MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A Fort Lauderdale woman attending Alabama State University was murdered by her boyfriend, also from Fort Lauderdale, authorities said.
According to court documents obtained by Local 10 News, Montgomery, Alabama police said Jalil Bivens strangled Ava Walters at an off-campus location just before 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Bivens, 21, is now facing a murder charge in the killing of Walters, 20, a health information management major in her second year at ASU.
According to court documents, Bivens gave a statement to Montgomery Police Department detectives that led to his arrest, though the documents don’t provide additional details about what he allegedly said.
ASU President Quinton Ross Jr. said in a statement posted to social media that his heart was “heavy” as he and others at the historically Black university “mourn the tragic loss of one of our Hornets.”
He said he extended his “deepest condolences” to Walters’ family, friends and classmates.
“There are no words that can truly ease the pain of losing a loved one, but please now that the entire Hornet Nation stands with you during this difficult time,” he said.
Records show Bivens, who documents state lives near Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, was being held in the Montgomery County Detention Facility as of Monday evening.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
