Kierston Russell, the twin sister of University of Alabama football quarterback Keelon Russell, has died, the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed June 5. She was 18 years old.
“There has been considerable media attention concerning a death investigation that occurred (in Tuscaloosa) on June 4, 2025,” Capt. Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit wrote in a statement. “After speaking with the family, and in an attempt to quell media inquiries, they have given permission to confirm the death of Kierston Russell… The investigation is ongoing pursuant to the procedures mentioned above, and at this time appears to be non-criminal in nature. Therefore, at this time no other information will be released.”
Keelon Russell has posted a string of social media messages on his Instagram account, including photos of him and Kierston while responding to messages, such as “stay strong for mom my thoughts and prayers are with y’all” with emojis of hands into heart shapes.
Kierston Russell played basketball at Texas’ Duncanville High School, which finished its season in the regional finals.
Keelon Russell, who enrolled at Alabama in January, was a five-star quarterback at Duncanville High School. Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa police confirm death of Kierston Russell, twin sister of Alabama football QB
