By Joe Johnson
The alleged killer of an Oconee County RaceTrac employee was indicted Tuesday on a federal murder charges.
A U.S. District Court grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging Ahkil Nasir Crumpton, 24, of Philadelphia with murder, attempted robbery and firearms charges in the March 2021 shooting death of Elijah Wood.
At the time, the 23-year-old Watkinsville resident was working the night shift alone at the RaceTrac gas station and convenience store located on Hwy 441 at Hog Mountain Road.
The indictment charges co-defendant James Armstrong, 34, of Commerce with making false statements during the purchase of a firearm.
According to the indictment, Armstrong bought the murder weapon 11 days before Wood was killed from Franklin’s Gun Shop in Athens, posing as a straw man for Crumpton.
The indictment additionally charges Crumpton, aka Crump, with interference with commerce by attempted robbery, use and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, murder with a firearm during a crime of violence, and making false statements during the purchase of a firearm.
If convicted of murder or discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, Crumpton would face maximum sentences of life in prison, according to the DOJ. There is no parole in the federal penal system.
Crumpton had already been indicted on state charges two months ago.
Authorities said that after Wood was killed, Crumpton fled to his hometown of Philadelphia, where is in custody for an unrelated crime and is fighting extradition to Georgia.
An Oconee County Superior Court grand jury in March indicted the former University of Georgia football player on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The case was investigated by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI, GBI, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.