A former Duke University football player
The individual who reportedly admitted to murdering his ex-high school peer and Charlotte, North Carolina-based real estate agent Whitney Hurd, was apprehended and let go on four distinct occasions from the time of Hurd’s demise in July 2024 until he was finally detained for murder in March.
The police discovered Hurd, who was 32 years old, deceased.
several puncture wounds at her condominium
In the affluent South Park area of Charlotte on July 14 of last year, while attending to a request for medical aid that day, her cause of death was determined as a homicide.
According to court documents, Brandon Braxton, aged 33, was apprehended and later let go multiple times due to various separate incidents prior to being ultimately accused of murder and armed robbery on March 20.
The earlier releases were linked to allegations such as damaging someone else’s property, minor physical attacks, theft, unauthorized entry onto private land, defiance towards law enforcement officials, inappropriate public behavior, and physically assaulting a woman.
Each time, these previous offenses included accusations like harm done to real estate, simple assaults, stealing items, illegal presence at locations, refusing to comply with officers, displaying oneself offensively in public spaces, along with attacking an individual of the opposite gender.
Shortly after Hurd’s passing, Braxton reportedly exposed himself to someone in a public Charlotte park and tried to pull down a woman’s shorts, as stated in court documents. Records indicate he was jailed for 31 minutes due to this charges related to exposure.
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It’s not something we haven’t seen before, and given these circumstances, it’s expected.
Charlotte Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)
President Daniel Redford said to Fox News Digital.
Redford pointed out, though, that officials might not have possessed sufficient evidence to indict Braxton for murder in the Hurd case, which would be necessary to detain him on his various other charges once she was deceased.
However, on March 3 of this year, Braxton reportedly filed a written complaint with Mecklenburg County jail authorities, declaring, “I murdered Whitney Hurd,” according to the affidavit.
Apparently, one of Hurd’s neighbors spotted someone driving her white BMW out of her driveway on the afternoon of July 4, 2024, with no passengers in the car. According to an affidavit, the neighbor informed law enforcement that Hurd did not allow others to operate her vehicle under normal circumstances.
The indictment submitted on March 31 accuses Braxton of stealing Hurd’s BMW and cell phone through an assault involving a knife.
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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
(CMPD) acquired a search warrant for Hurd’s phone and retrieved her final known location information. This data directed investigators to her car, which they impounded and examined as part of their investigation. Although they could not find her cellphone, the case remained within the vehicle.
Fingerprints taken from Hurd’s car were gathered and analyzed, which placed Braxton within both her vehicle and home.
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Redford expressed significant concern over Braxton’s four arrests and subsequent releases following Hurd’s murder, stating that his history shows an “escalation in the severity of offenses committed.” He pointed out that some judges in Mecklenburg County adopt a more lenient stance toward criminal justice, often allowing violent offenders to be released with minimal bail or even without any bail at all.
For instance, in June 2024, Raphael Wright, a suspect from Rock Hill accused of murder and rape, was let out on a bail set at $50,000. This decision prompted concern among law enforcement officials as well as the victim’s relatives. Subsequently, a judge increased his bond to $850,000 one month later, resulting in Wright being taken back into custody.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden informed Fox News Digital that his department does not have the power to release people unless instructed by a judge.
As a result, we do not play a role in deciding how, when, or why an individual is released, including the bond amounts or release terms,” McFadden stated via email. “The Sheriff’s Office exclusively handles the detention and care of people. The criteria and rationale behind their releases are entirely up to the relevant entities, such as the magistrate or a judge.
