RaceTrac murder trial begins for ex-UGA football player Ahkil Crumpton
WATKINSVILLE — Elijah Wood, the 23-year-old RaceTrac gas station clerk shot and killed here in March 2021, performed a “noble job” by covering the graveyard shift for a sick co-worker, prosecutors said Monday in opening statements at the murder trial of the man accused of gunning him down.
Wood was standing alone behind the counter around 1:15 a.m. when a man dressed head to toe in black, wearing black-and-gold football gloves and a mask over his face, walked into the store, pointed a gun at Wood’s chest and fired, said federal Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison.
The shooter, Morrison said, was former University of Georgia football player Ahkil Crumpton.
“The evidence in this case is absolutely overwhelming,” Morrison declared.
Crumpton, 28, a Philadelphia native, is charged with felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Superior Court Judge Eric Norris is presiding over the jury trial in Oconee County Superior Court.
Crumpton is already serving a 30-year federal sentence after being convicted in 2024 related to the RaceTrac killing for attempted robbery and lying on a federal firearms form.
On Monday, Morrison outlined similar evidence for the jurors, seven men and five women, that prosecutors used in last year’s federal case.
According to testimony from Crumpton’s former teammate and roommate in that federal trial, Crumpton returned home visibly shaken and confessed, “I didn’t mean to do it — I just wanted the money. I shot him at the store.” He reportedly added that the gun “just went off.”
Jesi Jordan, Wood’s girlfriend, testified Monday that she was on a video call with Wood when he was killed. She said she heard the gunshot and then heard Wood gasping for air.
“I called his name several times,” she said. “We lost connection.”
Bruce Harvey, an attorney for Crumpton, told the court Monday that the defense would reserve its opening statement, allowing prosecutors to continue presenting their case.
The case went cold for nearly a year until an agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ran a shell casing left behind at the RaceTrac through a national database, Morrison said. It matched shell casings from a separate Philadelphia shooting later in 2021 in which Crumpton was ruled justified and faced no charges.
Federal agents arrested Crumpton in Philadelphia in March 2022 on the Georgia murder warrant. He attempted to flee by jumping from a bedroom window but was apprehended by an FBI SWAT team. During the search of his room, agents recovered from inside Crumpton’s 2018 Rose Bowl game backpack the Glock 19 prosecutors say was used in both the RaceTrac and Philadelphia shootings.
Members of Wood’s family were in the courtroom on Monday. Wood’s father, Todd Wood, wiped tears from his face during testimony when video was shown of police officers performing medical care on his son’s body.
Crumpton enrolled at the University of Georgia in 2017 after time at Los Angeles Valley Community College in California. He appeared in 24 games for the Bulldogs across two seasons, recording 10 catches for 117 yards and appearing on special teams.
About the Author
Fletcher Page is Athens bureau chief covering northeast Georgia for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
