Aniah Blanchard: Police find remains they believe belong to UFC heavyweight's stepdaughter as third man arrested

Auburn Police Department
Auburn Police Department

Police in Georgia have discovered what they believe are the remains of Aniah Blanchard, the stepdaughter of UFC heavyweight Walt Harris.

Investigators "obtained information regarding the possible location of a body" in a wooded area in Shorter, Alabama, roughly 40 miles from Auburn and 25 miles from Montgomery, where her car was discovered after she was reported missing on 25 October.

Members of the Auburn Police, Lee County District Attorney's Office, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, US Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office conducted a brief search, during which they "located what appeared to be human remains several feet into the woodline".

According to the Macon County Sheriff's Office, the remains were discovered behind a church, a quarter of a mile down a rural road that intersects with Highway 80.

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and Auburn Police are determining whether the remains are Ms Blanchard's.

Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes says police have "good reason" to believe they have discovered Ms Blanchard.

The case remains under Auburn Police investigation.

Police also announced the arrest of another suspect in connection with Ms Blanchard's kidnapping.

David Johnson Jr was arrested on Monday in Montgomery on a charge of hindering prosecution. He was released from Montgomery County Jail on a $7,500 bond, according to jail records.

Police have now arrested three men who authorities believe were involved with her disappearance.

On 7 November, police arrested Ibraheem Yazeed in Pensacola, Florida.

At the time of his arrest, Mr Yazeed was out on bond for two unrelated kidnapping charges and an attempted murder charge. After fleeing from police, Mr Yazeed left the scene of his arrest in an ambulance, and his booking photo shows him with a swollen left eye.

Antwon Fisher was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama on 22 November.

According to police, Fisher "provided material assistance" to Mr Yazeed, including transportation and disposing of evidence. Both men were charged with first-degree kidnapping.

Fisher was initially denied bond following a murder charge he faced in 2005. As part of a plea agreement, Fisher's charge was reduced from capital murder to felony murder.

A judge later overturned Fisher's bond denial and set his bond at $50,000. Police said no other arrests are expected in connection with the case.

Ms Blanchard — 19-year-old student at Alabama's Southern Union State Community College — was first reported missing on 24 October. Police said she spoke with a friend just before midnight on 23 October. That was the last time anyone had heard from her.

Her black Honda CRV was discovered in an apartment complex in Montgomery, more than 50 miles from the school's campus, the following day. Police said evidence from the badly damaged car suggested she had been harmed "and a victim of foul play".

Auburn Police released surveillance footage that showed Mr Yazeed at nearby gas station at the same time as Ms Blanchard.

Mr Harris has made repeated pleas on social media for the return of his stepdaughter alongside photos and videos of the two of them together. He was scheduled to face Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC Washington on 7 December, but the match was cancelled following Ms Blanchard's disappearance.

UFC president Dana White and light heavyweight champion Jon Jones pledged to a reward totalling $105,000 for information leading to an arrest.

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