NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — More than three years after a high school girl was murdered, we're following through and learning more about the teen's final moments.
Three people have been charged in connection to the 2020 homicide of 17-year-old Granby High student Asia Cowell.
One of the suspects, 34-year-old Crystal Kaiser-Albritton from Norfolk, pleaded guilty last month. She was accused of a coordinated effort to lure, kidnap and kill Asia to stop her from testifying against her accused rapist.
News
Family of missing teen found dead in Newport News seeks justice
THE MURDER OF ASIA COWELL
Asia was supposed to call her aunt to be picked up when she was finished with a hair appointment, police say, but she never made the call.
Court documents show Kaiser-Albritton used Instagram to set up a hair appointment with Asia.
She lured Asia to her home in Norfolk—located in a neighborhood right off of Granby St. and Little Creek Rd.—on Sept. 7, 2020, police say.
It was during that hair appointment prosecutors say Kaiser-Albritton, her husband Devin Albritton, and another woman named Dazha Feaster carried out the plan. Feaster's brother is the man Asia was set to testify against before her death.
Asia was tied to a bar stool, blindfolded, then forced into a plastic bin, thrown into the back of an SUV, and driven 30 miles to a wooded area in Newport News.
Watch: Police body camera footage shows the discovery Asia Cowell's body. We have blurred the body.
Asia begged them not to kill her. She promised she wouldn't testify in that trial.
In response, prosecutors say Kaiser-Albritton told Asia to turn around before shooting her in the back of the head.
Feaster later told Newport News police that after Kaiser-Albritton shot Asia, she asked if the girl was dead. She said Kaiser-Albritton answered, “Don’t know...don’t care.”
INVESTIGATION INTO ASIA'S DEATH
Newly-released body camera footage from Newport News police shows what happened the day Asia’s remains were found.
Someone walking near a wooded area off Warwick Boulevard found Asia's body. At that point, she'd been dead for two weeks.
Norfolk police and Newport News police then began jointly investigating Asia’s death, eventually charging the three suspects.
WHERE ARE THE SUSPECTS NOW?
Kaiser-Albritton pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and a gun charge in exchange for the dismissal of five other counts. The agreement does not affect her sentence, meaning she could spend the rest of her life in prison.
She will face a sentencing hearing on August 16.
Albritton is scheduled for trial on April 30, while Feaster has a plea hearing on July 17. They’ve both pleaded not guilty to murder charges in connection to Asia’s death.
News
Married couple, teen accused of killing Asia Cowell
Feaster’s brother — the man Asia was scheduled to testify against — has been cleared of wrongdoing in connection to her death.
"After an exhaustive investigation, Norfolk and Newport News Police concluded that Asia’s ex-boyfriend had no knowledge of the events that led to Asia’s murder," court documents say.
"Simply, he had no knowledge or involvement in what transpired."
