A Fulton County judge denied bond Thursday afternoon for the woman accused of killing her Clark Atlanta University roommate.
Jordyn Jones, 22, and her boyfriend, 21-year-old Barron Brantley, are charged in the Oct. 31 death of Alexis Crawford, who was Jones’ roommate and former best friend. Both suspects were denied bond in November, but Jones again asked a judge to consider granting bond. It was again denied.
Her defense attorneys said Jones, a Clark Atlanta senior at the time of the crime, returned home to Detroit after Crawford’s death, but later cooperated with investigators.
“She was asked to return to Atlanta as part of the investigation and did so voluntarily,” attorney Clifford Hardwick said. “She wasn’t forced to come back.”
But prosecutor Adam Abatte told the court Jones attempted to hide evidence of Crawford’s death and lied to Crawford’s family and police about her roommate’s whereabouts. Social media messages between Jones and Brantley after Crawford’s death show an attempt to hide security cameras outside the Atlanta apartment where the two women lived.
“Get the job done,” Jones texted Brantley, according to Abatte.
Judge Constance Russell said she was concerned that Jones, a Detroit native, was a flight risk. At the time she was charged with murder, Jones was on probation for a DUI charge from May 2019, Abatte told the court Thursday.
Crawford’s family opposed Jones being granted bond, the Rev. Markel Hutchins, a spokesman for the family, said Wednesday.
At an afternoon press conference, Hutchins read a statement from Crawford’s mother, Tammy Crawford.
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
“Granting Jordyn Jones bail would be a slap in the face to me and my family and would essentially spit on Alexis’ grave,” the statement said. “She and Barron admitted what they did to my baby and they should never, ever get out of jail for a single day.”
Both of Crawford’s parents also gave short statements during Thursday’s hearing. Tammy Crawford called the killing senseless and said her family should instead be celebrating her daughter’s graduation from Clark Atlanta.
On Nov. 1, Crawford’s family reported her missing, and Atlanta police began an investigation into her disappearance. Jones initially told police she didn’t know her roommate’s whereabouts. She also told Crawford’s family she didn’t know where her roommate was, Abatte said.
But following a weeklong search for Crawford, Brantley admitted to investigators that he had choked and killed her, according to court documents. Crawford’s body was found and investigators determined she had been strangled to death and smothered with a plastic bag before her remains were placed in a plastic bin and dumped in a DeKalb County park.
Brantley was arrested the night Crawford’s body was found and Jones was arrested the following day. Both were charged with murder.
Crawford and Jones had been close friends while studying at Clark Atlanta, Crawford’s family said after her death. Jones, a Michigan native, had visited the Crawford family during holidays rather than traveling home.
“She died for no reason,” Tammy Crawford said Thursday. “No reason at all. Over a guy.”
Both Brantley and Jones were being held Thursday at the Fulton County jail.
About the Author
