Man convicted of murder for 2019 death of Alabama college student Aniah Blanchard

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TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) — A man was convicted of murder in the 2019 death of Alabama college student Aniah Blanchard, whose disappearance drew national attention, but the jury spared him a possible death sentence Thursday.

Jurors found Ibraheem Yazeed, 36, guilty of murdering 19-year-old Blanchard. Jurors convicted Yazeed of the lesser charges of murder and felony murder instead of capital murder, an offense that would have carried a possible death sentence

Blanchard, the stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris, was last seen Oct. 23, 2019, at a gas station in Auburn. Her body was found a month later in a wooded area in neighboring Macon County. She was a student at Southern Union Community College.

The case inspired two changes to Alabama law. Under what was named Aniah's Law, judges were given more discretion to deny bond to people accused of violent crimes. Yazeed was out on bond at the time of Blanchard's disappearance.

Gov. Kay Ivey also signed legislation last year to allow visiting judges to handle violent criminal cases to get them to trial more quickly. The legislation was approved after the murder case languished for several years without a trial.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he was disappointed the Yazeed will not face a possible death sentence but will seek a life sentence for him

“I pledge to do everything in my power to ensure that Ibraheem Yazeed spends the rest of his life in prison. I believe that is what justice demands in this case. Aniah deserves it, as does her family,” Marshall said.

Defense attorney William Whatley told reporters that the case has been plagued with false information and misstatements “rising to almost the level of a lynch mob to get Mr. Yazeed on this capital murder charge.”