Tuskegee, Ala.– A man was convicted of murder in Death 2019 Alabama college student Anya Blanchard, whose disappearance drew national attention, was spared a possible death sentence by a jury Thursday.
The jury found Ibrahim Yazeed, 36, guilty of murdering 19-year-old Blanchard. Jurors convicted Yazeed on the lesser charges of first-degree murder and felony murder instead of first-degree murder, a crime that would have been punishable by death.
Blanchard, the stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris, was last seen on Oct. 23, 2019, at a gas station in Auburn. Her body was found a month later in a wooded area in neighboring Macon County. She was a student at Southern Union Community College.
The case inspired two changes in Alabama law. Under what it was called anya’s law, Judges were given more discretion to refuse to release people accused of violent crimes. Yazeed was out on bail at the time of Blanchard’s disappearance.
Gov. Kay Ivey too Signed legislation last year to allow visiting judges to handle violent criminal cases to bring them to trial more quickly. The legislation was approved after the murder case remained for several years without a trial.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he was disappointed that Yazeed would not face a possible death penalty, but would seek a life sentence.
Marshall said: “I pledge to do everything in my power to ensure that Ibrahim Yazeed spends the rest of his life in prison. I believe that is what justice in this case requires. Anya deserves this, and so does her family.”
Defense attorney William Whatley told reporters the case was riddled with false information and false statements “that almost reached mob level to arrest Mr. Yazid for capital murder.”