Chilling way football star 'stalked his female best friend before killing her' and writing shocking 'confession note'
A North Carolina woman who was found stabbed to death inside her home almost a year ago had been viciously stalked by a former classmate who has allegedly confessed to her murder.
Whitney Hurd, 32, was killed on July 14, 2024, in a shocking case that had gone unsolved until one of her former school friends Brandon Braxton, 33, reportedly confessed earlier this month.
Investigators charged Braxton with Hurd's murder on March 20 after he reportedly wrote a note while in custody on unrelated charges that read: 'I killed Whitney Hurd.'
Detectives used video surveillance to confirm Braxton - a former college football star at Duke University - was the inmate who wrote the note, according to Law and Crime.
Braxton had been named as a person of interest in Hurd's case and he was interviewed by police weeks after her body was found, however he was never formally charged.
The suspect told investigators at the time that he and Hurd used to 'hang out' in high school, but friends said he then 'began showing up at her residence' when they grew apart, the affidavit said.
Braxton's alleged behavior escalated in the time leading up to her murder, until Hurd called the cops on Braxton when he allegedly broke into her home.
On the day Hurd's body was found, one of her neighbors told investigators that she saw a man driving in the 32-year-old's BMW X3 SUV from her home with nobody in the passenger's seat.
Whitney Hurd, 32, was stabbed to death in her home in Charlotte, North Carolina on July 14, 2024, and a former high school friend has been charged with her murder almost a year on
Brandon Braxton, 33, a former standout football player at Duke University (pictured in 2013) has been charged with Hurd's murder after he allegedly confessed while behind bars on an unrelated charge
Braxton had been named as a person of interest in Hurd's case and he was interviewed by police weeks after her body was found, however he was never formally charged at the time
The neighbor felt this was odd because she knew Hurd 'never let other people drive her car.'
Braxton, who owns a lengthy criminal history, was reportedly signed out of jail 10 days after the murder on an unrelated crime, and police then named him as a person of interest as he was brought in for questioning.
According to the affidavit, when Braxton was asked about the last time he saw Hurd, he chillingly responded that 'she looked petrified.'
When pressed about what else he knew about her, the suspect reportedly acknowledged that he was aware of what happened to her, but 'would not provide further details.'
Although he said he had been inside Hurd's home when they were friends, Braxton insisted that he hadn't been in her car.
However, the affidavit noted that fingerprints matching Braxton's were found in Hurd's SUV, and phone records found that he was in the area at the time of the murder.
On the day Hurd's body was found, one of her neighbors told investigators that she saw a man driving in the 32-year-old's BMW X3 SUV (pictured) from her home with nobody in the passenger's seat
Braxton told investigators that he and Hurd used to 'hang out' in high school, but friends said he then 'began showing up at her residence' when they grew apart
Braxton owns a criminal history in North Carolina including charges of assault and indecent exposure, and he had also been listed as a missing person in North Carolina in 2022, where he was noted as 'believed to be suffering from dementia or some other cognitive impairment'
Friends also told police that when Braxton was allegedly stalking Hurd, in one instance he 'fell asleep intoxicated' in her driveway 'when she wouldn't let him in.'
Braxton is now facing charges of first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon, and he is being held in Mecklenburg County Jail without bond.
He has a lengthy rap sheet including an assault charge in October 2024 after allegedly grabbing a woman by her shorts, and on the same day he was also charged with indecent exposure in a separate incident.
Braxton had also been listed as a missing person in North Carolina in 2022, where a missing person's Facebook group noted that he was 'believed to be suffering from dementia or some other cognitive impairment.'
The 33-year-old had previously made a name for himself in North Carolina as a standout football player at Duke, where he was a two-time Academic All-ACC selection. His father David Braxton had also played six seasons in the NFL
The 33-year-old had previously made a name for himself in North Carolina as a standout football player at Duke, where he was a two-time Academic All-ACC selection, according to the Charlotte Observer.
He played as a wide receiver from 2010 to 2013, and had been ranked in the top 100 prospects in the country while in high school.
The murder suspect's father David Braxton had previously played in the NFL for six seasons, including stints with the Minnesota Vikings, Phoenix Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals.
