CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Court documents have provided chilling new details in the case of Whitney Hurd, the 32-year-old woman found dead in a south Charlotte home last summer. Brandon David Braxton, 33, is now charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in connection to Hurd’s death.
Hurd was reported missing by her family on July 11, 2024. Just days later, a private investigator discovered her body inside a home on Werburgh Street in south Charlotte.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police later confirmed that Hurd’s death had been ruled a homicide, caused by multiple stab wounds to her chest. Investigators also revealed that her car, a 2014 BMW X3, was stolen following the homicide. The vehicle was later found abandoned.
A break in the case occurred when Braxton was arrested on Thursday, March 20. He was booked into the Mecklenburg County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond.
His first court appearance was scheduled for Friday morning, March 21. Records confirm the case is due back in court in early April.
A complex history
Court documents indicate that Braxton and Hurd had known each other from high school but had lost contact for several years before reconnecting.
Braxton had previously appeared at Hurd’s home under troubling circumstances, according to court documents. One time, he was reportedly found drunk and asleep in her driveway after she refused to let him inside. On another, Hurd called the police after Braxton broke into her home.
In an interview with detectives, Braxton admitted he had been inside Hurd’s home but denied any involvement in her disappearance. He said the last time he saw Hurd, “she looked petrified.”
However, surveillance footage from a jail kiosk in early March 2025 revealed a disturbing statement from Braxton: “I killed Whitney Hurd.” This confession led to the charges against him.
Tracking the crime
Following Hurd’s disappearance, investigators worked to piece together the details of her final hours. Witnesses reported seeing a man driving her car away from her home on July 4, 2024. Surveillance footage and phone records led detectives to Braxton’s location, and evidence such as fingerprints and DNA swabs linked him to the crime scene and the victim’s vehicle.
Further investigation revealed Braxton had been in contact with Hurd’s family and friends, who confirmed that he had been trying to re-establish a relationship with her. However, his behavior seemed to raise alarms among those close to her, court documents revealed.
Confession leads to arrest
While in custody, Braxton’s earlier statements to detectives seemed to imply knowledge of the crime, but it wasn’t until March 2025 that his direct confession came to light.
On January 23, 2025, Braxton was in Pineville Police Department’s custody for an unrelated charge. More than a month later on March 3, Braxton submitted a grievance to the MCJN admin sergeants which stated, “I killed Whitney Hurd.”
Several days later on March 18, detectives reviewed surveillance provided by the jail which showed Braxton using the kiosk in the jail on March 3, the same day the grievance was filed.
As of now, Braxton faces charges of first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
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