A former Duke football player has been charged with murder after authorities say he confessed to committing the crime.
Brandon Braxton, who played wide receiver and defensive back at Duke from 2010-2013, was arrested on Thursday and charged with first-degree murder for the July 2024 death of North Carolina real estate agent Whitney Hurd. According to an arrest affidavit that was obtained by Nicholas McEntyre of the New York Post, Braxton wrote “I killed Whitney Hurd” in a message to the Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Office on March 3.
Braxton allegedly made the written confession while in custody for a different crime.
Braxton, 33, had been viewed as a person of interest in the Hurd murder case. He was friends with Hurd from when the two attended high school together in Charlotte, and his fingerprints were found at the murder scene and in Hurd’s car, which was stolen.
The 32-year-old Hurd was reported missing on July 11. A private investigator found her body inside her townhome, which is located in the SouthPark community of Charlotte. The affidavit states that Hurd suffered multiple stab wounds and her death was ruled a homicide. Hurd’s 2014 BMW X3 was also missing from her home, and neighbors said they saw an unidentified male leave with it a week prior.
Police said Braxton had previously appeared outside Hurd’s home, though no specific timeline was given. In one instance, Braxton allegedly fell asleep in Hurd’s driveway when she would not let him inside the home. Hurd also once called the police after Braxton allegedly broke into her home.
Braxton was arrested on July 24 for an unrelated larceny of a motor vehicle, according to the Post. He confirmed during an interview that he was friends with Hurd and told police Hurd “looked petrified” the last time he saw her. He was released for that crime on Aug. 14.
Braxton wound up back in jail when he was arrested for trespassing on Jan. 23. On March 3, he gained access to a kiosk at the jail and sent his alleged confession to Mecklenburg Sheriff’s officials. Video surveillance confirmed that Braxton used the kiosk at the time the note was written, which led to an arrest warrant on March 20.
Braxton appeared in 42 total games across four seasons at Duke. He had 93 catches for 893 yards and 3 touchdowns as a receiver. He also had 54 total tackles on defense.
