The murder of 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard, who was shot to death after she was kidnapped from an Auburn convenience store more than a year ago, will be featured this weekend on CBS’s 48 Hours.
“Fighting for Aniah,” which will air Saturday at 9 p.m. CST, explores the disappearance and killing of Blanchard, as well as her family’s quest for justice and their efforts to get Aniah’s Law passed, legislation that would give judges more discretion in denying bail to people charged with violent crimes.
The man charged in Blanchard’s slaying – Ibraheem Yazeed – was out on bail for other violent crimes at the time Blanchard was abducted and killed.
Blanchard was abducted Oct. 23, 2019 when she went late one night to buy salt and vinegar potato chips. Her disappearance made national news as the search for the former junior high cheerleader and high school softball player from Homewood dragged on for weeks. It ended on Nov. 25, 2019 when authorities found her body in rural Macon County.
Aniah was last seen by her brother, Elijah, on the evening she disappeared. She promised to let him know when she was home safely, but that call never came.
Video evidence from the convenience store at 1599 South College St. put Blanchard and Yazeed there at the same time. A witness later told police he saw Yazeed interacting with Blanchard near her vehicle in front of the store and later forcing Blanchard into her vehicle against her will.
That witness told investigators he didn’t call police because his female companion – who police said was either his wife or a girlfriend – told him not to get involved.
Further video evidence from a separate gas station in Auburn showed Yazeed exiting the passenger side of Blanchard’s vehicle and later re-entering the vehicle. Her Honda CRV was last seen traveling south on South College Street toward the interstate.
Police recovered the teen’s black SUV from an apartment complex on the 6100 block of Boardwalk Boulevard in Montgomery around 6:15 p.m. the following evening, which was Friday. A citizen reported the vehicle to police.
Blood evidence was discovered in the passenger’s compartment of the vehicle and was “indicative of someone suffering a life-threatening injury.” The evidence was submitted to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and confirmed to be that of Blanchard.
A person was located who told them Yazeed was next seen at a residence in Montgomery wearing only shorts, with a gun tucked into the shorts.
That person said Yazeed was in possession of Blanchard’s vehicle, however, he did not see Blanchard. “The subject further advised during a subsequent conversation with Yazeed, Yazeed admitted to shooting a girl and stated the girl ‘went for the gun,’’' Det. Josh Mixon wrote in a charging document.
Aniah Blanchard (CBS 48 Hours)
Saturday’s night’s broadcast will include interviews with Blanchard’s brother, her roommate, Sarah O’Brien, as well as her mother, Angela Harris and stepfather, UFC fighter Walt Harris.
The slain teen had a deep-seated fear of being kidnapped and harmed. It was something her mother discussed with AL.com last year.
From a young age, Harris said, her daughter was afraid someone would hurt her. “From the time she was little, I taught her about the world. I was a sexual assault nurse for 20 years and I saw all the stuff,” Harris said. “Aniah was scared somebody would hurt her. She was always so paranoid she even put stuff up against her door at night because she didn’t want somebody to come in and get her.”
It’s a fear Blanchard’s roommate will also discuss with 48 Hours. “Since the day I met Aniah,’' O’Brien told the show, she always told me that that was her biggest fear … to be kidnapped or murdered.”