Elijah Eckford Sentenced to 35 Years for murdering 16 year old Zaelyn Braxton

GULFPORT, Miss (THN News)- Elijah Eckford has pleaded guilty in the homicide of 16-year-old Zaelyn Braxton, a Gulfport teen found shot to death outside his family home in February 2024. A judge sentenced Eckford to a total of 35 years to serve after he admitted during a plea hearing that he went to Braxton’s home to steal a gun.

The case centered on the events of February 12, 2024, when Gulfport Police responded to a home on Kenwood Drive and found Braxton’s body near the back doorway. Investigators said the teenager had been shot multiple times.

Police found Braxton outside his family home

According to the case details, Gulfport Police found Zaelyn Braxton at about 2:30 a.m. on February 12, 2024. His body was located in the back doorway of his family home on Kenwood Drive.

Detectives began piecing together what happened through surveillance footage and evidence recovered from the scene. Investigators found video showing a suspect running down the road, getting into a vehicle, and leaving the area.

They also recovered Braxton’s phone. Police said information from the phone showed that Braxton had made plans to meet Elijah Eckford that night.

Those facts became key parts of the investigation. They helped connect Eckford to the location and to the events leading up to the shooting.

Eckford first denied involvement, then changed his account

Police interviewed Eckford after identifying him during the investigation. According to investigators, he initially denied any involvement in the shooting.

He later admitted he had gone to Braxton’s home, but he first gave detectives a different explanation for why he was there. Eckford told police he had gone to sell Braxton a vape. He said the two argued about the price, and that the argument turned into a shootout.

That account changed during the plea hearing.

In court, Eckford said the real reason he went to Braxton’s home was to steal a gun. He said Braxton had shown off the gun on social media. Eckford said that when Braxton grabbed the gun, he heard a gunshot and began firing at the teen. He then ran away from the scene.

The plea hearing account marked a major shift from his earlier statement to police and gave the court a clearer version of the motive presented in the case.

Investigators said Braxton’s phone helped show plans to meet Eckford that night.

Judge imposed consecutive sentences

Judge Christopher Schmidt sentenced Eckford to 25 years for Second-Degree Murder and 10 years for Shooting into a Dwelling.

The sentences will run consecutively. That means Eckford must serve one sentence after the other, for a total of 35 years to serve.

Assistant District Attorney Jasmine Magee prosecuted the case.

The sentencing closes a major legal chapter in the Elijah Eckford sentenced to 35 years in Zaelyn Braxton homicide case, though the impact of the shooting remains with Braxton’s family, Eckford’s family, and the Gulfport community.

Prosecutors described the case as a warning about youth violence

District Attorney Crosby Parker addressed the broader impact of the case after sentencing, calling it a painful reminder of what youth violence can take from families and communities.

“This case is another painful reminder of the devastating consequences of youth violence,” Parker said. “A 16-year-old lost his life, a then-19-year-old will spend decades in prison, and two families will carry the weight of this tragedy for the rest of their lives. As a community, we must continue investing in our youth and impress upon them that carrying a gun and making a split-second decision can have lifelong, irreversible consequences.”

The statement pointed to two losses. Braxton’s life ended at 16. Eckford, who was 19 at the time, will now spend decades in prison.

The case also highlights how quickly a planned meeting turned deadly. According to the plea hearing account, the encounter was tied to a plan to steal a gun. Moments later, gunfire left one teenager dead and another young man facing a long prison sentence.