A California man learned his fate on Friday after he was handed three consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole over the killing of his teen girlfriend's parents in a 2016 incident that also claimed the life of a third victim in Fullerton.
Frank Sato Felix, 34, was found guilty on Nov. 12 of three counts of murder, along with special circumstance allegations of multiple victims. Co-defendant Joshua Charles Acosta, 29, was convicted in November 2018 and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 75 years.
Felix was convicted of aiding and abetting his best friend Acosta kill 39-year-old Jennifer Goodwill-Yost; her husband, 34-year-old Christopher Yost; and their friend, 28-year-old Arthur William Boucher on Sept. 23, 2016.
Acosta Killed the Teen's Parents, Their Family Friend with Felix's Shotgun
The couple's 6-year-old daughter called 911 at about 8:20 a.m. on Sept.24, 2016, saying, "mom and dad and Billy died'' in their home, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Seton Hunt. The girl told the dispatcher she wanted police to take her and her 9-year-old sister away because they were frightened, Hunt said.
The girls' half-sister was 17-year-old Katlynn Goodwill-Yost, who was dating Felix. Acosta, an Army private armed with a shotgun provided by Felix, entered the home and fatally shot Jennifer in her bed and Boucher while he was sleeping on the couch. Christopher was fatally shot as he tried to run out of the house. Boucher was sleeping over at their home so he could be closer to the home where he was scheduled to have visitation with his son.
Felix and Acosta Met Katlynn Through 'Furries' Subculture
Acosta and Felix met Katlynn through a group of "Furries,'' a community of individuals interested in anthropomorphic animals, or animals with human characteristics. The community uses these animal-like characters for themselves as a form of expression.
When Felix was questioned by police, he initially denied having anything to do with the crime, but later admitted he gave Acosta his father's shotgun. Felix also visited a nearby hardware store to purchase bolt cutters to remove a safety lock on the shotgun and ear plugs for Acosta to shield his hearing from the shotgun blasts, according to the prosecutor.
Felix sent Facebook messages to Katlynn after the killings declaring his love for her and his hopes they "could start a family and make Katlynn's sisters their children.'' Felix also admitted destroying evidence at his house, and said the plan was to make the killings look "like a robbery gone bad,'' according to the prosecutor.
Katlynn's Parents Disapproved of Her Relationship with Felix
Prosecutors said Felix killed Katlynn's parents because they disapproved of her relationship with Felix. Evan Keith, who was in the same furry group with Felix, Acosta and Katlynn, also testified that Katlynn's parents frowned on the teen dating anyone at the time, because they did not think she was ready.
Felix had no prior criminal record and presented himself as "extremely remorseful'' to probation officials, Paulson said.
