FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - JANUARY 11: Brandon Miller #24 of the Alabama Crimson Tide jogs off the court during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on January 11, 2023 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Crimson Tide defeated the Razorbacks 84-69. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
According to law enforcement testimony at the preliminary hearing for the capital murder charges against Darius Miles and Michael “Buzz” Davis, Alabama’s freshman basketball star Brandon Miller brought the gun used to kill 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris after his friend Darius texted and asked him to do so.
AL.com reports that Miles had contacted Miller and asked him to bring his gun to the scene, and when Miller arrived, Miles informed Davis that “the heat is in the hat,” indicating that a gun was present. Miles also mentioned that “there’s one in the head,” which meant that a round was in the chamber.
Miller’s windshield was struck twice by gunfire during the incident, and Jaden Bradley, another Alabama basketball player, was also present at the scene. While Miles and Davis are charged in the killing, Miller has not been charged with any crime related to the incident.
Tuscaloosa chief deputy D.A. Paula Whitley stated that Miller could not be charged as there was nothing to charge him with under the law. Alabama coach Nate Oats confirmed that Miller was “not in any trouble” and had not been involved in any prior trouble.
During the hearing, both Miles and Davis’ attorneys requested their clients be released on bond, stating that they acted in self-defense. Miles’ mother, Tracy Harris, and Davis’ mother, Annie Davis, testified that they would ensure their sons abided by all bond conditions and showed up for future court hearings. The judge ruled that there was sufficient evidence against Miles and Davis to send the case to the grand jury for consideration of indictment and denied their request for bond.
The two defendants remain held without bond in the Tuscaloosa County Jail, and both sobbed at the end of the court hearing.
Harris, a mother of a young son, was visiting Tuscaloosa when she was fatally shot in the early hours of January 15. According to Tuscaloosa police Capt. Jack Kennedy, the shooting appears to have resulted from a minor argument between the victims and suspects after encountering each other along The Strip.
