Suspect in Clark Atlanta student's murder denied bond; new details emerge

ATLANTA — The man accused in the murder of a Clark Atlanta University student was in court Friday morning and a judge decided he will stay in jail until next year.

On Thursday, Barron Brantley's girlfriend, Jordyn Jones, was also denied bond.

Brantley and Jones, both 21, are each charged with felony murder in the Oct. 31 death of Clark Atlanta senior Alexis Janae Crawford. Jones was Crawford's roommate.

Crawford, 21, of Athens, was reported missing Nov. 1, two days after her family last spoke with her. Her body was found Nov. 8 in a DeKalb County park, ending a weeklong search.

In court Friday, the lead detective in the case took the stand and described in detail how a fight between the two roommates turned deadly.

Detective Michael Young said Jones told officers after she brought Crawford to the liquor store on the night of Oct. 30, she stayed in her room all night by herself and when she woke up in the morning, Crawford was gone.

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But when police confronted Jones with surveillance video from the apartment complex that showed her and her boyfriend Brantley leaving the apartment at 3 a.m., investigators said that’s when Jones broke down and told them a different story.

“Then she finally stated that Barron Brantley was inside the house with her. Her and Alexis got into a fight and during that fight, Barron Brantley came outside of bedroom and choked Alexis,” Young said.

Investigators said it was Jones who led them to Crawford’s body, and that she admitted she dumped the body in a park with the help of Brantley.

Police said that when Jones led them to the body, her father, who is in law enforcement himself in another state, was right there with her.

When police questioned Brantley, he told them he didn’t kill Crawford. He said Jones did because when he was choking Crawford, Jones grabbed a plastic bag and put it over her friend’s face.

“He said she was struggling to breathe, and she had sounds of agony,” Young said.

Authorities said this all started after a night of drinking when Crawford accused Brantley of rape and reported it to police. Police have said all along that it was probably the motive.

So far, there have been no rape charges filed.

Cox Media Group