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TUSKEGEE, Ala. (BFMG) — The family of slain college student Aniah Blanchard returned to a Macon County courtroom Friday, marking a significant step in their six-year wait for the capital murder case tied to her death to finally reach trial.
Jury selection in the case of Ibraheem Yazeed, now 34, is scheduled to begin March 2 at the city complex in Tuskegee, putting the Blanchard family about four weeks away from the start of a trial they have long anticipated.
Yazeed is charged with capital murder in the death of Blanchard, a 19-year-old Southern Union State Community College student. Prosecutors allege Blanchard was killed after an encounter with Yazeed at a gas station in Auburn. Her body was later found in a wooded area of Macon County.
Prosecutors with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office have announced they will seek the death penalty. [.pdf]
During a recent status hearing, the court was told that about 450 potential jurors are expected to report for jury service. Jury selection is expected to last most of the week, with opening statements possibly beginning that Friday.
Concerns about pretrial publicity surfaced during the hearing, when Yazeed, speaking through his attorney, told the court he does not believe he can receive a fair trial because of the extensive media coverage surrounding the case — particularly coverage related to Aniah’s Law.
Aniah’s Law, passed overwhelmingly by Alabama voters in 2022 following Blanchard’s death, expanded judges’ authority to deny bond to defendants accused of certain violent offenses.
Specially appointed Judge Tom F. Young Jr. addressed Yazeed’s concerns in court, saying the jury selection process is designed to ensure a fair and impartial panel. Young told Yazeed the court will work carefully to seat jurors who can set aside outside information and decide the case based solely on evidence presented at trial.
After years of delays, the case is now in its final pretrial stretch, with the Blanchard family watching the calendar and waiting just a few more weeks for a trial they have spent nearly six years preparing to face.
