Update (November 11, 2019): Prior to the death of Clark Atlanta student Alexis Crawford, she and her roommate had gotten into a brawl.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Crawford's roommate Jordyn Jones was fighting with Crawford on the early morning of October 31. Court documents from the Fulton County Superior Court state that at one point during the altercation, Jones' boyfriend, Barron Brantley, began choking Crawford, leading to her death. Shortly before the fight, Jones and Crawford had gone to the liquor store together.
Jones and Brantley, who have both been charged with felony murder, are believed to have then dumped the 21-year-old's body in a plastic bin and taken her to DeKalb County's Exchange Park. Police found her body in the park on Friday. Brantley and Jones, also both 21, were arrested that day. Brantley confessed to the killing.
Amid the new developments, it's also been reported that Jones and Crawford were close friends.
A reverend who knew the family told AJC Jones spent holidays with Crawford and her family.
“That makes that tragedy all the more difficult to understand and reconcile,” Rev. Markel Hutchins said. “She spent time with the family, in the family home.”
“One family member described them as two peas in a pod,” Hutchins said. “To go from that to where we are today, it’s unthinkable, unspeakable.”
Three days before being reported missing by family, Crawford reported Brantley to the police for forcible kissing and touching. Brantley claims he believed at the time that Crawford was Jones.
Update (November 8, 2019): The body of a Clark Atlanta University student who'd been missing since October 30 has been discovered.
Twenty-one-year-old Alexis Crawford was found dead at Exchange Park in DeKalb County on Friday. Police discovered her body with the aid of her roommate Jordyn Jones, reports WBS-TV. When Crawford went missing, Jones told police the last time she saw her was on Thursday night after she'd taken Crawford, a senior at the university, to the liquor store. It's not yet been established how the roommate knew where Crawford's body was.
Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields spoke of the devastating discovery during a press conference late Friday afternoon. During the conference, she revealed that just three days before going missing, Crawford reported her roommate's boyfriend, Barron Brantley, to police after he allegedly forcibly touched and kissed her.
Additionally, 11Alive reports that as of October 26, Crawford stopped sleeping in her bedroom. She reportedly told friends she no longer felt "comfortable" sleeping in her bedroom. Police are currently working on obtaining warrants for both the roommate and her boyfriend who are being considered as suspects in the disappearance.
Shields apologized to the young woman's family during the conference.
Original story (November 1, 2019) : Police are asking for the community's help to find Clark Atlanta University student Alexis Crawford who has been missing since October 30.
The 21-year-old senior was reportedly last seen at her off-campus residence last week. Her family and friends became concerned after she didn't show up for class or work. According to police, Crawford’s family contacted authorities to issue a missing person’s report on November 1.
“She's a beautiful girl. She's a beautiful, fun-loving little girl,” the missing woman’s great-aunt Brenda Crawford told reporters on Monday. “She's the type of girl that when she sees you when you come in the house, the first thing she's going to do is sit on your lap and give you a hug. She's a sweet girl.”
Her family told WSB-TV 2 that it’s not normal for the CAU student not to reach out. Crawford’s mother, Tammy, told police that she was in “good spirits and was laughing” during their FaceTime call on the afternoon of October 30.
“Usually if we go a day without talking to her or something like that – she'll call us and be like, 'Aw mom I was sleep. Mom I was studying, I was at work.' But she hasn't said anything yet,” Crawford’s sister, Monica Wright, said.
The police report indicates that Crawford was active on social media later that day. According to her roommate, Crawford was still at their residence around midnight, but the house was empty when she left for class the next morning.
The family is now pleading with the public to provide any information on Crawford’s whereabouts.
“I just want you to come home and be safe,” Crawford’s younger sister, Alexandria, told the press on Monday. “I hope God is walking with you and please prevent any evil that comes her way — and we're here for you.”
Her older brother, Derrick Carter, echoed the family’s pleas.
“I just want to say to the city of Atlanta: Can you just please help me find my baby sister? And Alexis, we love you. If you're out there and you're looking at this, give us a call. We're right here with you," he said.
Crawford, who is described as being 5'3" tall and approximately 150 pounds, was last seen wearing a black T-shirt or hoodie and a printed headscarf.
Atlanta Police Department is asking for anyone with information regarding Crawford's whereabouts to contact them at 404-546-6900.
