New “20/20” Provides an Inside Look at a Murder’s Diary on the Run

This week, ABC’s 20/20 unpacks how the murder of a beloved mother in a New Jersey suburb sparked an international chase.

What’s Happening:

  • When Angela Bledsoe — a beloved mother and successful financial analyst — is found dead in her home in an upscale New Jersey suburb, all eyes turn toward her longtime boyfriend, James Ray III. After abruptly leaving their young daughter in the care of his brother, the high-powered lawyer and former police officer skipped town and led investigators on an international chase.
  • In a new 20/20, co-anchor Deborah Roberts reports on the shocking twists and turns of the case, including the investigation that led FBI agents to Cuba, where Ray was apprehended in a rare extradition case.
  • The two-hour special includes interviews with Angela’s 11-year-old daughter; Ray and Gaynelle Bledsoe, Angela’s parents; Lisa LaBoo and Diedre Hill, Angela’s sisters; Brooke Dean, Angela’s cousin; Michele Miller, Essex County assistant prosecutor; Theodore N. Stephens II., acting Essex County prosecutor; and John Petillo, former Essex County assistant prosecutor.
  • The program also includes interviews with Mattie Simms, James’ cousin; Sgt. Frank Ricci and Lt. Charlie Cunningham; and FBI special agent Brandon Lackey, who arrested Ray in Cuba.
  • The episode also includes recorded phone calls Ray made in the hours right after the killing, as well as an inside look at the diary he kept while on the run, where he chronicled his life on the lam.
  • 20/20 airs Friday, December 8th (9:01-11:00 p.m. EST) on ABC, streaming the next day on Hulu.
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Luke Manning
Luke is a fan of all things theme parks and self-proclaimed #1 fan of Joffrey’s Coffee, who lives in Kissimmee, FL