Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$error in /var/www/wp-content/themes/theissue/inc/misc.php on line 71
Alexis Crawford was reported missing on November 1st and her body was found in a park near her apartment. Crawford’s roommate and classmate at Clark Atlanta University, Jordyn Jones, and Jones’ boyfriend, Barron Brantley, are both in custody and were reportedly charged with murder after confessing.
Crawford’s funeral is next Saturday, Nov. 16th at Noon and will be held at Hill Chapel Baptist Church, in Athens. The family asks that any cards or financial contributions be made directly to Gregory B. Levett and Sons Funeral home, which is handling the arrangements.
The motive of the murder is still unknown but we’ve gathered all the details that we know:
Crawford Filed a Complaint Against Brantley
It’s unclear if Brantley, 21, was a student at Clark Atlanta University but his connection to the campus is his girlfriend Jones, 21. Crawford filed a sexual misconduct complaint against Brantley on October 27th, a couple days before she was reported missing. In this report, Alexis described unwanted kissing and touching from Barron Brantley.” The police officer wrote in the report “the victim stated that the suspect rubbed his hand on her shoulder and kissed her on the neck. The victim stated that she asked the suspect what was he doing and he stated he thought she was Ms. Jones.”
The report details the incident the way Crawford remembers it before she blacked out. The complaint states Brantley followed Crawford into her bedroom, and she doesn’t remember anything after going into her bathroom alone.
“The witness [Jones] stated that she started knocking on the door repeatedly. The suspect came to the door with his shirt off and stated to the witness that he had not had sex with the victim,” the report read. According to the report, Jones saw her “friend” disrobed when she looked into the bathroom.
Her Last Traces
Crawford’s mother reported her missing on November 1st after not speaking to her for a couple days, as per Atlanta Police. Tammy Crawford and Alexis’ sister Monica said she was in “good spirits” when they spoke to her on FaceTime on Wednesday afternoon (October 30th).
Another sister says she spoke to Alexis later that evening around 8:44 pm and she stopped responding after saying she was doing “nothing” over the weekend. A photo was posted to Crawford’s Instagram account around 9:00pm that evening.
Jones told police that Crawford asked to be dropped to the liquor store that very same night around 11:30 p.m and then they returned home. The store is located on at 595 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd in southwest Atlanta. The clothing in the photo is the clothing she was last known to be wearing.
Jones told authorities she last saw the victim at 12:30am before going to the bedroom for the night. But when she woke up in the morning, Crawford wasn’t in the residence and the doors were locked.
Crawford’s iPhone, identification and debit card were missing from the apartment. Her phone charger and keys were found inside the apartment on the end table by the couch, the police report said.
Her Body Was Found a Week Later
One of the suspects reportedly led authorities to the body near a park in nearby Dekalb County on Friday. Her death was the result of asphyxiation, the Atlanta Police Department said Saturday in a news release that cited the medical examiner’s office.
“While a motive has not been clearly established, the department did take a police report from Alexis Crawford on October 27, and this is a few days prior to her being reported missing,” Shields said. “In this report, Alexis described unwanted kissing and touching from Barron Brantley.”
Crawford’s family describes Alexis as the “apple of their eye.” The family rep, Rev. Markel Hutchins said. “Alexis’ father said, ‘If they wanted to take somebody’s life they could have taken mine. They didn’t have to kill my baby, they didn’t have to kill her.’”
Both Suspects Are in Custody
Jones and her boyfriend, Brantley, are both in police custody.
Jones is being taken to the Fulton County jail for booking and is being charged with malice murder. According to reporter, Lauren Pozen, the difference between malice murder and felony murder is malice murder is premeditated.
What is the difference between malice murder and felony murder?
I went to our legal analyst @epanitch to explain.
Malice murder is premeditated. Felony murder is when a person is killed in the commission or escape of a felony. Both have the same penalty of life in prison.
— Lauren Pozen (@LaurenPozenWSB) November 9, 2019
Brantley is also charged in Alexis Crawford’s death and was booked on Friday. He waived his first court appearance Saturday morning. Jones will appear in court at 11 a.m. Monday.
Suspect Has an Extensive Criminal History
Barron Brantley, accused of murdering the Clark Atlanta student has been in trouble before. Battery, criminal trespassing, cruelty to children are just some of the charges he’s faced in the past.
Atlanta authorities describes him as 6’1″ tall, weighing 175 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Brantley also has charges that include a 2015 robbery charge from Sandy Springs, along with 2018 traffic charges that include speeding, driving on a suspended or revoked license, failure to maintain insurance – no proof of insured-driving, failure to obey traffic control device, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, obstruction of a law enforcement officer and reckless driving.
His record indicates that he has used the aliases Brankley Barron, Renwick Brankley, Baron Brantley and Baron Renwick in the past.
He remains in the Fulton County Jail without bond.
