Man accused in 2019 killing of Alabama college student could face death penalty after being indicted on capital murder
By Jamiel Lynch and Chenelle Woody, CNN
The man accused of killing an Alabama college student in 2019 could face the death penalty if convicted after being indicted by a grand jury on three counts of capital murder, Alabama’s attorney general announced.
Aniah Blanchard was a 19-year-old student at Southern Union State Community College who went missing in October 2019 in Auburn, Alabama. Her remains were discovered weeks later in a wooded area of Macon County, and her death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy determined she died of a gunshot wound.
On Tuesday, state Attorney General Steve Marshall announced a grand jury had indicted Ibraheem Yazeed with one count of capital murder during a kidnapping in the first degree, one count of capital murder during a robbery in the first degree and one count of capital murder involving a victim in a vehicle.
The indictment alleges Yazeed shot Blanchard during the course of abducting her and robbing her of her vehicle and cell phone, according to a news release from the state attorney general.
If convicted, Yazeed faces the death penalty or a sentence of life without parole for each of the three counts, the release said.
Yazeed’s lawyer, William Whatley, told CNN he has no comment on the indictment at this time.
Yazeed remains in custody in Lee County, where he is being held without bond. He was arrested in November 2019 by members of the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force and Escambia County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office on a warrant from police in Auburn.
The-CNN-Wire
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CNN’s Susannah Cullinane contributed to this report.
