An ex-Duke University football player is said to have admitted to killing his former high school friend and real estate agent Whitney Hurd in Charlotte, North Carolina. The former player was arrested and let go four times after Hurd’s death in July 2024, before finally being arrested for her murder in March.
When police arrived at Hurd’s townhome in Charlotte’s South Park neighborhood, they discovered her lifeless body at the age of 32. She had succumbed to multiple stab wounds in what was later confirmed as a homicide.
Court documents reveal that Brandon Braxton, aged 33, faced multiple arrests and releases on unrelated charges such as property damage, assault, theft, trespassing, resisting arrest, indecent exposure, and assaulting a female, until his eventual arrest on March 20 for murder and robbery using a dangerous weapon.
Just months after Hurd’s death, Braxton allegedly exposed himself to a victim in a public Charlotte park and attempted to grab a woman’s shorts, according to court records. He spent 31 minutes in jail for the incident exposure charge, records show.
Duke Blue Devils running back Josh Snead (9) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Brandon Braxton (5) during the first quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies in the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome. (Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports)
The Mecklenburg District Attorney’s Office did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital.
Braxton’s attorney said he will not be commenting publicly on the matter at this time.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said the case is still an active and ongoing investigation, and the department is unable to provide further comment at this time.
Mecklenburg County’s current bail policy, in general, is to allow suspects accused of minor crimes to be released from custody.
McFadden directed Fox News Digital to a recent study from MDRC’s Center for Criminal Justice Research showing the county’s bail policies led to increased release rates but no significant increase in defendants’ failures to appear in court or in new criminal charges filed against the same defendants.
