Slain Alabama State Student's Boyfriend Charged With Murder After Off‑Campus Death

August 25, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The death of 20‑year‑old Alabama State University student Ava Walters has shaken the Montgomery community and prompted a swift criminal investigation that now centers on her boyfriend, 22‑year‑old Jalil Bivens, who has been charged with murder. Walters, a second‑year Health Information Management major from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was found dead Sunday at an off‑campus ASU facility on Interstate Park Drive.

Montgomery police responded shortly before 11 a.m. after receiving a call about an unresponsive woman. When officers arrived, they discovered Walters inside the facility, where she was pronounced dead at the scene. Court documents reviewed by multiple news outlets indicate authorities believe Walters was strangled, based on statements Bivens allegedly provided to investigators. Police have not publicly released a detailed cause of death, but the working theory of strangulation has been widely reported in filings connected to the case.

Bivens, also from Fort Lauderdale, was taken into custody and booked into the Montgomery County Detention Facility on a murder charge. Investigators confirmed that Walters and Bivens were in a dating relationship at the time of her death. The case remains active, with Montgomery's Criminal Investigation Unit continuing to gather evidence and interview witnesses.

The tragedy has deeply affected the Alabama State University community. ASU President Dr. Quinton T. Ross Jr. released a statement expressing profound grief over the loss of a student described as bright, dedicated, and beloved by classmates and faculty. "My heart is heavy as we mourn the tragic loss of one of our Hornets, Ms. Ava Walters," Ross said, extending condolences on behalf of the university's Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and students. He urged the campus community to support one another and keep Walters' family in their prayers as they navigate "this time of sorrow."

Walters' death marks the second high‑profile student homicide connected to an Alabama university this year, intensifying conversations about campus safety and the challenges institutions face in monitoring off‑campus housing environments. ASU officials emphasized that while the incident occurred off university property, the school is cooperating fully with law enforcement and offering counseling resources to students.

Neighbors near Interstate Park Drive reported increased police presence throughout Sunday and Monday as investigators processed the scene. Authorities have not indicated whether any prior domestic disturbance calls involved the couple, though the alleged confession by Bivens has become a central piece of the case.

As the investigation continues, prosecutors are expected to present the case to a grand jury. Bivens remains jailed without bond as of the latest update. Walters' family in Fort Lauderdale has declined public comment, asking for privacy as they grieve the loss of their daughter.

The Alabama State community plans to hold a memorial in Walters' honor, celebrating her life and mourning a future cut short by violence.