What Happened?
Police found the body of missing Clark Atlanta University student Alexis Crawford Friday, Nov. 8, in a DeKalb County park just 10 miles east of the university.
The Atlanta Police Department located the student’s body in a park on Columbia Drive, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields said in a press briefing on Friday that APD was moving to secure arrest warrants for two suspects.
The two suspects were identified as 21-year-old Jordyn Jones and 21-year-old Barron Brantley — Jones’ boyfriend. Jones was Alexis Crawford’s roommate.
Shields said in the briefing that no clear motive had been identified as of yet, but Alexis Crawford had gone to APD Sunday, Oct. 27 — only four before she was reported missing — to file a report against Brantley for sexual assault.
CAU President Dr. George T. French Jr. issued a written statement on Twitter offering his condolences to the Crawford family.
“Our deepest prayers and thoughts are with her family,” French said. “Tonight we mourn together.”
French said in his letter that the tragedy was an “isolated, off-campus incident,” and posed no threat to the campus body. French added that additional counselors would be offered on campus if students wish to talk.
In Context
The Crawford family filed a missing persons report Friday, Nov. 1, when Alexis Crawford stopped communicating with her family for a few days, according to 11Alive News.
Alexis Crawford’s mother, Tammy Crawford, and sister Monica Wright told APD that they talked to Alexis Crawford on FaceTime around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, and that Alexis Crawford seemed to be in “good spirits,” according to 11Alive.
Alexandria Crawford, another sister of Alexis Crawford’s, said to the police that she asked Alexis Crawford around 8:44 p.m. on Oct. 30 what her plans were for the weekend. Alexis Crawford had replied with “nothing” and had not responded since.
The last person to see Alexis Crawford was Jones, who, despite not being on speaking terms with Alexis Crawford due to the incident with Brantley, recounted to the police how she drove Alexis Crawford to a liquor store that Wednesday night, according to WSB-TV.
Jones said that Alexis Crawford was last seen at 12:30 a.m. as she was going to her bedroom in their off-campus apartment.
The police report stated that Alexis Crawford’s iPhone, identification and debit cards were missing, but her phone charger and keys were found inside her apartment.
The Latest
On Friday, Brantley was arrested and booked into the Fulton County Jail, according to CNN. Jones was arrested Saturday and also booked into Fulton County jail. Both were charged with murder and are being held without bond, records show.
On Saturday afternoon, APD announced that Alexis Crawford died of asphyxiation, according to the AJC.
Brantley waived his first court appearance Saturday morning. His preliminary hearing with a Fulton Superior Court judge has been scheduled for Friday, Nov. 22, according to WSBTV.
On Monday, Jones waived her first court appearance that was set to take place in Fulton County, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
