The Murder of Claudette Ficik
For this case I watched an episode of Betrayed. It’s season 4 episode 3, titled ‘Little Shop of Horrors.’
Secrets are revealed when a young woman’s body is found a few weeks after she was reported missing.
Background
Claudette Ficik was born on June 16, 1974. She grew up in New Jersey, but her family relocated to Georgia later in life. Claudette had a very thick accent, and a big personality for someone who was so petite at only 5’2.” She was described as bubbly, independent and smart.
After high school, Claudette started school at Southern Tech, where she majored in environmental development. She also worked at a local pet store to pay for college.
Claudette Ficik
Claudette’s Admirers
As I said, Claudette had a larger than life personality. This was very attractive to most people that met her.
Claudette met several young men who would later become suspects in her murder.
The first was a man named Jason Ragland. He was Claudette’s manager at the pet store. Claudette became involved with Jason, and even told her friends that he was the one. However, Jason had a long term girlfriend, and made several promises to her that he never kept.
Next, a man named John Gertz was a classmate and friend of Claudette’s. John took a liking to her, and wanted to be more than friends. Claudette did go out with John once. They had lunch, and took a walk around the park. I think Claudette saw this more of an outing with a friend, but John saw it as a date, and asked her out several more times. Claudette always told him that she was interested in someone else.
Claudette casually dated two other men at the pet store. They were named Chris and Martin. Martin was an assertive person, and Claudette later said he creeped her out. Chris was close to Claudette, but knew she was into Jason. Chris didn't want to just be her friend, but Claudette always made it clear that was all they were.
The Timeline
Claudette and Jason spent more time together. His other girlfriend became suspicious of them. Claudette would call Jason at his home, but he would also assure his girlfriend that she was just someone he worked with.
On February 14, 1994, John Gertz gave Claudette a Valentine’s Day card and a rose. In the card, he wrote that he loved her. Claudette became a little freaked out by this, especially because she always told him that they were friends. This was two days before Claudette would be killed.
On February 15, Claudette was planning to drive to South Carolina to visit her parents. They had moved down there after Claudette went away to college. She was excited because she was going to bring Jason, and introduce him to her family.
On February 16, Claudette’s parents tried to get in contact with her. They had been expecting her, and she never arrived.
On February 17, her parents filed a missing persons report.
A Missing Person
The GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) became involved in Claudette’s case. After she was reported missing, they went to her apartment. There was no sign of a struggle inside, but she was missing, and so was her pick-up truck.
On February 18, Claudette’s truck was found abandoned at a housing complex in downtown Atlanta. The keys were still inside, along with some of her clothing. The police believed Claudette’s truck had been dumped, as she had no ties to that area.
The police spoke to her family, classmates and co-workers. They discovered that she had been dating Jason, and that they were planning to get married. Jason agreed to take a polygraph test, and he passed. John also took a polygraph test, but failed.
The Discovery
On March 27, 1994, Claudette’s body was found by two canoeists in the Oconee River, near Athens, Georgia.
Her body was found tangled in some branches on the riverbank. It was badly decomposed, and it had been weighed down with a unique piece of steel and an anchor. The police were able to find a number on the steel, which was determined to be from a construction site near the pet store.
Claudette was positively identified through her jewelry. Her ex-boyfriend had given her a watch and a ring. When they contacted him, he described them to the police.
Claudette’s autopsy was performed on March 28. The medical examiner determined that her cause of death was asphyxiation. They also discovered that Claudette had been 4 months pregnant with a little boy. It was heartbreaking to learn that Claudette and her baby were both killed that day.
Arrest and Conviction
On March 31, the police obtained a warrant for Jason’s home. He was now their prime suspect. When they walked inside, they learned that Jason was getting ready to move. He had boxes piled up in front of a coffee table. When the boxes were moved, the police saw that he had cut up some of the carpet. Jason told them that he had spilled oil on it.
The carpet was tested with luminal, and it came back as being blood.
On April 11, 1994, Jason Ragland was arrested and charged with murder. On April 12, he denied killing Claudette. However, as the interview went on, Jason accidentally slipped up. He was going to tell them that he didn’t strangle her. That piece of information was not released to the public.
On August 23, 1996, Jason pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. It’s believed that he killed Claudette when she told him she was pregnant. He never planned to marry her or meet her family.
Jason Ragland
Other
Claudette’s father Craig, who she was very close to, passed away in 2015.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Claudette seemed like she had a bright future ahead of her. She was attending college, and working to support herself. When she learned she was pregnant, she wanted to keep the baby. She thought that Jason loved her as much as she loved him. Sadly, it seemed like he was able to trick her. He killed her and he killed his unborn son. I hope he never gets out of prison.
Sources
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89902248/claudette-jennifer-ficik
https://thecinemaholic.com/jason-ragland-now-where-is-claudette-ficiks-killer-today/
