Aniah Blanchard’s family awaits trial nearly five years after her alleged murder

AUBURN, Ala. (WRBL) – The pursuit of justice has been agonizingly slow for the family of Aniah Blanchard, who continue to wait nearly five years after her tragic death. The 19-year-old Southern Union student was reported missing 1,770 days ago. Her alleged killer, Ibraheem Yazeed, has spent nearly five years in the Lee County Detention Center, awaiting trial.

Blanchard’s mother tells WRBL, “We miss her every second of every day and are anxiously awaiting a trial and justice.”

Yazeed, who was out on bond for previous alleged kidnapping and attempted murder charges, was captured on surveillance video at the Auburn Chevron on South College Street on October 23, 2019, the same night Blanchard was last seen alive. The footage, now etched into the memories of many in the community, shows Blanchard in a dress, casually walking into the store to buy a bag of chips. Prosecutors say Yazeed noticed her, and the encounter marked the beginning of a harrowing ordeal ending with the discovery of her body a month later, on November 25, in a wooded area of Macon County.

The Attorney General office presented evidence to a Macon County grand jury on November 4, 2022, resulting in Yazeed’s indictment on three counts of capital murder on November 14, 2022.

“Specifically, the indictment charges Yazeed with one count of capital murder during a kidnapping in the first degree, one count of capital murder during a robbery in the first degree, and one count of capital murder involving a victim in a vehicle. The indictment charges Yazeed did intentionally cause the death of Blanchard by shooting her with a gun during abducting her and robbing her of a vehicle and cell phone.  The indictment also charges Yazeed intentionally caused Blanchard’s death while she was inside her vehicle, a 2017 Honda CR-V,” said the Attorney General’s Office in a statement.

If convicted, Yazeed faces the death penalty or a sentence of life imprisonment without parole for each of the three charges of capital murder. WRBL has reached out to Yazeed’s defense attorney William Whatley for a comment.

On Thursday, WRBL reached out to the Attorney General’s Office for an update on the case, specifically inquiring about the possibility of a trial date in the near future. While a spokesperson acknowledged the inquiry, a statement has not yet been provided. Mike Segrest, the Macon County District Attorney, directed WRBL to the Attorney General’s Office for further details.

In the wake of Aniah’s death, her family channeled their grief into advocacy, leading to the passage of Aniah’s Law in 2022. The law, passed overwhelmingly by Alabama voters, grants judges greater discretion in denying bail to suspects charged with severe offenses, potentially preventing them from committing further crimes while awaiting trial. Prosecutors have praised the law, noting that while it’s impossible to quantify how many lives it has saved, its impact in protecting the innocent is undeniable.

Beyond legislative change, Blanchard’s legacy lives on through Aniah’s Heart, a nonprofit organization dedicated to offering self-defense classes and raising awareness for other missing persons’ cases. The nonprofit, alongside a constant social media presence, ensures that Aniah’s memory continues to inspire and protect others.

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