In the quiet town of Brookwood, Alabama, a grim discovery shattered the summer peace on July 6, 2026. A homeowner, away on a trip, grew worried after being unable to contact a friend who was house-sitting. A quick check of the home's doorbell camera footage revealed a man acting suspiciously on the back porch during the late hours of the previous night and into the early morning.
This unsettling discovery prompted the homeowner to contact the landlord, who then requested a welfare check from the Brookwood police. When officers arrived at the residence on Alabama Junction Road, they were met with a tragic scene. Just inside the front entrance lay the body of 31-year-old Jose Felix Alvarez-Duenas. A further search of the home led to the discovery of 22-year-old Jazmine Alexis Bates, a Black/African American female, in a bedroom closet. Both individuals, along with the homeowner's dog, had been fatally shot. Bates, a student at the University of Alabama who was set to graduate in December, was simply visiting Alvarez-Duenas at the time.
The investigation, quickly taken over by the Tuscaloosa County Violent Crimes Unit, utilized the crucial doorbell camera footage to identify a suspect: 24-year-old De'Kendrick Crawford. Investigators revealed that Crawford, the victims, and the homeowner were all acquainted through a previous place of employment. It was also noted that Crawford and Alvarez-Duenas were former friends who had a falling out, though the reason for their estrangement was not immediately clear. The search for Crawford was swift. Authorities learned he was already a wanted man, with an outstanding felony warrant for shooting into an occupied building in May 2026 after being terminated from a different job. Roughly ten hours after the discovery of the victims, a multi-agency operation tracked Crawford to a relative's apartment in Northport. After a standoff, he was found hiding in an attic crawl space and was taken into custody.
Following his arrest, De'Kendrick Crawford was charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of two or more people and is being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond. Authorities have emphasized that the victims did nothing to provoke the attack and were not involved in any illicit activities. While a prior falling out between Crawford and Alvarez-Duenas has been mentioned, investigators are still working to determine a definitive motive for the brutal killings, which they have described as unexpected and without a clear explanation. The case remains a somber reminder of a senseless act of violence that cut short the lives of two young people. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities continuing to examine electronic evidence and communications in hopes of understanding why this tragedy occurred, as the community mourns the loss of Jazmine Alexis Bates and Jose Felix Alvarez-Duenas.
