Brookwood Double Murder Suspect Charged In Third Killing After Remains Found In Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A man already accused of killing two people in Brookwood in July now faces a third murder charge after investigators discovered skeletal remains buried in a wooded area this week behind a Tuscaloosa apartment complex.

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De’Kendric Crawford was charged with murder following the discovery of the remains Thursday, Nov. 12, behind River Road Apartments on Eighth Avenue Northeast, according to Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Jack Kennedy.

The victim has not been identified, and investigators are asking the public for help determining who the person might be.

Kennedy said the latest investigation began within the past week when a witness came forward and reported that Crawford had admitted to killing an unidentified man at a separate location in Tuscaloosa before the July 6 double homicide in Brookwood.

Investigators subsequently located additional witnesses who said Crawford had given them differing accounts of the alleged killing.

Kennedy said VCU investigators spent several days piecing together the witness statements and comparing the information with digital evidence to corroborate locations, events and Crawford's movements.

Those efforts ultimately led investigators to a wooded area behind River Road Apartments, where they discovered partially buried skeletal remains.

"The remains were purposely hidden and were only found by the corroborated details Crawford provided to witnesses," Kennedy said.

Kennedy then said Crawford was interviewed by investigators and again denied involvement. He was subsequently charged with murder in connection with the newly discovered remains.

Authorities believe the unidentified victim was a Black man between 40 and 70 years old who may have owned or driven a Chevrolet Cruze of an unknown color.

Investigators also believe the man may have frequented 10th Avenue Apartments at 1821 10th Ave. in Tuscaloosa, although they have not determined whether he lived there.

Kennedy said the Violent Crimes Unit will work with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences to examine and test the remains in hopes of establishing the victim's identity.

The new charge comes as Crawford already faces murder allegations stemming from the July 6 killings in Brookwood.

As Patch previously reported, Crawford was charged with capital murder following the July 6 shooting deaths of Jose Felix Alvarez-Duenas, 31, and University of Alabama student Jazmine Alexis Bates, 22, at a home on Alabama Junction Road in Brookwood.

The investigation began when the homeowner, who was out of the country, became concerned after being unable to contact Alvarez-Duenas, who was housesitting and caring for her dog.

Brookwood police discovered Alvarez-Duenas shot to death near the front entrance and Bates in a bedroom closet. The homeowner's dog was also found shot to death.

Investigators identified Crawford through surveillance footage and other evidence before locating him at a relative's apartment in Northport, where he was eventually taken into custody after authorities found him hiding in an attic crawlspace.

During a July 23 preliminary hearing, investigators testified about surveillance footage that allegedly showed Crawford entering and leaving the Brookwood residence and discarding items in the woods behind the home.

District Judge Joanne Jannik subsequently found probable cause for the capital murder case to proceed to a Tuscaloosa County grand jury.

Crawford also faces a separate felony charge of shooting into an occupied building stemming from a May incident near Coleman Coliseum on the University of Alabama campus. Investigators said that incident occurred after Crawford was terminated from a contracting job.

At the time of the July killings, investigators said Crawford knew the victims and the homeowner through previous employment, although a motive had not been established.

Kennedy said anyone who knows of a missing person matching the description or who may have information about the case is urged to contact the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit at (205) 464-8692.

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