A Former University of Georgia Football Player Gunned Down a Store Clerk. Now, He'll Spend Decades in Prison.

A former wide receiver with the University of Georgia football team has been sentenced after being convicted in the 2021 murder of a Georgia store clerk during a botched robbery attempt.

On March 16, 2022, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Ahkil Nasir Crumpton in connection with the murder of Elijah Wood.

In March 2021, Wood was shot at a RaceTrac Gas station, where he worked in Oconee County, Georgia, according to CBS 46. Video surveillance showed the killing.

The sheriff’s office said they identified Crumpton as the suspect after ballistic data was tested. Shell casings from the Georgia store matched a crime scene in Philadelphia — where Crumpton was from.

The shooter was the same person in both cases, police said, and Crumpton was arrested.

Crumpton was a football player for the Georgia Bulldogs between 2017 and 2018 and a student at the school until 2021, according to the sheriff’s office.

“For the past year we have seen the pain, agony, and frustrations this murder has brought to Elijah’s family, friends, and to our community. We all know this arrest will not bring Elijah back, but we hope his family, friends, and this community can now begin the healing process,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement after the arrest. “We also know that the fight is not over. We must now successfully prosecute the case in a court of law.

The University of Georgia released a statement in the aftermath of the news, according to CBS 46.

“We were stunned to learn that the suspect in this horrific crime is a former UGA student-athlete,” it read. “We offer our heartfelt sympathy to Elijah Wood’s family. We defer to the FBI, ATF and Oconee County Sheriff’s Office for any further comments regarding this ongoing investigation.”

On March 18, 2024, Crumpton was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his involvement in the armed robbery resulting in the death of Wood, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Georgia.

Crumpton received the maximum sentence of 20 years for attempted robbery and 10 years for false statement during the purchase of a firearm, totaling 30 years plus three years of supervised release, without parole eligibility.

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These sentences are in connection with federal charges against Crumpton.

Officials said he also faces state charges for murder and other offenses in Georgia.