After more than six years, the man charged in the murder of Aniah Blanchard was convicted on Thursday.
Ibraheem Yazeed, 36, was found guilty of murder and felony murder in the 2019 kidnapping and shooting death of the 19-year-old Southern Union State Community College student.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Blanchard was abducted from an Auburn gas station, shot in the head and dumped in rural Macon County.
Blanchard’s family and supporters attended the trial, wearing blue, Blanchard’s favorite color. Since Aniah’s tragic death, her mother, Angela Haley-Harris, has advocated for victims of violent crimes. Harris championed a bill that became known as “Aniah’s Law,” giving judges the option to hold certain offenders without bail.
At the time of Blanchard’s murder, Yazeed was out on bond for the charges of kidnapping and attempted murder. The U.S. Marshal’s Service was involved in the search and capture of Yazeed after evidence showed he was in the same location where Blanchard was last seen.
He was charged with capital murder, meaning he could have faced the death penalty. However, lesser charges of felony murder, murder, first-degree kidnapping and manslaughter, first-degree armed robbery, and first-degree robbery were also on the table. He was found guilty of murder and felony murder by a Macon County jury.
Yazeed now faces life in prison.
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