Man who kidnapped college student from gas station, murdered her in random act of violence and dumped body in woods is headed to prison forever

Left: Ibraheem Yazeed (WBMA). Right: Aniah Blanchard (Auburn Police Department).

An Alabama man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after he kidnapped a 19-year-old woman from a gas station, murdered her and left her body behind in the woods.

Ibraheem Yazeed, 36, was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday after a jury convicted him of murder, felony murder and kidnapping in the death of Aniah Blanchard, the Alabama Attorney General's Office said.

The incident in question happened on Oct. 23, 2019, in Auburn. Yazeed was at a gas station cash register around 11 p.m. when Blanchard, a college student, walked in the store causing the defendant to do a double take. He walked outside and waited for her to walk to her car. When she did, he hopped into the car and forced her to drive away.

At some point Yazeed shot Blanchard dead. He drove to an apartment complex in Montgomery and ditched her car. With the help of another man, he placed Blanchard's body in the trunk of another vehicle. The men then drove her body to a wooded area and ditched her remains.

Blanchard's roommate noticed she had not come home the previous night and contacted her family who reported her missing. The disappearance set off a multi-agency search. Authorities found the victim's vehicle a few days later with an excessive amount of blood in it, which indicated a serious crime had occurred. The case came to a tragic conclusion about a month after the teen's disappearance when cops discovered her remains in Macon County on County Road 2.

Yazeed was arrested a few days after authorities discovered her body. Several delays set the case back, but Yazeed's trial began in March and resulted in his conviction.

"My daughter fought a very violent criminal, she fought hard and she got him off the streets so he could never hurt anybody again, and that feels good," Blanchard's mother, Angela Harris, told reporters.

Her family noted that she did not die in vain. At the time of the murder, Yazeed was out on bond for another kidnapping and attempted murder. As a result, Alabama legislators approved "Aniah's Law," which allows judges to deny bond for violent offenses beyond just capital murder.

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"Today, justice has been served. I am gratified that the court imposed the maximum allowable sentence for the senseless and brutal murder of Aniah Blanchard, life in prison. It is the sentence that the weight of this crime demanded, and one that Aniah's family has long deserved," Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement. "My deepest sympathies remain with Aniah's family and all who loved her. No verdict can undo their unimaginable loss, but my hope is that today's outcome brings a measure of closure and allows them to begin the long journey toward healing."