The Roommate Of A Georgia College Student Who Was Found Dead Is Now A Suspect

A Georgia college student who was reported missing earlier this month has been found dead, authorities said Friday, and her roommate and roommate's boyfriend are now suspects in her death.

Police found the body of Alexis Crawford, 21, in a DeKalb County park after being led to the location by one of the suspects, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields said at a press conference Friday.

Following the discovery of Crawford's body, investigators prepared arrest warrants for Crawford's friend and roommate, Jordyn Jones, and Jones' boyfriend, Barron Brantley, Shields said. It was not immediately clear whether Brantley or Jones, both 21, led police to Crawford's body.

Records showed Brantley was arrested and charged Friday with murder, battery, and cruelty to children, with the offenses dated Oct. 31. His record also shows prior arrests for battery, theft, cruelty to children, and robbery, among other charges dating back to 2015.

Jones was arrested and charged with murder on Saturday, the Atlanta Police Department confirmed to BuzzFeed News.

The medical examiner determined asphyxiation to be Crawford's cause of death, police said in a statement on Saturday.

Calls and emails to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office were not immediately returned Saturday.

Crawford and Jones were both students at Clark Atlanta University. Crawford was reported missing Nov. 1. This was two days after Jones said she last saw her in their off-campus apartment on Oct 30.

Days before her disappearance, Crawford filed a sexual assault report with the Atlanta Police Department on Oct. 27, accusing Brantley of "unwanted kissing and touching," according to the police chief.

On the night of Oct. 26, Crawford reported that she had been drinking with Jones and Brantley when he "rubbed his hand on her shoulder and kissed her on the neck," according to a complaint seen by BuzzFeed News. When Crawford asked Brantley what he was doing, he said he thought she was Jones, the complaint stated.

Brantley then followed Crawford when she went to her bedroom, according to the complaint, and she went into her bathroom and closed the door. When Jones went looking for them, the complaint stated, Brantley came to the bathroom door without a shirt, while Crawford, who was in the bathroom, was wearing just a bra. Brantley told Jones he didn't have sex with Crawford, according to the complaint.

Crawford said she didn't remember Brantley being in the bathroom with her before she blacked out. She went to Grady Memorial Hospital early that morning, where a rape kit was administered. The report also stated that Crawford's underwear and comforter were collected from the scene.

Crawford was reported missing by her mother and sisters, who said they last heard from her via a text message on the evening of Oct. 30. Jones told police she took Crawford to a liquor store around 11:30 p.m. that night, and last saw her when Jones went to bed around 12:30 a.m., according to the missing persons report seen by BuzzFeed News.

The report also states that Crawford told friends she wasn't comfortable sleeping in her bedroom, and had been sleeping in the apartment's living room since the day of her alleged assault by Brantley.

Crawford was from Athens, Georgia, about an hour and a half outside Atlanta, and had four sisters and five brothers, the family said in a Nov. 4 press conference at the time of her disappearance. Two of Crawford's siblings are also students at Clark Atlanta University, Rev. Markel Hutchins said at the press conference.

Hutchins also told reporters that Crawford had "recently experienced some things that no young woman should ever have to experience," but did not elaborate.

Clark Atlanta University tweeted a statement about Crawford's death on Friday, noting that investigators had said this was "an isolated, off-campus incident." The statement also offered counseling services for students.