The former Duke footballer is said to have murdered his old high school friend after he terrified her by appearing outside her home in the upscale North Carolina community.
Brandon Braxton admitted to the murder of real estate agent Whitney Heard in July 2024 after investigators questioned him about the murder for months.
“I killed Whitney Heard,” Braxton allegedly wrote a message to the Mecklenburg Sheriff's Office on March 3rd.
Braxton, a four-year Blue Devils player between 2010 and 2013, confessed while in custody by Sheriff's County for an unrelated crime.
The 33-year-old was considered a person interested in the murder after fingerprints were found at both the murder scene and the stolen car at Heard, but police did not arrest him until March 20th.
Heard, 32, was reported missing by his family on July 11th. Private investigators discovered Heard's body three days later in South Park Town Homes. Queen City News reported.
She suffered multiple stab wounds and her death was determined to be murder, according to the affidavit.
It turns out that her body is wrapped in bedding. WBTV reported.
Braxton and Heard were friends at Providence High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, before the two were defeated for several years.
In 2009, Braxton promised to play college football at Duke University.
He played in 43 games, scored three touchdowns as a receiver and totaled 38 tackles for 2012's third-year safety.
A few years after graduating from Duke in 2014, Braxton began appearing outside the Heard home, police said in an affidavit but did not provide a timeline.
One night, Braxton allegedly fell asleep in the driveway of Heard when he refused to allow him at the Warbalat Street Townhouse in South Charlotte, as the affidavit states.
Heard was also calling officers when Braxton was allegedly breaking into her home.
When her body was found, police found Heard's phone, and the praised white 2014 BMW X3 was missing from her home.
Neighbors said they saw it on July 4th by an unidentified man driving from his car house.
Authorities tracked Hurd's phone to the last known location and found the BMW, but none.
Braxton's fingerprints were found in both the Heard home and her car, and authorities tracked him down to areas where he was known “frequently,” police said.
He was arrested on July 24th for unrelated theft of a car.
Two weeks later, the detective interviews Braxton, confirming that he is friend of Heard in high school, and he “nodded positively” that he was inside her house and knew about the murder of his friend.
Braxton claimed that the last time Heard saw her, “appeared to have been stoned.”
He was eventually released on August 14, 2024.
According to Heard was remembered for her infectious smile and laughter. Her online death.
She graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2014, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Sorority.
She was detained in a private cemetery on August 17th.
Braxton was arrested for trespassing on January 23rd and remained in prison until March 18th.
During his stay, Braxton accessed the kiosk at the prison at about 8:54am on March 3rd. The affidavit states at the same time that the message he signed was sent to the Mecklenburg Sheriff's Management Sergeant.
Authorities obtained prison surveillance video to confirm the use of Braxton kiosks and obtained an arrest warrant on March 20th.
He was charged with first-degree felony murder and felony robbery with a dangerous weapon.
He was detained without bail when he appeared in court on March 21.
Braxton is the defendant in several public cases, including two separate crimes that took place on October 27, 2024.
Frequent flyers in Mecklenburg County are accused of assaulting a woman on October 27, 2024 while trying to grab the woman's shoulder.
He also saw in a detailed post that he was charged with indecent revelations the same day he allegedly exposed “private parts of public places.”
