prosecutors argued that the crime scene had been staged and that Ray's actions after the shooting were not consistent with a claim of self-defense. The jury deliberated for only three hours before reaching a guilty verdict.
Ray was facing a sentence of 30 years to life in prison and was awaiting sentencing. However, in June 2023, he was found unconscious in his jail cell from a medical emergency and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. His death occurred before he could be formally sentenced for the murder of Angela Bledsoe.
