Alabama has introduced a new law, the Rapid Test ACT, which aims to expedite legal proceedings in the capital murder case against Ibrahim Yazeed. He is accused of the 2019 murder of 19-year-old college student Aniah Blanchard.
Macon County Circuit Judge Tom F. Young Jr., appointed by Alabama Supreme Court Justice Sarah Stewart, will oversee the case. This development follows formal requests from Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and comes shortly after the expedited court law became effective on June 1.
The law, which Governor Kay Ivey signed in May, allows the state’s Supreme Court or a retired judge to handle serious criminal cases involving violent crimes. Either the Attorney General or District Attorney must request this appointment, with the intention of minimizing delays in the judicial process for significant criminal cases.
Justice Stewart noted that the previous delays in this case stemmed from issues outside their control and not from local judicial shortcomings. A status hearing is set for September, although no trial date has been established yet.
The case has drawn public attention ever since Blanchard was reported missing in October 2019. Security footage captured Yazeed late on October 23 at a gas station in Auburn, Alabama. Blanchard’s black 2017 Honda CR-V was discovered abandoned in Montgomery the next evening, with blood later confirmed to be hers found inside. Several weeks later, her body was located in a wooded area in Macon County, and authorities determined she died from a gunshot wound.
Yazeed, now 35, faces three capital murder charges for luring her, committing robbery, and involving her in a vehicle. Initially arrested on charges of luring, he was held without bond, and prosecutors have since announced plans to seek the death penalty given the nature of Blanchard’s death.
At the time of his arrest, Yazeed had a significant criminal background, including previous accusations of attempted murder and robbery. In January 2019, he allegedly tried to kill two men in a hotel room in Montgomery. Earlier, he had been arrested in Missouri for aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer and had pleaded guilty to felony drug possession in 2015; however, murder attempts and robbery charges had ultimately not been pursued.
In response to this tragedy, Alabama legislators enacted “Aniyah Law,” a constitutional amendment aimed at empowering judges to deny bail for individuals facing severe charges like murder, rape, or robbery. This law, named in memory of Blanchard, received statewide approval from voters in 2022.
