An Alabama man has been charged with capital murder in the shooting deaths of a University of Alabama student, a father of three, and the family dog. De'Kendrick Crawford, 24, was apprehended by authorities on July 7, hiding in an attic crawl space at a relative's apartment in Northport.
The investigation began on July 6 when a homeowner, who was out of the country, requested a welfare check on Jose Felix Alvarez-Duenas, 31, whom she had asked to house-sit and care for her dog. After reviewing doorbell camera footage showing a suspicious individual on the property, police responded to the residence. Officers discovered Alvarez-Duenas deceased just inside the front door and Jazmine Alexis Bates, 22, dead inside a bedroom closet. Both victims had been shot, and the homeowner's dog was also killed.
Authorities identified the victims as Jazmine Alexis Bates, a University of Alabama student expected to graduate in December, and Jose Felix Alvarez-Duenas, described as a devoted father to three children. Investigators stated that Bates, Alvarez-Duenas, the homeowner, and Crawford had all previously worked together at a local business.
Evidence, including doorbell camera footage and electronic and physical evidence, led investigators to Crawford. He was tracked to a nearby apartment complex where he reportedly barricaded himself before being found approximately 10 hours after the victims were discovered. Crawford was booked on charges of capital murder involving two or more persons and discharging a firearm into an occupied building.
During the homicide investigation, authorities also uncovered that Crawford was wanted on an unrelated felony warrant stemming from a May shooting near the University of Alabama campus. Police allege he fired into an occupied office building after being terminated from a contractor job. This contractor position was unrelated to the local business where he had worked with the victims.
Friends and former coworkers at Buffalo Phil's Wings, where Bates and Alvarez-Duenas had worked, expressed their grief. The restaurant released a statement calling them "more than employees—they were family." The University of Alabama also issued a statement extending sympathy to Bates' family and friends and offering support resources to students.
GoFundMe pages have been established to support Alvarez-Duenas' children and to assist Bates' family with funeral expenses and transportation costs to return her to Chicago.