The Oconee County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday that former University of Georgia football player Akhil Crumpton was arrested in connection to the murder of 23-year-old gas station clerk Elijah Wood last year.
Wood was shot and killed at approximately 1:30 a.m. on March 19, 2021, by an armed assailant who was dressed in all black with most of his head concealed by sunglasses, a hood and face mask.
Wood’s murder generated public interest and led to a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, District Attorney Investigators and other offices collaborated on the investigation, which is still ongoing
According to the Sheriff’s Office, shell casings at the crime scene were eventually matched to another crime scene in Philadelphia where local police suspected Crumpton was the shooter.
Oconee Sheriff James Hale said further investigation led to the evidence needed to secure an arrest warrant for Crumpton for the murder of Wood.
Crumpton, who is from Philadelphia, went to a junior college in California and played receiver for Georgia from 2017-18.
Crumpton is a suspect in the shooting in Philadelphia but it’s still an active investigation and no charges have been filed, according to a police department spokesman.