Katie Long & Joyce Pelzer — a Florida relationship, a Lithonia cold case

Overview

The third Season 2 episode of the Netflix true crime docuseries Worst Ex Ever traces Katie Long's relationship with Joyce Pelzer in Largo, Florida. During the relationship, Pelzer reportedly disclosed her involvement in a dormant homicide investigation in Lithonia, Georgia — a cold case that her confession helped reanimate. The episode stands apart from other Worst Ex Ever installments in that the central revelation involves a prior crime rather than violence against the partner.

The Relationship

Katie Long and Joyce Pelzer entered a relationship in Largo, Florida — a city in Pinellas County on Florida's Gulf Coast. According to Long's testimony in the Netflix docuseries Worst Ex Ever, the relationship progressed through typical stages before Pelzer began making disturbing disclosures about her past. The true crime episode traces the arc of the relationship and the moments when Long first became aware that Pelzer harbored a dangerous secret.

The Netflix true crime docuseries Worst Ex Ever uses the Largo, Florida relationship as the narrative framework for the episode, examining how intimate partnerships can become conduits for criminal confessions and the moral dilemmas that arise when a partner discloses involvement in serious crimes.

The Confession

During the course of their relationship in Largo, Florida, Joyce Pelzer reportedly confessed to Katie Long her involvement in a homicide that had occurred years earlier in Lithonia, Georgia. The cold case had gone dormant in the DeKalb County system — unsolved and largely inactive — until Pelzer's confession provided new information that could potentially reactivate the investigation.

The Netflix docuseries Worst Ex Ever presents the confession as the pivotal moment in the episode's narrative. The true crime series examines the psychological dynamics of such disclosures — why Pelzer may have felt compelled to confess, and the impossible position her admission placed Katie Long in.

The Cold Case Details

The cold case referenced in the Worst Ex Ever episode involves a homicide in Lithonia, Georgia — a community in DeKalb County east of Atlanta. The case had gone unsolved for an extended period, with no active leads or publicly identified suspects. Joyce Pelzer's confession to Katie Long in Largo, Florida provided investigators with new information about the killing — details that had not previously been available to DeKalb County law enforcement.

The Netflix true crime docuseries Worst Ex Ever examines the cold case within the constraints of ongoing legal proceedings, presenting what is publicly known while acknowledging that the investigation may still be active. The true crime episode connects the Largo, Florida relationship to the Lithonia, Georgia homicide through Long's testimony.

The Investigation

After Katie Long reported Pelzer's confession to law enforcement, investigators began reexamining the Lithonia, Georgia cold case with the new information. The reopening of a dormant investigation based on a partner's disclosure represents an unusual investigative pathway — one that required coordination between Florida and Georgia law enforcement agencies.

The Netflix docuseries Worst Ex Ever details the investigative process, examining how Long's report in Largo, Florida triggered action in the DeKalb County system regarding the Lithonia case. The true crime episode explores the jurisdictional complexities and the challenges of building a case based on statements made in a private relationship.

The Worst Ex Ever Episode

The Netflix true crime docuseries Worst Ex Ever dedicates its third Season 2 episode ("A Fatal Attraction") to the Pelzer case. The episode uses Katie Long's testimony as the primary narrative voice, reconstructing the relationship in Largo, Florida and the confession that connected it to the Lithonia, Georgia cold case. The true crime series presents the case as an exploration of how intimate relationships can surface hidden truths and reactivate dormant criminal investigations.

Legal status

As of this page's last review, primary court filings related to any prosecution stemming from the rediscovered Lithonia case are being verified. This page will be updated when public filings are cited. Per the site's Editorial Standards, no adjudicated verdict is asserted until court records confirm it.

People involved

• Joyce Pelzer — Perpetrator. Joyce Pelzer is the Largo, Florida woman profiled in Worst Ex Ever Season 2 Episode 3, whose relationship with Katie Long led Long to learn of Pelzer's confession to a dormant Lithonia, Georgia homicide.
• Katie Long — Survivor. Katie Long is the Largo, Florida survivor whose account of her relationship with Joyce Pelzer surfaced Pelzer's connection to a dormant cold case in Lithonia, Georgia — the narrative thread of Worst Ex Ever Season 2 Episode 3.

Legal proceedings

Joyce Pelzer

Related Videos