A former University of Georgia football player has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of an Oconee County gas station clerk, authorities said Wednesday.
Ahkil Nasir Crumpton, of Philadelphia, has been under investigation since early February when ballistics evidence tied him to the death of 23-year-old Elijah James Wood, Oconee Sheriff James A. Hale said. Wood was shot at a RaceTrac on Hog Mountain Road outside of Watkinsville on March 19, 2021.
“For the past year we have seen the pain, agony, and frustrations this murder has brought to Elijah’s family, friends, and to our community,” Hale said in a Facebook post announcing Crumpton’s arrest. “We all know this arrest will not bring Elijah back, but we hope his family, friends, and this community can now begin the healing process. We also know that the fight is not over. We must now successfully prosecute the case in a court of law.”
Sheriff’s office officials said Crumpton was arrested on murder charges in Philadelphia, but they did not say whether he remained there Wednesday afternoon. He had not been booked into the Oconee County jail, according to online jail records. Officials have not said what led Crumpton to allegedly shoot Wood.
“We were stunned to learn that the suspect in this horrific crime is a former UGA student-athlete,” the UGA Athletic Association said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt sympathy to Elijah Wood’s family.”
After countless hours of investigative work that also involved federal authorities, Hale said they were able to forensically match the shell casing from the gas station scene to another crime scene in Philadelphia. The Oconee agency was notified of the match on Feb. 15, the sheriff said.
Philadelphia police said Crumpton was in custody for a firearm violation but did not elaborate on what charge he faced or provide any other details.
Investigators in Philadelphia advised that Crumpton was the suspected shooter in their case, and Oconee investigators quickly established a link between Philadelphia and Athens, he said. Crumpton played football for UGA in 2017 and 2018. He was a student until 2021, according to the sheriff’s office. He did not graduate, UGA officials confirmed.
The night of the shooting, Wood had been working alone on the graveyard shift when a customer found him dead behind the checkout counter about 2 a.m. and called authorities, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Responding deputies administered CPR but were unable to revive him.
Credit: Oconee County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Oconee County Sheriff's Office
Surveillance footage released by police the day after the shooting shows the suspect, dressed in all black with a mask that exposed only his eyes and nose, walking with a peculiar gait. He then ran back and forth throughout the store before eventually leaving the scene.
Authorities, along with RaceTrac and Oconee community leaders, later offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
Though an arrest has been made, police are still investigating the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office at 706-769-3945.
