Ibraheem Yazeed has been found guilty of murdering 19-year-old college student Aniah Blanchard more than six years after her death in October 2019.
Blanchard was reported missing one day after she was last seen at a gas station in Auburn, Alabama. A few days later, her car was found abandoned and damaged at an apartment complex in Montgomery, Alabama.
Yazeed was identified as a suspect the following month in November 2019.
He was linked to the crime after he was seen in the same gas station surveillance footage that Blanchard was last seen in. Additionally, a witness reported seeing Yazeed force Blanchard — who was the stepdaughter of former UFC heavyweight fighter Walt Harris — into her vehicle outside the gas station before he drove away with her.
Investigators said there is no evidence indicating that Yazeed and Blanchard knew each other before the incident, and it’s believed that he targeted her after he saw her at the gas station.
Yazeed was out on bond for kidnapping and attempted murder charges at the time of Blanchard’s disappearance, according to police. The initial charges stemmed from events that allegedly took place in Montgomery earlier in 2019
Yazeed was arrested in Escambia County, Florida, on November 8, 2019, and he was later extradited to Lee County, Alabama, on a first-degree kidnapping charge.
WDBJ7 reported that blood evidence “indicative of someone suffering a life-threatening injury” was found in Yazeed’s vehicle’s passenger compartment, according to court records. It was ultimately determined that the blood belonged to Blanchard.
Following his arrest, Yazeed was denied bond and he was ordered to provide DNA samples amid the investigation.
Antwon “Squirmy” Fisher was arrested as a second suspect in the case on November 22, 2019, and was charged with first-degree kidnapping.
Fisher was initially denied bond for his alleged role, though the decision was overturned and his bond was later set at $50,000. It was revealed in court that Fisher provided transportation to Yazeed and helped dispose of evidence that connected him to the case.
The charges against Fisher were later dismissed in December 2019, per the Montgomery Advertiser.
The search for Blanchard’s body continued, and police found human remains in a wooded area of Macon County on November 25, 2019. Authorities confirmed the remains were Blanchard’s two days later, while an autopsy revealed she died of a gunshot wound.
A third suspect, David Johnson Jr., was arrested on the day her remains were found and was charged with hindering prosecution. In court, it was revealed that Johnson and Fisher were roommates and Fisher reportedly drove Yazeed to Florida after the abduction. The charges against Johnson have also been dismissed.
Yazeed was later charged with capital murder in December 2019. His trial finally began on March 10, and he faced charges of two counts of capital murder, one for kidnapping and one for robbery.
During the trial, prosecutors said that the DNA and ballistic evidence from the car suggests Blanchard was shot in her passenger seat before she was taken to a wooded area in Macon County. It’s believed that she was then shot a second time in the head.
Before closing arguments began Tuesday, March 17, state prosecutors asked the judge to dismiss one additional charge of capital murder that Yazeed was facing.
Deliberations began on Wednesday, March 18, and the guilty verdict was delivered on Thursday, March 19.
Yazeed’s sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place on May 7.
