A 24-year-old man has been charged with capital murder after two people were found dead Monday inside a home in Brookwood, authorities said. The victims — a University of Alabama student and a father of three — were discovered by deputies who responded after the homeowner, who was out of the country, reviewed security footage and became concerned.
How police identified a suspect
Tuscaloosa County sheriff's office investigators said security camera footage from the residence helped them identify a suspicious person seen on the back porch. Deputies later charged De’Kendrick Crawford, 24, in connection with the deaths of Jazmine Alexis Bates, 22, and Jose Felix Alvarez-Duenas, 31.
“We were able to identify who that suspicious person was that was seen on the doorbell cameras,”
The sheriff's office said the person captured on video turned out to be an acquaintance of the victims and the homeowner. Captain Jack Kennedy said the group had formerly worked together at a local business and had socialized with one another.
- Victims: Jazmine Alexis Bates, 22; Jose Felix Alvarez-Duenas, 31
- Suspect: De’Kendrick Crawford, 24 (charged with capital murder)
- Location: Private residence in Brookwood, Ala.
Victims and community ties
Bates and Alvarez-Duenas both worked at a Buffalo Phil’s restaurant in Tuscaloosa, the sheriff’s office said. Bates was scheduled to graduate from the University of Alabama in December. Alvarez-Duenas is described in police statements as a single father of three children.
The homeowner, who was abroad, noticed someone on back-porch cameras in the early hours and contacted local authorities. Deputies performed a welfare check after the homeowner said they could not reach Alvarez-Duenas and found both victims inside the home.
Scene details and next steps
When deputies entered the residence, they found a man deceased near the front door and a woman deceased in a back bedroom closet, according to Captain Kennedy. Authorities also reported that a dog being cared for at the residence was killed.
Crawford was not at the home when officers arrived; law enforcement later located him at a relative’s residence and moved forward with the capital murder charge. The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has not released additional details about a possible motive or the ongoing investigative steps.
| Person | Age | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Jazmine Alexis Bates | 22 | UA student; Buffalo Phil’s employee; set to graduate in December |
| Jose Felix Alvarez-Duenas | 31 | Buffalo Phil’s employee; single father of three |
| De’Kendrick Crawford | 24 | Charged with capital murder; acquaintance and former co-worker |
Investigators credited the homeowner’s review of security footage with accelerating identification of the suspect. The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate and has not released additional records about the case. Anyone with information that could assist the probe is asked to contact local authorities.
Coverage will continue as more information becomes available.
