Racetrac robbery suspect denied crime during interrogation in Philadelphia

The government introduced dozens of pieces of evidence on Monday in U.S. District Court aimed at showing Akhil Nasir Crumpton is the man who attempted to rob the Racetrac gas station in Watkinsville only to shoot and kill the night clerk.

FBI Agent Jamie Hipkiss of the Athens office was the key witness as a video of Crumpton’s interrogation in Philadelphia was shown to the jury.

During that extended session of more than two hours on March 16, 2022, Crumpton denied he was the masked gunman who shot and killed Elijah Wood, 23, at the Racetrac on March 19, 2021.

District Court Judge Tilman Self recessed court late Monday as the government neared the closing of its case against Crumpton, who is on trial for the attempted robbery but not the killing of Wood.

A murder charge against Crumpton, a former University of Georgia wide receiver who played in 2017-18, has been filed by the state in Oconee County.

More: ATF agent testifies how Ahkil Crumpton was identified in Oconee Racetrac slaying

Crumpton never admitted he was the shooter under intense questioning by Hipkiss, Philadelphia officer Tim Martin of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Task Force, and Oconee County sheriff’s investigator Zack Eaton.

But the questions laid the foundation for facts the government is now using to show Crumpton has repeatedly lied to investigators.

Crumpton also denied he was the man who shot and killed a man in Philadelphia on July 17, 2021, just four months after the robbery and slaying of Wood. Agents said Crumpton used the same Glock 19 pistol in both fatal shootings and have linked the gun to Crumpton through shell casing and bullet comparisons.

Philadelphia police did not charge Crumpton in the death, ruling it was a justifiable homicide as Crumpton was being robbed by the man.

The officers questioned Crumpton about the killing in Philadelphia, before they moved into the crime at the Racetrac in Georgia. The defendant appeared quiet as he looked at the images that they pushed toward him. Twice during the interview, Crumpton was shown the Racetrac video showing the actual shooting of Wood.

Throughout the questioning, Crumpton always had one answer: “That’s not me."

When informed he was charged with murder in Georgia, Crumpton appeared to casually eat some chips as the officers urged him to explain "why it happened."

Finally after two hours, an apparently exasperated Hipkiss remarked, “We’re just going around and around with this.”

Besides the interrogation, the government produced numerous pieces of evidence that Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison used to link Crumpton to both homicides.

The FBI used search warrants to dig into numerous accounts owned by Crumpton including Facebook, bank accounts, iCloud data, cell phone records, apartment rental records and his use of the Athens Gun Club.

Numerous photos were obtained off the defendant’s Facebook page that showed him wearing Timberland boots, the same as the killer wore at Racetrac. Agents also found photos they contend matched the hood and pants worn by the killer and owned by Crumpton.

Hipkiss also presented phone records showing Crumpton called his roommate, Juwan Taylor, just minutes after the Ractrac shooting.

Taylor, also a former UGA football player and friend of Crumpton, testified last week that Crumpton arrived at the apartment and confessed to the crime. However, Taylor withheld this information until March 2022, when Crumpton was arrested.

More: Former Georgia football player testifies he knew who killed Oconee Racetrac clerk

Investigators inferred in questions that Crumpton may have attempted the robbery because he needed money.

Banking account records introduced as evidence show that on the day of the Racetrac crime, Crumpton had $2.82 in his account. Then six days after the crime, Hipkiss said Crumpton only had 81 cents in the account.

The FBI recovered numerous documents showing that Crumpton was involved in online betting.

And while Crumpton denied knowing anything about the Racetrac crime, the FBI recovered several Facebook screenshots on his page that showed media coverage of the slaying including the reward poster.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Akhil Crumpton denied involvement in Racetrac crime after arrest