Former Duke football player confesses to killing ex-real estate agent friend | Law Enforcement Today

CHARLOTTE, NC - A police affidavit obtained by Fox News states that a former Duke University football player has allegedly confessed to killing his former high school friend and real estate agent, Whitney Hurd. 

Police found Hurd, 32, dead with multiple stab wounds in her townhouse in Charlotte's upscale South Park neighborhood on July 14, 2024, while responding to a call for medical assistance that afternoon. Her manner of death was ruled a homicide. On March 3, 2025, 33-year-old Brandon Braxton allegedly submitted a written grievance to Mecklenburg County Jail officials, stating, "I killed Whitney Hurd."

When police discovered Hurd last July, they noticed that her car and phone were missing. Hurd's neighbor said they saw a man driving her white BMW away from her home on the afternoon of July 14, 2024, and there was no one in the passenger seat. The neighbor told police that Hurd never let anyone else drive her car.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) obtained a search warrant for Hurd's phone and received her last known location data, which led detectives to her vehicle, which was collected and processed as evidence. Detectives were unable to locate her phone, but the case for it was still inside her car.

Fingerprints from Hurd's vehicle were collected and processed, placing Braxton inside her car and home. Hurd's friends and family told police that she and Braxton used to be friends at Providence High School, but that they "lost touch for many years." The said recently, Braxton apparently began showing up at Hurd's residence.

In one incident, Braxton apparently fell asleep in Hurd's driveway, intoxicated, when she refused to let him inside. Hurd also called the police and told her family and friends when Braxton previously tried to break into her home. In July 2024, Braxton was arrested and charged in connection with larceny of a motor vehicle in Pineville, a town neighboring Charlotte.

Court records show that he was arrested and released four times before he was eventually charged with the murder of Hurd on March 20th. On August 8, 2024, detectives "signed Braxton out of jail" and interviewed him. The affidavit states, "Braxton stated he and Whitney used to hang out in high school. He stated he had never been inside her vehicle but had been inside her residence.

He nodded his head up and down in the affirmative when asked if he knew what happened to Whitney and where she currently was but would not provide further details. He stated the last time he saw Whitney, 'she looked petrified.'"

In January, Braxton was again arrested in Pineville on charges of trespassing and resisting a police officer. The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) took him into custody. Following his confession on March 3rd, detectives "reviewed video surveillance provided by the hail which showed Braxton using the kiosk in the jail on 03/03/2025 at 0854 hours, the same date and time when the grievance was filed."

Charlotte officials have since charged Braxton with first-degree murder and robbery. WBTV reported that prior to is March 20th arrest, he did not face any charges related to Hurd's death, although he was named a person of interest. He is being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail without bond.

According to the Duke Athletics website, Braxton was a wide receiver for the school between 2010 and 2013. He played in 42 games for the Blue Devils and caught 93 passes for nearly 900 yards, and three touchdowns. His dad, David Braxton, was a former NFL player. 

Hurd was a real estate agent and a beloved daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Her obituary states, "Her smile and laugh were infectious and you just couldn't help to be drawn to her."