Wednesday 16 November 2022 06:23 PM Man who kidnapped and murdered Aniah Blanchard, 19, will face death penalty if ... trends now
The man who is accused of murdering a 19-year-old Alabama college student will face the death penalty if convicted.
Ibraheem Yazeed, 32, was recently indicted by a grand jury on three counts related to the kidnapping and murder of Aniah Blanchard in 2019.
The announcement of Yazeed's indictment was made Tuesday by state Attorney General Steve Marshall.
Blanchard had gone missing after last being seen October 23 at an Auburn, Alabama, gas station.
Aniah Blanchard was last seen on October 23, 2019, at a gas station in Auburn, Alabama
Yazeed will either face the death penalty or serve life in prison without parole if convicted
Blanchard, the stepdaughter of notable UFC champion Walt Harris, was found dead several weeks later.
The 19-year-old's body was discovered in a wooded area in Macon County, the county where Tuskegee is located, weeks later.
An autopsy was done on the teenager's body and her death was ruled a homicide, with a gunshot wound being determined as her cause of death.
Yazeed was indicted on 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, according to Marshall.
The indictment alleges that the man intentionally killed Blanchard by shooting her during a kidnapping.
The man also allegedly stole her vehicle and phone during the abduction.
Ibraheem Yazeed, 32, was arrested in 2019 for his connection to Blanchard's death
Aniah was just 19 years old when she was brutally kidnapped and murdered
Blanchard (right) was close with her stepfather, UFC fighter Walt Harris (left)
If Yazeed is not sentenced to death by the jury at trial, he faces a sentence of life in prison without the chance of parole, authorities said.
Yazeed has been held in the Lee County jail since his arrest in November 2019.
The man was found by US Marshals with the Fugitive Task Force in Escambia County, Florida, brought back to Alabama, and continues to be held without bail.
DailyMail.com attempted to reach out to William Whatley Jr., Yazeed's counsel but was unable to make contact.
Prosecutors had previously announced they would seek the death penalty in 2019 after Yazeed allegedly admitted to shooting Blanchard when she 'went for the gun.'
Blanchard allegedly also fought back against the assailant, officials said.
Auburn Police Detective Josh Mixon testified in a Lee County courtroom in June 2020 that a witness said he was with Yazeed when the
