Woman sentenced to life in prison for murder of Granby High School student Asia Cowell

NEWPORT NEWS, Virginia — A woman was sentenced to life in prison Friday for the murder of a Granby High School student who police say was shot in Newport News in 2020 to prevent her from testifying against her alleged rapist.

Crystal Kaiser-Albritton pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and a weapons offense in March 2024 in exchange for the dismissal of five other charges.

Watch: Virginia woman pleads guilty to murder of 17-year-old girl

Virginia woman pleads guilty to murder of 17-year-old girl

On Friday morning, emotions were rampant in the Newport News courtroom where Kaiser-Albritton announced the verdict.

Before the verdict was announced, Cowell's aunt, Titina Cowell, and a friend of Asia's were called by the Commonwealth and read emotional statements about the kind of person Asia was and the impact her death had on them.

In addition to her life sentence for first-degree murder, Kaiser-Albritton received three years in prison for a weapons offense related to the crime.

As News 3 reported, Kaiser-Albritton, her husband Devin Albritton and Albritton's goddaughter Dazha Feaster are accused of being involved in the incident.

“I think my niece, I think she's praising her in heaven. I think she's happy. I know she's been with us, even to this day. She knows how hard we've all processed this,” Titina Cowell told reporters after the verdict was announced.

Watch: Police bodycam footage shows the discovery of Asia Cowell's body. We blurred the body.

Police bodycam footage of Asia Cowell

According to court documents, Asia was lured to a home in Norfolk under the belief that she would be offering hair styling services to a woman she had contacted through Instagram. According to the documents, the woman's name was Kaiser-Albritton.

While Asia was in the house, she was kidnapped by the Albrittons and Feaster, according to court documents. Feaster's ex-boyfriend was the man Asia was supposed to testify against before her death.

The three suspects then drove Asia to a wooded area in Newport News, where Kaiser-Albritton shot her in the back of the head, documents say. Police found Asia's body a few weeks later.

“Crystal obviously regrets – as she said in court – that she is sorry that this happened,” said Kaiser-Albritton's attorney Artisha Gregg.

Before the verdict was announced, Kaiser-Albritton apologized when the judge asked her if she had anything to say.

“If I could take it back, I would,” she said, among other things.

Gregg, on the other hand, argued that Kaiser-Albritton was not the shooter and therefore pleaded in court not to sentence her to life in prison.

She also argued that her mental health should be taken into account.

“She did indeed have a mental illness. She was diagnosed with a mental illness,” Gregg said.

The judge ordered that Kaiser-Albritton serve her sentence consecutively, meaning that if she is ever released from her life sentence, she will still have to serve the three years for the weapons offense.

The Commonwealth declined to comment Friday because the other two suspects' cases were ongoing. As of Friday, Devin Albritton's sentencing was scheduled for Sept. 6. Dazha Feaster's guilty plea was scheduled for Oct. 30.

Feaster's ex-boyfriend was acquitted of any wrongdoing in connection with Asia's death.