Ibraheem Yazeed, charged in Aniah Blanchard's disappearance, to be held without bond
(Editor’s note: This story first published at the Montgomery Advertiser, part of the USA TODAY Network.)
A Lee County judge has ruled Ibraheem Yazeed, charged in 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard’s disappearance, to be held without bond.
According to court records filed Tuesday morning, prosecutors argued that Yazeed’s “extensive history of violent criminal offenses,” the fact he was on bond at the time of Blanchard’s alleged kidnapping and that he fled to Escambia County, Fla., as evidence for the no bond.
District Judge Russell Bush agreed, according to the order.
In the same filing, Bush also ruled that “the parties and any potential witnesses” in the case are “prohibited from making any statements to members of the media, or directly discussing their involvement in this case or any current or future trial proceedings with members of the media.”
Yazeed, 29, was captured late Thursday evening after he was named a person of interest and a warrant was issued on a charge of first-degree kidnapping. He was the last person seen with Blanchard on the night she disappeared, according to an arrest affidavit.
Yazeed, at a hearing Friday, waived extradition, clearing the way for him to be transported back to Alabama immediately.
Yazeed’s charging documents said blood “indicative of someone suffering a life-threatening injury” was discovered in the passenger’s side of Aniah Blanchard’s vehicle.
Days after Blanchard was last seen, her black, Honda CR-V was recovered at a Montgomery apartment complex.There was damage to the passenger side that her family said was not present prior to that day. Police confirmed they suspect foul play based on evidence recovered inside the vehicle.
Yazeed was allegedly seen by a witness “forcing Blanchard into a vehicle against her will and then leaving with her in the vehicle” from an Auburn convenience station, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit, filed for a first-degree kidnapping charge, states the blood evidence was tested by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and confirmed to be Blanchard’s.
There may be more people involved in Blanchard’s disappearance, Auburn police Chief Paul Register said Thursday. Police initially said Yazeed was seen leaving the convenience store in a Lincoln Town car, though Blanchard’s car was driven back to Montgomery.
“We do anticipate other arrests, so we do thing there’s a likelihood someone else is involved in this case and we hope to bring that person to justice as well,” he said.
Aniah Blanchard, the stepdaughter of UFC heavyweight Walt Harris, was last seen Oct. 23.
Yazeed has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2011 when he was charged with two counts of first-degree robbery, according to court records. Those charges were ultimately dismissed by a grand jury, as were two attempted murder charges levied against Yazeed the next year after he allegedly tried to hit two police officers with a vehicle.
In 2013, Yazeed was charged with possession of marijuana, crack cocaine, a pistol without a permit, drug paraphernalia and attempting to elude law enforcement during two separate incidents. He was indicted on those charges in 2015, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced in two separate hearings. The same judge, former Circuit Judge Williams Shashy, sentenced him to serve 13 months in prison during each hearing. Those sentences were suspended, and he never stepped foot in a prison.
In 2017, Yazeed was charged with aggravated assault, battery of a police officer, possession of marijuana and fleeing police in Johnson County, Kansas. He was found not guilty of the battery and assault charges. A Judge in 2018 sentenced him to serve 16 months in prison, but he was released shortly after his sentencing being credited with 8 months while he awaited trial.
Less than a year later, back in Montgomery, Yazeed was then charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of robbery, attempted murder and possession of marijuana after two men were beaten inside a hotel room in January. One victim was nearly beaten to death, according to court records.
Yazeed was released on a $295,000 bond the day after his arrest in connection to the January incident and has been free since. A judge revoked his bond in the cases once a warrant was issued against Yazeed in connection to Blanchard’s disappearance.