Case against secondary suspect in Aniah Blanchard case heads to grand jury

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — A Montgomery man who has been charged with hindering prosecution in the Aniah Blanchard kidnapping will have his case heard by a grand jury.

David Johnson, 63, was in court Friday morning, where he waived his right to a preliminary hearing. As a result, District Judge Tiffany McCord sent Johnson’s case to a grand jury.

During a preliminary hearing, a judge will typically determine if there is enough probable cause to move the case to trial.

Johnson is charged with lying to police about his son’s involvement in the case as the search for the 19-year-old Homewood native was ongoing. According to court documents, police visited Johnson’s home on Nov. 7, where Ibraheem Yazeed had allegedly been seen earlier.

Court documents state that Johnson told officers that he had seen Yazeed earlier that day and had left with an “unknown white female.” However, it was later revealed that Johnson’s son, David Lee Johnson III, had driven Yazeed from Montgomery to Florida, where he was arrested the next morning.

Johnson’s son has not been charged in the Aniah Blanchard case.

“Johnson III was in the early morning hours of November 8, 2019 at Montgomery Police Department where he provided a rights advised written statement admitting to having knowledge of Yazeed being wanted by police and driving him to Pensacola, FL,” the affidavit stated. “Johnson III also stated his father, Johnson Jr., was at the residence and knew Yazeed was wanted and saw him leave with Yazeed in his car.”

The court document reveals Johnson told officers on Nov. 10 he knew Yazeed was wanted and saw him leave with his son Nov. 7.

Yazeed, 30, is charged with kidnapping Blanchard from a gas station in Auburn on Oct. 23 and killing her. On Nov. 25, Blanchard’s body was found in a wooded area near Shorter.

Yazeed is facing capital murder and kidnapping charges in Blanchard’s death. Last month, charges were dropped against Antwon “Squirmy” Fisher, who was previously charged with allegedly helping Yazeed, after prosecutors determined his conduct did not rise to the level of an accomplice.