ATLANTA — The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office took Channel 2 Action News inside a bizarre murder conviction of two women who were once best friends.
One of them flipped and killed the other.
A Fulton County District Attorney’s Office prosecutor told Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne that two women were so close that they called each other sisters. But now, one has been convicted of killing the other.
O’Keisha Range, whose nickname was Mo, was so controlling of her roommate Shameria “Mimi” Fletcher that she attempted to isolate her from friends and family.
“Shameria was so fun. Shamira was loving. People called her Mimi. So, I used to go by Mimi for her. Loving, caring, giving, just goofy, smiling all the time. Down to Earth, loving girl,” witness Antoinette Degree said.
Prosecutors said it was like Range had a stranglehold on Fletcher’s life. But Range literally strangled Fletcher at the midtown condo where they lived.
“She beat her where she had contusions all over her body from her head to her feet. And then after that, she strangled her to death,” Fulton County Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney Kassie Hall said.
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Hall said Range suggested she and the victim had been playfighting and Mo kicked Mimi, but that Mimi was alive and talking after that. But Hall said that doesn’t explain the choking.
“According to my client, she did not have any issues with her going on a trip,” defense attorney Anton Rowe said. “Ms. Range does in fact continue to maintain her innocence of all charges and allegations.”
Hall said Range frequently feigned illness to manipulate Fletcher, and in two Atlanta police interviews, Range acted as if she was having seizures. But the prosecution used that against her, playing excerpts at Range’s recent trial, which culminated in a conviction for murder and a life without parole sentence.
“She still maintains that she’s never faked any type of seizures,” Rowe said. “She did in fact have real illnesses.”
Antoinette Degree told Winne that she had roomed with both women for about 10 months and testified for the prosecution.
“When we were roommates together, they seemed to have a great relationship,” Degree said. “I wanted justice for Mimi, because during the time that I was in her space, I didn’t feel like she was being treated fair in the friendship.”
“Was O’Keisha controlling?” Winne asked Degree.
“Very controlling,” Degree said.
Hall said for years while Range roomed with Fletcher, Range mooched off Fletcher, whose personality sparkled so much she had been elected president of the Eta Mu Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Georgia State.
“O’Keisha Range didn’t buy herself food, she didn’t pay any rent, she didn’t have a source of income,” Hall said.
“Being a freeloader does not equal a murderer,” Rowe said.
Hall said, barring a successful appeal, the State of Georgia should be feeding and housing Range the rest of her earthly life.
“My client has directed me to file a motion for a new trial, which indicates that she will be appealing the case,” Rowe said.
“We have someone that becomes literally obsessed with a friend, and when that friend started pulling back, the only way that they could control them was to take their life,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said.
“I think when you see the signs multiple times, you have to leave,” Hall said.
Rowe said he does not believe Range was controlling to the extent Fletcher was isolated from family and friends.
Degree said she witnessed Range behave in certain ways when Fletcher’s friends were around, and when it came to drawing attention to her illnesses, that led Degree to conclude Range was indeed controlling.
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