Her Killer Was Caught on Surveillance Moments Before Her Abduction: The Case of Aniah Blanchard

Summary

Detailed Summary: "Her Killer Was Caught on Surveillance Moments Before Her Abduction: The Case of Aniah Blanchard"

Podcast: True Crime with Kendall Rae
Host/Author: Mile Higher Media & Audioboom Studios
Release Date: October 31, 2024

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Introduction to the Case

In this emotionally charged episode of True Crime with Kendall Rae, host Kendall Ray delves into the harrowing case of Aniah Blanchard, a 19-year-old student whose tragic abduction and murder shocked her community. Kendall emphasizes the profound impact of Aniah's loss and the relentless pursuit of justice by her family and community.

Kendall Ray (00:35): "This one really hit me hard. I think it's because this victim is so young and because this was so preventable that it left me feeling incredibly angry."

Aniah Blanchard's Background

Aniah Haley Blanchard was born on June 22, 2000, sharing her birthday with her mother, Angela Harris, fostering a unique and close bond. Raised in Homewood, Alabama, Aniah was deeply connected to her family, including her father, Elijah Senior, and her older brother, Elijah Jr. Despite her parents' divorce when she was two, both Angela and Elijah Senior remained dedicated parents, instilling values of love, compassion, and faith.

Kendall Ray (04:50): "Anaya was so beautiful, but not only beautiful on the outside, her heart was so beautiful, and she was just so funny and so sweet and so caring."

Aniah excelled in softball, not just for her athletic prowess but also for her exemplary sportsmanship. Her empathy extended beyond sports as she often helped care for her younger siblings, demonstrating her nurturing nature and leadership skills. Aniah aspired to become a teacher and softball coach, embodying resilience and dedication.

The Night of the Disappearance

On October 23, 2019, Aniah and her brother Elijah attended a funeral for a family friend in northern Alabama. After a long day and a four-hour drive, they began their journey home. On the drive, Aniah exchanged text messages with her roommate, Sarah, revealing unsettling behavior.

Sarah's Messages (09:15): "I'm smoking a blunt LOL."
Aniah's Response (09:20): "Eric."

These cryptic messages raised initial suspicions, as Aniah had never mentioned knowing someone named Eric. Concern grew when Sarah realized Aniah had not returned home after indicating she was just minutes away.

Initial Search Efforts and Community Response

By the following morning, Sarah and Elijah grew increasingly worried as messages continued to indicate Aniah was missing. They reached out to family members and friends, culminating in a missing person report. Community support surged, with media coverage amplifying the search efforts.

Angela Harris (20:51): "If you have any information about Blanchard's whereabouts, your urge to call the Auburn Police Department."

Vigils were held across Auburn and Montgomery, with hundreds attending to support Aniah's family. A significant reward fund was established, bolstered by donations from notable figures like UFC President Dana White, raising over $105,000.

Investigation Developments: Surveillance Footage and Suspect Identification

On October 25, investigators discovered Aniah's damaged car in a Montgomery apartment complex parking lot, suggesting foul play. Surveillance cameras at a Chevron gas station revealed Aniah's last known movements.

Kendall Ray (20:18): "At 11:21pm on the night that Anaya went missing, she could be seen on surveillance footage at a Chevron gas station... she purchased a bag of sour cream and onion chips as well as a drink before walking out."

This footage was pivotal, capturing Aniah shortly before her abduction. The police released images of a suspect seen at the gas station, described as a man in his early to mid-20s wearing a camouflage jacket.

Arrest and Criminal History of Ibrahim Yazid

By November 7, law enforcement identified Ibrahim Yazid, a 30-year-old career criminal, as the primary suspect in Aniah's disappearance. Yazid's extensive criminal record included multiple charges ranging from robbery and attempted murder to aggravated assault.

Kendall Ray (31:08): "Police name a suspect in Blanchard's disappearance. They say he kidnapped the young woman and he's got a violent arrest history."

Yazid was apprehended in Pensacola, Florida, following a tip, after attempting to evade authorities. His arrest was marred by violent resistance, resulting in significant eye swelling.

Legal Proceedings and Charges

Following his arrest, Yazid was charged with first-degree kidnapping. His charges were later upgraded to capital murder as evidence of foul play emerged, including blood found in Aniah's car and a bullet hole in the vehicle door.

Kendall Ray (52:03): "The cause of death was a gunshot wound. As a result of the determination by the medical examiner's office, we are now upgrading the charges from kidnapping and first degree to capital murder."

Yazid faced three counts of capital murder, including charges related to murder during kidnapping and in a vehicle, with the District Attorney seeking the death penalty.

Antoine Fisher's Involvement and Confession

Antoine Fisher, known as Squirmy, was initially charged with first-degree kidnapping for providing transportation to Yazid and disposing of evidence. Although his charges were later dropped, Fisher's cooperation led investigators to Aniah's remains in Macon County, Alabama.

Angela Harris (56:10): "Antoine identified the vehicle that he was driving as a black Honda CRV, AKA Anaya's car."

Fisher recounted seeing Yazid dragging what appeared to be human remains, a confession that corroborated the suspicions of foul play and Aniah's violent end.

Discovery of Aniah's Remains

On November 25, Aniah's remains were discovered in a wooded area of Macon County, aided by Fisher's testimony. Identifying details, such as sorrel snow boots, confirmed her identity.

Kendall Ray (52:03): "Ananya's body was found with the help of Antoine, who led investigators to where he believed she was."

This discovery brought a bittersweet closure to the search, allowing the family to grieve while reaffirming Yazid's culpability.

The Impact on the Family and Community

Aniah's family demonstrated remarkable resilience and commitment to preventing future tragedies. They established Anaya's Heart, a nonprofit offering resources to families of missing persons and advocating for personal safety education.

Angela Harris (54:25): "Anaya's Heart provides safety, education, and self-defense training to their community."

The community's support was unwavering, with public vigils and memorials honoring Aniah's memory. December 21 was commemorated as Anaya Blanchard Day, and a bench at Patriot Park serves as a lasting tribute.

Legislative Changes: Anaya's Law

In response to the systemic failures that allowed Yazid to remain free despite his violent history, Anaya's family successfully lobbied for Anaya's Law in November 2022. This legislation empowers judges to deny bail to individuals accused of severe crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and domestic violence, aiming to enhance public safety and prevent recidivism.

Angela Harris (56:14): "Anaya's Law gives judges the opportunity to keep violent offenders behind bars."

This legal reform stands as a testament to the family's dedication to justice and societal protection.

Conclusion and Legacy

Despite the tragic loss of Aniah Blanchard, her family's unwavering pursuit of justice and their proactive measures to effect legislative change have left a lasting impact. The case underscores the critical importance of law enforcement responsiveness and community involvement in resolving and preventing violent crimes.

Kendall Ray (59:35): "Anaya's loved ones deserve justice. They deserve that closure, as do all of her alleged victims and their families."

As the trial against Ibrahim Yazid approaches, the Blanchard family continues to inspire with their resilience and commitment to making the world safer for others.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Kendall Ray (00:35): "This one really hit me hard. I think it's because this victim is so young and because this was so preventable that it left me feeling incredibly angry."

• Sarah's Messages (09:15): "I'm smoking a blunt LOL."
  Aniah's Response (09:20): "Eric."

• Angela Harris (20:51): "If you have any information about Blanchard's whereabouts, your urge to call the Auburn Police Department."

• Kendall Ray (31:08): "Police name a suspect in Blanchard's disappearance. They say he kidnapped the young woman and he's got a violent arrest history."

• Kendall Ray (52:03): "The cause of death was a gunshot wound. As a result of the determination by the medical examiner's office, we are now upgrading the charges from kidnapping and first degree to capital murder."

• Angela Harris (54:25): "Anaya's Heart provides safety, education, and self-defense training to their community."

• Kendall Ray (59:35): "Anaya's loved ones deserve justice. They deserve that closure, as do all of her alleged victims and their families."

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This comprehensive summary captures the key elements of Aniah Blanchard's case as presented in the podcast episode, highlighting the emotional journey, investigative milestones, and the enduring legacy left by her family.

Transcript

[Kendall Ray]

Get me Will Trent. ABC Tuesdays.

[Angela Harris]

I don't even know where he is.

[Kendall Ray]

Will Trent is back. You thought she could hide forever. Time to come home. The series that's being called one of the best network procedurals. We're gonna solve this case featuring new cast member Gina Rodriguez.

[Angela Harris]

I'm a prosecutor. We deal in truth and facts.

[Kendall Ray]

Maybe everybody should try that, huh? Will Trent. The two part season premiere Tuesdays on ABC and stream on Hulu.

[Angela Harris]

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Thank you so much for joining me today and if you're new, then welcome. I'm so happy to have you. So, guys, today we're going to be talking about a case that, I mean, they all break my heart. This one really hit me hard. I think it's because this victim is so young and because this was so preventable that it left me feeling incredibly angry. But also very inspired by this family who has done so much for the community and to prevent this from happening to other people. After going through one of the. I mean, in my opinion, the worst thing possible in life, losing your child at a young age in such a violent, horrific way. And just this victim, Anaya Blanchard, was such a special young woman and the family, their interviews and everything, I just, I am beyond heartbroken for all of them. I think what really inspired me so much about their family is the way that they all came together and the way that they fought so hard for Anaya. And in the wake of their own tragedy, to then think about how they can help others in their community and prevent this from possibly happening to others is just, it's amazing to me. I don't know if I could, you know, focus on helping other people after Losing my child, I think that is just beyond devastating. And I'm just kind of rambling now, but I can't even put into words how sorry I feel for them, how heartbroken I am for them, but also at the same time how impressed I am with them, especially because they still haven't gotten justice yet. It is right around the corner. I'm very confident that they will get justice very soon. But Anaya Blanchard, who we're talking about today, like I said, was so young, but she was also just such a special young woman who had an amazing life ahead of her. And her death is such a loss to not only her family and friends and to her community, but really to the world. I think she would have really gone on to do amazing things. Also today, I wanted to make my background blue to honor Anaya because it was her favorite color and has really been a symbol to remember her and to channel her strength while her family and community has fought so hard for her. We do have a lot to go over today, so I'm going to just jump right in by telling you more about Anaya. So Anaya Haley Blanchard was born on June 22, 2000, to her loving parents, Angela and Elijah Senior. Now, the day that she was born was special for many reasons, but it was an especially special day because it was the same day her mom was born. So the two of them got to share a birthday, which I thought was so, so cool, a really special connection for the two of them. And I know it made Angela feel even closer to her daughter than they already were. Anaya was also very, very close with her father, Elijah Senior, as well as her older brother, Elijah Jr. Who also seems like an incredible young man. He's only 17 months older than her, so I imagine that made them pretty close. So their parents divorced when they were very young. I believe Anaya was about two years old. So I think that oftentimes brings siblings closer as well. And despite their divorce, both Angela and Elijah Senior did their best to co parent and raise their children with love, compassion, and faith. Anaya's dad was a local pastor, so having a strong faith and belief in God was very, very important to them. And in the aftermath of what happened, I know that they leaned heavily on their faith to get them through. And I'm really thankful that they, you know, had that to lean on. And they also leaned on their community, which seems amazing. The community of Homewood, Alabama. Homewood is just outside of Birmingham, and this is where Anaya and her brother were raised by their parents as well, as their step parents. After getting divorced, Elijah went on to marry a very intelligent and successful, not to mention beautiful woman named Yeshiba, who is an attorney specializing in veterans disability law, probate law, domestic relations, and plaintiffs litigation. And then Angela went on to marry UFC heavyweight fighter Walt Harris, who has been very, very outspoken about his relationship with Anaya. I personally had never heard of Walt Harris. I'm not really plugged into the UFC world, but I've gotta say I'm a fan. He was at one point ranked ninth in the world, I believe, or possibly the country. I can't remember the exact details off the top of my head, but he did very well. He is very impressive as a fighter, but most impressive as a stepfather. I've got to say, the interviews with Walt have just tore me up. His passion for his stepchildren is just so. It's so special and so rare, I think, to see a bond that close between step parent and child. I mean, he had always treated Anaya and Elijah as his own children, and I just loved that. But, oh, God, hearing him speak about how this has affected him and him demonstrating the pain and anger that he and their whole family has been through just really got to me. I'm. I'm just so beyond heartbroken for all of them now. Anaya was pretty young when Walt came into her life. I'm talking, like, three, four years old. And from the beginning, he was super, super active in her upbringing. I mean, really, it never felt like he was her stepfather. He was really just her other. And like I said, the same goes for her brother Elijah. Walt really loved both Angela's children as if they were his own. And I don't think there's ever been any question that they felt the same about him. Anaya was actually one of Walt's biggest supporters in life, especially when it came to his fights. He says that she always pushed him to keep going. And that, win or lose, her love and support really never wavered, which I will say seems to be very true to her character. Anaya grew up playing softball, and not only was she very talented and dedicated to the sport, but what really made her stand out was her sportsmanship. Regardless of if her team won or lost, she was always the one inviting the opposing team onto the field to shake hands after. And I think that really tells you a lot about the type of person that she was. She had such a big heart and was always willing to put others first. That's what so many of her friends have said about her. In fact, her mom And Walt went on to have two other kids together, Asa and Isla. And Anaya helped a lot with them when it came to their child care. Her mother, Angela, is a pediatric emergency room nurse. So as I'm sure you can imagine, she had a lot of nights where she was busy and wasn't able to come home. And despite being a teenager and having really no obligation to help, she never hesitated to step in and look after her younger siblings. I mean, really, to her core, Anaya seemed to be an incredibly empathetic, loving, nurturing person. And it only seems fitting that, of course, one day she had hoped to become a teacher and a softball coach as well. She had natural leadership skills. She had an infectious lab laugh and a smile that her loved ones say they'll never forget the videos that you're showing and. And what they're saying is exactly who she was. She was so beautiful, but not only beautiful on the outside, her heart was so beautiful, and she was just so funny and so sweet and so caring.

[Kendall Ray]

She was just the best.

[Angela Harris]

And I don't know, she. She was our best friend.

[Kendall Ray]

Even though she's our daughter, she was our best friend.

[Angela Harris]

She was just the. Just the life of our family, to.

[Kendall Ray]

Be honest with you.

[Angela Harris]

Like I keep saying, the closeness of this family is just so beautiful to me. And the fact that they only had 19 years with Anaya, it's just so, so unfair. And her older brother, Elijah, was definitely hit incredibly hard by this loss, not only because the two of them were very, very close, but also because he was with Anaya the night that it happened, not long before it happened. In 2019, Elijah was a student at AUB, and the running joke in their family was that Anaya followed him to school. After graduating from high school, she started attending Southern Union State Community College, which was just about 20 minutes down the road from Auburn. She even got an apartment with her friend Sarah, which was actually only about 10 minutes away from where Elijah was living. And that brings us to October 23, 2019, which actually was a tougher day for them, but was fairly normal. I mean, no one expected what would end up happening. But that day, she and her brother were in northern Alabama, actually attending a funeral for a family friend. And understandably, it had been a very long and emotional day for them, not to mention the fact that they had driven there about four hours, so they had a long trip home ahead of them, and both of them had work the following morning. So as evening was rolling around, Anaya told their mom that they needed to start making that trip Back home, Angela remembers telling Anaya that she loved her. She gave her a big kiss on the cheek and breaks my heart to say that she had no idea this would be the last time that she would ever see her daughter again. On their drive home, they made a brief pit stop in Homewood to see Walt. And he says that as soon as they left, he felt like he should have told them to stay. Anaya had mentioned being really tired, and they still had two hours left of their drive at that point, but she assured him that she would be okay. So they said I love you, which actually would be the last time, and then the two of them were back on the road. By the time that Anaya had dropped Elijah back off at his place, it was around 11pm and they did what they normally did, said I love you to one another, and Anaya told him that she would call him the next day. But that call never came. And it's heartbreaking to think about this, but like I mentioned, she only lived 10 minutes away from him, so she only had 10 more minutes to go until she would be home. But she never made it home. At 11.09pm, after dropping her brother off, Anaya's roommate Sarah sent her a message on Snapchat asking if she was almost home. Anaya responded and said, yeah. And the two of them were so close that they shared their locations with one another. And one of the reasons they did this, and this is very eerie to think about, but one of Anaya's biggest fears in life was being kidnapped and murdered. And I know that this is a very common fear for most women. I mean, people in general, too, but especially for women, considering the statistics. But this was a deep fear for Anaya, so much so that she had nightmares about it often. She brought it up to people a lot. And it was part of the reason that she often didn't stay out late at night. I mean, she would stay out, but normally she wouldn't stay out or be out alone unless it was a very, like, rare circumstance. I just think that is so sad to think about that she, you know, had suffered from these nightmares that this was such a prominent fear for her, that she was bringing it up all the time. It's. I don't know, it's almost like she knew. But anyway, she responded to Sarah, said that she would be home soon. And so Sarah, of course, expected to see her, well, pretty soon. And like I just said, she was only about 10 minutes out, but then 30 minutes went by and Anaya was nowhere to be seen so Sarah follows up with another message asking if she had gone out without her possibly. And the response that she got definitely didn't seem like it was from Anaya. The response, which came about a minute later at 11:38pm said, I'm smoking a blunt LOL. And she immediately thought this was weird because she had never heard Anaya use the term blunt before. And at 11:40, she responded back to her asking who she was with. And then just about a minute later, Anaya responded saying, Eric. Now, this was also strange to Sarah because she had never heard of Eric, she had no idea who this was. So she responded saying, who's Eric? And Anaya's response, and I'm sure you're probably already picking up on the fact that it wasn't Anaya responding, but the response from Anaya's phone said that she just met him. And after that, Sarah asked where they were. And the responses just stopped altogether at that point. So at this point, Sarah is thinking, this is strange. Her mind isn't going to the worst possible scenario yet. But it was just strange enough that she decided to check Anaya's location. And it actually showed that Anaya was at this apartment complex that a lot of students lived at. So she thought maybe she was just there with someone and she didn't know who Eric was or whatever. So she felt comfortable just going to sleep. And I totally get where she was coming from. I mean, it's very common for college students to just meet up with random people. And she knew that this apartment complex was an area tons of students lived. Plus she knew it to be a pretty safe area as well. So, yeah, she goes to sleep and she figured she would get the tea on who this Eric guy was in the morning. But then morning rolled around and she quickly realized that Anaya never made it home. So by this point, the alarm bells are going off for her. She knew something was wrong because, I mean, for several reasons, but some of the biggest being that she thought this was so out of character for Anaya, she never would just stay the night at someone's place that she had just met. It just wasn't something she did. And she had just adopted this adorable puppy named Blue. And really, in no world would she have just left him home alone. And then another big reason is that her phone was no longer showing her location as if it had been turned off, which was very out of character for her.

[Kendall Ray]

Get me Will Trent. ABC Tuesdays I don't even know where he is. Will Trent is back. You thought you could hide forever. Time to come Home. The series that's being called one of the best network procedurals. We're going to solve this case. Featuring new cast member Gina Rodriguez.

[Angela Harris]

I'm a prostitute. We deal in truth and facts.

[Kendall Ray]

Maybe everybody should try that, huh? Will Trent the two part season premiere Tuesdays on ABC and stream on Hulu. The new year is here. Resolved to get outside more, put down those screens and spend time with family and friends in Oregon's great outdoors. Now's the time to buy your 2025 Oregon Fishing and hunting license. Enjoy fishing and hunting opportunities across the state. Don't miss out on the magnificent views and experiencing the thrill of the catch. Visit myodfw.com to buy your license and learn more about where to go. That's my o-w.com adventure awaits.

[Angela Harris]

And right around the time that Sarah was starting to realize that something was wrong here, her mother Angela was also starting to get that feeling as well. And that's because she and her daughter spoke on the phone basically every single morning right around 8am, which I think is so rare and special and really shows you how close they were. But when she tried to FaceTime her that morning, Anaya didn't answer. And truthfully, I mean, she tried not to think too much about it. I mean, it definitely gave her a weird feeling because Anaya just always really answered the phone, but it wasn't enough to raise alarm bells just yet. Sarah though, on the other hand, her weird feelings were just really starting to grow. So she ends up deciding to reach out to this woman named Corinna who Anaya babysat for. And she absolutely loved Corinna's children and she was supposed to babysit for them that morning. So she calls her and just wanted to see if maybe Anaya had gone over there earlier or something. And she really did love those children and love children in general and was also just very responsible. So never in a million years would she have just not showed up for work. But that is exactly what happened. Sarah got a hold of Corinna and she said that Anaya was a no show that day. Now Corinna and her kids were very close with Anaya. They really, really loved her. And Corinna had always said that Anaya was the most reliable nanny that she ever had. So her just not showing up that morning raised some serious red flags. So now at this point, Sarah's very freaked out and she decides to start physically looking for Anaya. She got in her car and drove all around Auburn, but there was no Sign of Anaya, she also reached out to Elijah, but it was the same thing he hadn't heard from his sister. And this story about her smoking a blunt with Eric seemed really out of character to him as well. So he began driving around as well and finally decided it was time to alert his parents. And when Walt and Angela received that call, their hearts just sank. They knew that something had to be wrong here because again, Anaya, for her age was just so responsible, so reliable that all of these things together just made no sense. So pretty much immediately, they made the two hour drive from Homewood to Auburn, which was two of the longest hours of their lives. And that's because they knew that something was wrong and they just couldn't get there fast enough. And the same goes for her dad and stepmom. They were equally as panicked. I mean, this is just a call that no parent ever wants to receive. Elijah also decided to go ahead and message Corinna just to make sure that Anaya didn't suddenly show up late or something. But he got the same answer that Sarah did, that Anaya was a no show. And after more friends and family showed up in Auburn to try and search for Anaya themselves, they decided that it was time to just go ahead and report her missing. Now, thankfully, due to some connections that her stepmom had, the media did pick up the story right away. And also great news here. Police believed them and acted instantly. They didn't pull the whole, you know, she probably just ran away thing that they oftentimes do. That was never a possibility in their minds either. They were just quick to support and believe this family. So they kicked off an investigation for her right away. And by October 25th, a shocking discovery was made. Around 6:15 that evening, law enforcement responded to a tip that led them to a parking lot of an apartment complex 55 miles away in Montgomery, Alabama. And there in that parking lot, they discovered Anaya's car. It had sustained damage that was not there prior to her disappearance. And inside her car, well, investigators didn't say what they found, just that it pointed to signs of foul play.

[Kendall Ray]

New information tonight in news we've been following out of Auburn. Detectives now say foul play is being considered as a possibility in the case of missing 19 year old Anaya Blanchard from Homewood. Blanchard is a Southern Union State Community College student that's right in the Auburn area. She was first reported missing October 20, 2024th. Last night, her car, a black Honda CRV, was recovered at an apartment complex off of Atlanta highway in Montgomery. Auburn Police and Montgomery police work to process the vehicle at the scene.

[Angela Harris]

If you have any information about Blanchard's.

[Kendall Ray]

Whereabouts, your urge to call the Auburn Police Department.

[Angela Harris]

And this just absolutely broke my heart. But Corinna, the mom that she babysat for, said that when she broke the news to her kids, they started googling how many houses were in Montgomery because they wanted to check every single one of them. I mean, how do you even explain something like this to kids?

[Kendall Ray]

Ugh.

[Angela Harris]

Just horrible. But really, nothing about her disappearance made any sense. And her loved ones were absolutely determined to find her.

[Kendall Ray]

Wall Harris. Angela Harris here. If you have any leads on where our daughter is, Niall Blanchard, please, please, please go to the authorities. Tell someone she was last seen in a black Honda CRV 2017. Tag is B. Actually, excuse me. 49B2356BS356. I'm sorry. She was possibly last seen downtown at Southeastern. Downtown Auburn. Southeastern and Sky Bar. If you have any advice, information, please, please come forward.

[Angela Harris]

And in just those first few days, Anaya's family, along with search teams, scoured miles and miles of land. And they were looking in alleyways, backyards, densely wooded areas, anywhere that they thought they might possibly find her. But Anaya was nowhere to be found. A reward was quickly put together, and actually, the UFC organization was a very big help. The UFC president, Dana White, and also a heavyweight champion, donated $25,000. And in those first few days, the reward got up to $105,000. Like I said, the community just really came together for them, and they prayed together for her safe return. And their family really mourned every minute that they went without answers. Like I said, baby blue was Anaya's favorite color. And so baby blue ribbons were appearing all over auburn to signify everyone's hope for her safe return. But every day that passed without finding her felt like an eternity. But thankfully, local agencies were working diligently to find her. And after learning that her cell phone had shut off in the area near the Clarion Inn, which is not too far from her house, surveillance cameras in the area were checked. And that's when they ended up finding something major. At 11:21pm on the night that Anaya went missing, she could be seen on surveillance footage at a Chevron gas station that was located only 2 miles away from her apartment. Only a few seconds of this footage has been released, but it's been said that she purchased a bag of sour cream and onion chips as well as a drink before walking out. And her mom said that having a late night kind of bedtime snack was very common for Anaya. It's something that she loved to do. So this was no surprise to see that she had stopped for a snack. But even though she was only there for a minute or two, this footage ended up being crucial and authorities did end up releasing that footage to the public on October 28th.

[Kendall Ray]

The search for Aniya Blanchard stretches into day five. Police released new surveillance video that might help the case in regards to her last whereabouts here at the Chevron gas station as her parents continue to cry out for answers. She was last wearing a dress that was black and white with some black stockings. Beautiful, beautiful girl. A desperate plea from Anaya Blanchard's mother, Angela Harris, asking anyone with information to do the right thing in hopes that her daughter will be found safe after police released surveillance video where she was last seen Wednesday night. We just want our daughter home.

[Angela Harris]

We want her found as soon as possible.

[Kendall Ray]

Get me Will Trent. ABC Tuesdays I don't even know where he is. Will Trent is back. You thought she could hide forever. Time to come home. The series that's being called one of the best network procedurals. We're going to solve this case featuring new cast member Gina Rodriguez.

[Angela Harris]

I'm a prosecutor. We deal in truth and facts.

[Kendall Ray]

Maybe everybody should try that, huh? Will Trent. The two part season premiere Tuesdays on ABC and stream on Hulu. The new year is here. Resolved to get outside more, put down those screens and spend time with family and friends in Oregon's great outdoors. Now's the time to buy your 2025 Oregon Fishing and hunting license. Enjoy fishing and hunting opportunities across the state. Don't miss out on the magnificent views and experiencing the thrill of the catch. Visit myodfw.com to buy your license and learn more about where to go. That's myodfw.com Adventure Awaits.

[Angela Harris]

Investigators also discovered that her license plate was picked up by a tag reader at the entrance of Interstate 85, which coincided with the direction of which her car was found. So obviously the big question here was who was driving her car? I mean, Anaya had just told her roommate Sarah that she was about to be home and this gas station was only two minutes away. So the idea that she had just suddenly decided to hop on the interstate and leave didn't make any sense, especially when you consider they found her car two days later, abandoned with no sign of her, meaning that she had likely been intercepted by someone between leaving the gas station and getting into her car. And sadly, on October 31st, Halloween, the idea that Anaya was met with foul play was confirmed that day. Law enforcement officially confirmed that the evidence found in Anaya's car suggested that she was the victim of foul play. And they believed that she had suffered a life threatening injury. And to say that her loved ones were devastated, especially because they had been really holding out hope, I mean, that doesn't even begin to describe the pain that they felt. And during this time, they were really leaning on prayer vigils as a source of strength. And even still, it just didn't take away from the pain that they were experiencing.

[Kendall Ray]

Well, dozens of people gathered here tonight at Open Door Christian Faith Worship center in Montgomery, and they're not giving up on hope that Aniah Blanchard will return home safely. And church members stood in a circle holding hands, praying for a good outcome in the disappearance of the 19 year old from Homewood. And investigators say they do suspect foul play. But people here at the church in Montgomery say they're holding out hope. Togetherness, prayer, hope, support. Just letting our fellow brethren and sister know that in times like this, we come together. Another vigil held here in southwest Birmingham. This was a scene outside Jesus Real Ministries. A few people showed up to show support that sang songs, prayed, hoping for her safe return. Searches have been ongoing as investigators suspect foul play in her disappearance.

[Angela Harris]

So then on November 6, which was just about two weeks since Anaya had disappeared, a major announcement was made. And that announcement was that police were now seeking help in identifying a man that was seen at the same gas station at the same time as Anaya on October 23. And this man was now being considered a person of interest. Auburn police asking for your help to.

[Kendall Ray]

Identify a person of interest in the case of missing student Anaya Blanchard. Take a good look at this man on your screen on the left there, captured on surveillance video inside the same. The same convenience store that Blanchard was last seen in. He's described as being in his early to mid 20s, between 5 foot 5, 10. They also say that he has the.

[Angela Harris]

Word vans and in white and that.

[Kendall Ray]

Was written on the back of a camouflage jacket. Take a good look at this picture. If you've seen this man, you're asked to call the Auburn Police division immediately.

[Angela Harris]

And get ready to be pissed off because you will not believe how they figured out that this guy was connected. I'm seriously getting chills of anger even thinking about this. But it turns out that a witness came forward saying that he saw an individual force Anaya into her own car and drive off with her. Okay, so this witness confirmed that this individual he saw was the same guy on the surveillance footage. And he Sorry, I'm just getting mad, but this dude literally saw her get abducted and did nothing about it. Made no calls, didn't alert anybody, nothing. And I guess this dude told authorities that right after it happened, he told his wife and she told him that it was none of his business and to stay out of it. Oh my God, it makes me so mad. Now. Authorities did say that this guy seemed incredibly remorseful that he didn't call 911 right away as he should. In my opinion. I am trying to give him a little grace. I know that this is not his fault, but if anything, please learn from his mistake, that if you see something, say something. It is law enforcement's job to look into anything that you see and decide for themselves if it's something suspicious. There is no harm in ever calling 911. If something looks wrong to you, feels wrong to you, always make that call. It is always worth it. You could save someone's life. And thinking about the fact that this man possibly could have saved Anaya's life just. It just makes my blood boil. Seriously, even if you were in that situation and you call 911 and it turns out to be nothing, you are not wasting law enforcement's time at all. I could really sit here and go on and on about how angry this detail made me, how disappointed I was to hear this, but can't change the past now, so I guess let's just continue on here. Anyways, though it didn't take investigators very long to figure out who this guy was on the surveillance who seen forcing Anaya into her own car and leaving with her. And Shocker didn't end up being a guy named eric. And on November 7th they determined that the man believed to have abducted Anaya was 30 year old career criminal named Ibrahim Yazid. And by the seventh, he was no longer a person of interest, but instead he was named as a full blown suspect.

[Kendall Ray]

A breaking new developments in the case of missing college student Anaya Blanchard. Police name a suspect in Blanchard's disappearance. They say he kidnapped the young woman and he's got a violent arrest history. Police actively looking for this man Right here, 30 year old Ibrahim Yazid. They say he's dangerous and possibly armed.

[Angela Harris]

And when I tell you more about this guy and how he was able to kidnap Anaya, you're gonna be pissed off. Or at least you should be. I. Like I said, this case has just made me so unbelievably angry. But first let's talk about his capture. Between November 6 and November 7, a tip came in that led investigators to Pensacola, Florida. And it was a good tip because in the early hours of November 8, after attempting to evade authorities, Ibrahim was arrested in Escambia county and taken into custody on charges of first degree kidnapping. And if you're watching this episode, then you're seeing it now, but because of the fight that Ibrahim had put up during his arrest, he had a very significant injury to his eye which caused it to swell up. So he looks pretty wild in his pictures and he fully deserved that, in my opinion. Now, like I said, this guy, you're gonna be blown away when you hear about him. And I need to take a minute now to tell you about his criminal record because it is an extremely important element to this case. Starting in 2011, Ibrahim was charged with two counts of first degree robbery, followed by two counts of attempted murder. The year after that, because of an incident where he tried to hit a police officer with his car. Now, all four of those charges were eventually dropped, but. But it does not stop there. In 2013, he was charged with possession of marijuana, crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, possession of carrying a pistol without a warrant, as well as attempting to elude law enforcement. In 2015, he was indicted on those charges and in two separate hearings he received two 13 month sentences. However, those two sentences ended up being suspended and he never served any time. So then in 2017, he was charged with aggravated assault, battery of an officer, possession of marijuana and fleeing police. And despite a 16 month sentence for these charges, he was released after only serving eight months. And it doesn't end there because in 2019, just months before abducting Anaya, he was charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of robbery and attempted murder after he and two others kidnapped a 77 year old man and beat him nearly to death. After he did that, he was driving erratically and so police pulled him over and that's when they found this poor older man in the vehicle clinging on to life. And this is where you're gonna get especially mad. This is where the problem lies. Because despite this long history of criminal behavior, often violent criminal behavior, Ibrahim was still allowed to post bond for these last charges that he was facing, which, let me remind you, included attempted murder. His bail was posted at $295,000. And so after posting it, dude was a free man. I mean, not legally speaking, of course, but clearly he isn't one to be concerned with what the law says. So essentially a free man. And it was because of the fact that he was even granted bond in the first place that that the door was open for him to go on and reoffend, which is exactly what he allegedly did, which I am pained to have to say, allegedly because there is so much evidence. But of course, the trial has not happened yet, so I do have to word it that way, but I know how myself and all of you are probably feeling.

[Kendall Ray]

Get me Will Trent. ABC Tuesdays.

[Angela Harris]

I don't even know where he is.

[Kendall Ray]

Will Trent is back. You thought you could hide forever. Time to come home. The series that's being called one of the best network procedurals. We're going to solve this case featuring new cast member Gina Rodriguez.

[Angela Harris]

I'm a prosecutor. We deal in truth and facts.

[Kendall Ray]

Maybe everybody should try that, huh? Will Trent. The two part season premiere two Tuesdays on ABC and stream on Hulu. The new year is here. Resolved to get outside more, put down those screens and spend time with family and friends in Oregon's great outdoors. Now's the time to buy your 2025 Oregon fishing and hunting license. Enjoy fishing and hunting opportunities across the state. Don't miss out on the magnificent views and experiencing the thrill of the ketch. Visit myod odfw.com to buy your license and learn more about where to go. That's my odfw.com adventure awaits.

[Angela Harris]

But with that being said, let's go over that evidence. So on top of the witness identifying Ibrahim as the man who forced Anaya into her car, investigators also found that her car was spotted at another gas station not long after. It's believed she was abducted. And just take a guess at who was seen exiting her car. It was Ibrahim. Not only that, but later on they found his DNA in her vehicle, which speaking of after he was arrested. The arrest affidavit confirmed what evidence had been found in Anaya's car that led them to believe that she was the victim of foul play. And it was blood, a lot of blood. They also found a hole from a bullet in the car door which indicated to them that she most likely had been shot. Now, following his arrest, Ibrahim appeared in court and was quickly extradited back to Lee County, Alabama, where he would be facing first degree kidnapping charges. And as for murder charges, they were holding off until they had something more concrete, something like Anaya. The searches for her continued into mid November and meanwhile, Ibrahim was being held without bond, thank God, in Lee County Detention facility and his attorney actually asked that he be transferred back to Montgomery county, which is where the Crimes allegedly took place, But a judge denied this request after the d. A. Successfully argued that Montgomery county had repeatedly allowed this violent offender to, quote, evade prosecution. Like, in what world should this dude be able to go back to the same county Whose judicial system allowed him to be free in the first place? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense. They did end up putting him into solitary confinement in lee county after he was getting death threats from other inmates. But being able to be transferred to Montgomery, there was no way that was happening. Now, during each of his court appearances, Anaya's loved ones showed up because they wanted to show this guy that they were not backing down, and they were never going to let him feel like he had any power over them. And Walt said that it physically took everything in him not to tear this guy to pieces. And it made me beyond pissed off, seeing the footage of this guy in court. Like, what a smug little piece of. I don't even know how to describe him there, like, aren't bad enough words to describe this human. But during one of the hearings, he was looking back and sort of smirking at them. I mean, his whole attitude during the whole thing Was just a disgusting, truly psychotic way to behave. In my opinion. He's, like, smiling, kind of laughing. I mean, some of the things he was saying, like, this isn't fair to me. He just seriously did not care at all. And, of course, he's only allegedly responsible for this. I keep having to say that. But just the way that he's acting, there are no words. He is such a piece of. And I don't know how Walt was able to hold back. I would lose my mind being in the same room with this. I can't even come up with any. Anything else to say about him there. There are not words bad enough. Now, of course, more than ever, her family and friends, the community, just wanted to find her. And although the authorities strongly believed that Anaya was no longer alive, and it really did seem that way, of course, her family held out hope that maybe she was. And I totally get where they're coming from, and I would probably hold on to that hope as well if I were in their position. Angela and Walt even went on to the Dr. Phil show and stated that they were still looking for her and hoped that she was somehow still alive. They were really doing anything they could to get the word out there and. And just, yeah, clinging on to that hope. But unfortunately, breaking news on November 22nd changed everything. That day, authorities announced that a second man, Antoine Fisher, who was known as Squirmy also had been arrested and charged with first degree kidnapping. In Anaya's case, according to court records, he provided material assistance to Yazid by providing transportation to Yazid and disposing of evidence. Now, he did post a fifty thousand dollar bond and the charges against him were eventually dropped. But his cooperation ultimately led them to find Anaya's body. Before getting into that, though, let's talk a little bit more about Antoine and what he said happened. For starters, he also had an extensive criminal history, including a guilty murder conviction from 2005. And he only served three years in an actual prison out of a 20 year sentence, because 17 of those 20 years were suspended and served on probation, which for the life of me, I will never understand. And he said that on the day Anaya was murdered, Ibrahim came to his house in Montgomery looking for some help.

[Kendall Ray]

Help.

[Angela Harris]

Antoine identified the vehicle that he was driving as a black Honda crv, AKA Anaya's car. And he said that he followed him to the same apartment complex where her car was later located. Following this, Antoine said Ibrahim got into his truck and the two of them drove to a cemetery behind a church. And when they got there, Ibrahim got out. And of course, I mean, we sort of have to take what this guy Antoine is saying with a grain of salt, considering his history. I mean, how much can he really be trusted? But he said that he happened to look into the rear view mirror and he saw Ibrahim dragging something wrapped in a comforter. And he said that he saw what he believed to be two legs. And then he claims when Ibrahim returned to the car, Antoine said, tell me that's not a body. To which Ibrahim told him that he shot a girl, quote, when she went for the gun. So a confession. And a confession that suggested that Anaya fought back, which investigators already believed was the case. And believe it or not, there actually was a third arrest. On November 25, David Johnson Jr. Was arrested on charges of hindering prosecution. And honestly, this part does get a little confusing. So just do your best to bear with me, I guess, while I try to break it down. But basically what happened was on November 7, when law enforcement figured out Ibrahim's identity, Kennedy, they got a tip that he might be at this one house in Montgomery. And just a reminder, Montgomery is where Anaya's car was found. Well, when they got there, this David Johnson Jr. Guy told officers that he saw Ibrahim earlier that day, but he left with an unknown white woman in an unknown car. However, investigators later found out that Ibrahim was actually being driven to Florida by this guy's son, David Johnson iii. And his son later confessed to authorities that he helped Ibrahim flee the state. And in confession, David Johnson III said that his dad, David Johnson Jr. Knew that that's exactly what he was doing. So basically, he lied to police on November 7 about Ibrahim's whereabouts, meaning that he hindered the prosecution.

[Kendall Ray]

Get me Will Trent. Abc Tuesdays.

[Angela Harris]

I don't even know where he is.

[Kendall Ray]

Will Trent is back. You thought she could hide forever. Time to come home. The series that's being called one of the best network procedurals. We're gonna solve this case. Featuring new cast member Gina Rodriguez.

[Angela Harris]

I'm a prosecutor. We deal in truth and facts.

[Kendall Ray]

Maybe everybody should try that, huh? Will Trent. The two part season premiere Tuesdays on ABC and stream on Hulu. The new year is here. Resolved to get outside more, put down those screens and spend time with family and friends in Oregon's great outdoors. Now's the time to buy your 2025 Oregon fishing and hunting license. Enjoy fishing and hunting opportunities across the state. Don't miss out on the magnificent views and experiencing the thrill of the catch. Visit myodfw.com to buy your license and learn more about where to go. That's my odfw.com adventure awaits.

[Angela Harris]

But anyway, let's jump back into talking about Anaya. The same day that the third arrest was made. On November 25, 2019, her remains were found with the help of Antoine, who led investigators to where he believed she was. And that was 40 miles away from Montgomery in Macon County, Alabama. Along with her remains, investigators found items of clothing which they ended up using to help make an identification. Investigators had texted her parents to come into the station. They didn't say why, but when they did, they showed them a picture of a sorrel snow boot. And when Walt saw it, he immediately knew it was Anaya and he knew what it meant. And he so unbelievably sad to think about this moment. This is just something that no parent or step parent should ever have to go through. But he, I guess immediately just dropped the phone and excused himself and he went out into the hallway, which was like an outdoor area of this building, and started just beating on this concrete wall, like punching a concrete wall. I can't imagine the anger he must have been feeling in that moment, the despair. Oh, it's just so horrible to think about. It's really every parent's worst nightmare. Those snow boots were actually a gift that he had recently given to her. And I think in the moment you know, the reality of it all just came crashing down on him. And of course, of the family were equally as devastated. I mean, that doesn't even begin to cover it. Heartbroken, confused. I really just can't imagine anything worse. I mean, I just couldn't help but put myself in their position in that moment. I'm sure so many of you out there with kids or just a loved one in general, you know, you can think about what that would be like to, to see their clothing item, especially something that you had given to them, something that you saw them wear, and to have all of that hope just leave you in that moment. Oh, it's just devastating. It's so horrible. But anyway, following this discovery, Angela shared a message about the evil and dangers that exist in this world. And hearing her talk about it is just so, so heartbreaking.

[Kendall Ray]

Even when dealing with her own pain, she still had a message for everyone else.

[Angela Harris]

Brea, that's right, Guy and Sherry.

[Kendall Ray]

She had a message for all parents and kids.

[Angela Harris]

She stressed to be fully aware of the evil that's out there and for kids to take safety precautions.

[Kendall Ray]

Went out.

[Angela Harris]

Surrounded by a sea of support, Angela Harris embraced her daughter's friends. She would be so overwhelmed, but Aniyah has always loved. She can see her friends, her girls.

[Kendall Ray]

Here, the bottom line, like, everybody loved.

[Angela Harris]

Her and she loved everybody. Now Harris warns them and others of the dangers lurking.

[Kendall Ray]

Nothing you do can come, can prepare you for some evil that is out there.

[Angela Harris]

Y'all, kids, teenager, little kids, little kids, big kids, adults.

[Kendall Ray]

There are things going on in the.

[Angela Harris]

World right now that you don't think are going on. And they're going on. I honestly don't think there are even words that can describe what a loss like that would be like, especially in a moment like that. And it's, it's just, it's beyond horrible. And I'm just feel like saying I'm sorry for their loss just doesn't even begin to cover it. Anaya just seemed like such a wonderful person, such a genuine, warm, funny, charismatic person who loved children, who loved her friends, who loved her family so much. And this was just such a horrible, senseless act of violence that again, was so preventable and it's, it's devastating. And not having justice yet, I know it's coming, but that's just gotta take such a toll on them. But again, justice is coming. On December 2, 2019, the District Attorney announced that Ibrahim's charges had been upgraded to capital murder and that they were going to be seeking the death penalty in Total, he is now facing three counts of capital murder, including one count of capital murder, kidnapping in the first degree, one count of capital murder during a robbery in the first degree, and one count of capital murder involving a victim in a vehicle. And this was the first day that the public was made aware of Anaya's cause of death, which was officially determined to be the result of a gunshot wound.

[Kendall Ray]

You know, during the course of this. Of this investigation into the disappearance of an Eye Blanchard, it was determined by all Auburn Police Division that Ibrahim Yazid abducted Anaya from the Chevron on College street here in Auburn. Once Mr. Yazid was arrested, we felt like we had the perpetrator of this crime in custody. Our full focus of the investigation turned to finding Anaya. On November 25, investigative efforts led us to County Road 2 in Macon county, where we discovered human remains that the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences later positively ID as belonging to Aniah Blanchard. And subsequent to that, there was an autopsy done, and the medical examiner ruled that Aniah Blanchard was killed in a manner of homicide. Cause of death was a gunshot wound. As a result of the determination by the medical examiner's office, we are now upgrading the charges from kidnapping and of first degree to capital murder. And in this case, capital murder is the intentional murder during a kidnapping. And we will also be seeking the death penalty against Mr. Yazid.

[Angela Harris]

A few days after his charges were upgraded, Ibrahim returned to court, where he essentially fired back at the judge, saying that he has rights, too, and that everything they have against him is hearsay.

[Kendall Ray]

My wife, I got right too. Well, the capital murder charge that is involved with a death occurring during a kidnapping, the probable cause for that has been amended to state what is on the warrant. Each of them satisfy probable cause to charge you with the crime. The second capital murder charge involves the shooting with a firearm inside a vehicle. And that, that itself can constitute capital murder, as I'm sure your lawyers told you. And they don't have no video, no auto of me shooting anyone. That's what I'm trying to see. How y'all gonna buy me over on hearsay, but y'all ain't presenting no evidence. And then now there's a whole different state, It's a whole different convenience store. You saying so what? Or the kidnapping and all that did not get dismissed. I'm not a law enforcement officer and I'm not going to argue their case for you. But you signed it. What's on the prob. What's on the probable cause warrant does satisfy the issuance. Of the warrant. And I have done that. And these conversations would be better had with your lawyer outside the presence of a courtroom.

[Angela Harris]

Now, I did mention this earlier, but all of the charges against Antoine were dropped, and that officially happened on December 17th. Now, it's a bit technical, but I believe the charges were dropped, obviously because of his cooperation, but also because they decided that he wasn't technically an accomplice in Anaya's murder.

[Kendall Ray]

Charges against Antoine Fisher were dismissed within.

[Angela Harris]

The past hour by Lee County Judge Russell Bush.

[Kendall Ray]

This comes after the District Attorney's office.

[Angela Harris]

Filed a motion to dismiss. Investigators originally said Fisher disposed of evidently.

[Kendall Ray]

And provided transportation for the primary suspect.

[Angela Harris]

Ibrahim Yazid Blanchard went missing on October 23. Her body was found last month in.

[Kendall Ray]

A wooded area in Macon County.

[Angela Harris]

Now, I know this episode has been really, really tough, and I'm going over a lot of the bad. Obviously, we have to. But I want to take a moment to talk about some of the good, and I mean as good as possible, given the circumstances. On December 21, 2019, a celebration of life was held in honor of Anaya. And nearly 2, 000 people showed up in her honor. And Beau really doesn't even begin to describe that day. And their community really showed up to give this family their support, which, like I have said, they had been doing since day one. Angela spoke during the ceremony and gave an incredibly heartfelt speech where she thanked everyone who supported them. And it's just so bittersweet because I'm grateful that they got that support, but I'm devastated that they needed it in the first place or not. But I want to say one more thing.

[Kendall Ray]

I don't think we can stress this.

[Angela Harris]

Enough to say thank you to all the people from day one when we knew that something was wrong. We can't find Anaya. Hundreds of people, our friends, our family.

[Kendall Ray]

Were there in an instant and they never left our side.

[Angela Harris]

And people we didn't know.

[Kendall Ray]

The search teams vet Dirty, then Equisearch and everybody else.

[Angela Harris]

There's so many people today.

[Kendall Ray]

Seth, Brigitte Teola, Winston Haley, Jeremy Hurd. These are just special people that Will Brooks. There's a lot of people to thank. But that. But I just want them to know how much that meant to us because.

[Angela Harris]

Without them, we wouldn't. Those first 30 days wouldn't have.

[Kendall Ray]

I don't know what we would have.

[Angela Harris]

Done, but they kept us together and they kept us focused. And I just want to say thank you again to all those people who.

[Kendall Ray]

Came and helped and again who helped.

[Angela Harris]

Supply meals Supply hotels for our families, the search crews, and anything you did, anything you did. We can't acknowledge everybody, but I sincerely.

[Kendall Ray]

Want to acknowledge everybody because I know.

[Angela Harris]

Everybody has done something. So thank you. Yeshiba also spoke, and her words were just as powerful. She made a commitment as an attorney and as someone who loved Anaya, that they were going to get the laws changed so that this never happens again, that a violent offender could not be granted bond and given the opportunity to commit murder the way that Ibrahim was allegedly able to do.

[Kendall Ray]

There's a lot that us, as parents, we're going to do to help get some laws changed. I'm going to use my platform as an attorney, a Birmingham attorney, an attorney in this great state of Alabama, to get some laws changed. Me and my husband will be making trips down to Montgomery along with Angela and Walt, so that alert will be present so this will never happen again. And so again, I want to thank all of my colleagues and everybody that reached out and allowed me, Elijah, Angela, and Walt to use their resources.

[Angela Harris]

Thank you. And let me tell you, that's exactly what they did. Anaya's Law was passed in November of 2022, and her family did exactly what they set out to do. They decided that a change needed to be made. Anaya's law, quote, provides judges with more authority to deny bail to individuals charged with some of the most serious crimes. The law is designed to protect the public from individuals who pose a significant risk to society. It seeks to balance the rights of the accused with the safety of the community. Above all, Anaya's Law aims to prevent future tragedies. Similar to Anaya Blanchard's case, the law requires that a pretrial detention hearing be held when a defendant is charged with with murder, kidnapping, rape, domestic violence in the first degree, human trafficking in the first degree, burglary, arson, and aggravated child abuse. This is such a major accomplishment, especially with how quickly they got this done and that in their time of need and grief that they turned their attention to protecting others. I just hope that they are all so proud of themselves for the work that they have done to keep their community safe.

[Kendall Ray]

And.

[Angela Harris]

And here's a clip of Angela and Walt talking a little bit more about it.

[Kendall Ray]

Walt, tell me a little bit about Anaya's Law.

[Angela Harris]

You together fought to change things in Alabama so that other people wouldn't go through what you're going through.

[Kendall Ray]

As I understand it, at the time.

[Angela Harris]

That Anaya was killed, Alabama law said that only capital murder suspects could be denied bail. But this suspect was out on bond. Bond for kidnapping and attempted murder and robbery.

[Kendall Ray]

But not. Not a capital crime.

[Angela Harris]

That's different now, right? That's changed.

[Kendall Ray]

Yes, ma'am. A NAJ law is a law that gives judges the opportunity to keep violent offenders behind bars. They have to go. They have a hearing process. They present evidence that either on. On the side of keeping them or the side of letting them go. And the judge makes a decision based on what he's hearing. And there's been a. A amazing amount. Excuse me. Amazing amount of judges that are using it to. To keep violent offenders off the street.

[Angela Harris]

I also wanted to mention that during her celebration of life, they officially named December 21st as Anaya Blanchard Day. And in the years since, they have used the day to, you know, really honor Anaya, to remember her for the beautiful person that she was inside and out. And a few months later, in early 2020, a bench that they dubbed Anaya's bench was placed at Patriot park in her memory. And it's a place where friends, family and the community can go and talk about her, feel connected to her and keep her memory alive. It was actually a park that she and her friends used to go to together before they could drive. And it just holds a lot of significance to their family. And later, on the one year anniversary of her murder, Walt got back into the ring after having taken some time off from fighting, and he had actually considered stopping altogether. But he says that Anaya came to him in a dream and told him to keep going. And I just think it's really beautiful that he continues to fight in her honor because I really do think that that's something that she would have wanted. She was always in, you know, huge support of Walt. And I think it's. It's kind of a beautiful way to honor her. And then In July of 2020, Angela and Walt created Anaya's Heart, which is a nonprofit that provides resources to help families who have missing loved ones. Ones. Their mission is to preserve her memory and prevent others from becoming a victim of violence. Anaya's heart provides safety, education and self defense training to their community, as well as search and recovery support to families who have become victims. And this week I wanted to make a donation in support of their non profit and the work that they're doing, because I think it is so, so incredibly important. I mean, personal safety is something that we should all be taught. I think it should be required in the school system and free courses should be offered everywhere. And it's sad that it has to be that way. It's sad that we live in that world, but being able to get away from someone in a situation like that, it could really mean the difference between life and death. And so I think the work that they're doing is so, so valuable.

[Kendall Ray]

You know, I'll be honest, it's hard to get up some days. You know, we're still dealing with it day by day. You know, it never gets easier. But if we can help somebody, I think that'll give us a little bit of solace to get through it. For all women that need to understand that these perpetrators don't want to fight. They don't want a person that's resilient, resistant. They want somebody that will comply. And at all costs, you must fight. Fight till you can't fight anymore. And it'll probably save your life.

[Angela Harris]

And I'll be sure to link their page below in case you're interested in learning more or maybe you want to consider making a donation yourself. And just while I'm talking about their family and all of the good that they've done, I wanted to bring up something that really stood out to me in this case. Do you guys remember Carly Russell? I didn't cover Carly Russell on this channel. I covered it on my other podcast, the Sesh, a little bit. But I really was so angered by that whole situation that I couldn't bring myself to cover it. But she was the girl back in 2023. I'm sure most of you have heard of her whole who faked her abduction. Yeah, real great person. Well, before Angela knew that Carly was faking it, she and their non profit Anaya's Heart, spent like two full days helping search for her. She was incredibly outspoken about wanting to help find her because she knew what it was like to have her daughter be abducted, only to find out that Carly was a total fraud. And I could really, you know, spiral into a whole conversation and rant about this, but I just wanted to say how utterly disrespectful Carly Russell's actions were, not only to LON enforcement, who obviously wasted a ton of resources, time and money, but also to everyone else who invested their time and money and energy and emotions into her. I mean, the whole country was invested in the story for a long time, or like a lot of people, obviously not the whole country. But I mean, that whole thing just blew my mind and still makes me mad, clearly to this day. But it's especially infuriating to think about people like Anaya's parents whose childhood was actually abducted and then killed and for them to have spent their time and energy and resources trying to help the whole thing was just so absurd and makes me incredibly angry. But Angela has said that she has no regrets about what she did to help Carly and that she would do it again. So that just tells you a lot about her. Her passion for helping other victims is what drives her. And she said that she's not going to let this one horrible incident stop her from doing so. Now, before I wrap up this episode, there are a couple of things that I need to update you on regarding on where the case stands today. Ultimately, the Pand, like it did for so many other cases, really slowed down the process of getting justice for Anaya. And unfortunately, Ibrahim's trial was pushed back again. Right now they're saying that he's going to go to trial sometime this spring of 2025. And although the exact date hasn't been set, and as of March 2023, he has pleaded not guilty on all three counts of capital murder. And since his arrest, big shocker here, he definitely hasn't stayed out of trouble. In April of 2020, he was accused of biting a corrections officer, which is a literal felony. I guess he had taken a shower and the officer was trying to get him to go back into his cell and he refused and then just literally bit this man. Then In June of 2020, they connected him to another murder in Montgomery County. It was a case that had gone cold back in 2018, where a guy named Stephen Hamby was shot to death in a wooded area and another woman had been shot in the face during that whole incident. But luckily she survived and like I said, it had gone. But after re examining the case, Ibrahim was identified as a suspect. So clearly this man has a lot of time in court ahead of him. And if he is truly guilty, which clearly we know how I feel and I know probably how you all feel, then I hope that he is prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Nya's loved ones deserve justice. They deserve that closure, as do all of his alleged victims and their families. Five years, it's. Is five years too long for this to have just been looming over their heads all this time. I truly cannot imagine what that would be like and how you would even function, let alone go on and do all these amazing things for other people. So I'm just, again, I can't say it enough. I'm so impressed with them. But after all they have been through, I do believe, I have full faith actually that justice is well on its way. But that is unfortunately all I have for you guys on this case at this point. I suggest following the case showing this family as much support as you can and all of the other families who are going to be going through the court process when it comes to Ibrahim as well. But yeah I definitely want to hear your thoughts and I just once again want to say my heart just truly goes out to their family and God it's just so beyond tragic. Anaya seemed like like such an amazing person and saying it's a loss just doesn't feel like enough. That is going to be it for me today. Guys. Thank you for joining me for another episode and make sure you follow the show on Spotify and Apple podcasts. It really does help me out. If you want to watch the video version of this show you can find it on my YouTube channel which will be linked or you can just search Kendall Ray. I will be back with another episode soon but until then stay safe out there.