Miles, Davis denied bond in Jan. 15 shooting case

Former University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and Michael Davis won’t be getting out of jail on bond ahead of seeing a grand jury on capital murder charges after a woman was shot and killed Jan. 15 on the Strip just off the UA campus.

District Judge Joanne Jannik did not make her decision while court was in session, but handed down an order Tuesday afternoon. In her order, Jannik said there’s enough evidence for probable cause, meaning the case will be sent to a grand jury. Jannik did not grant bonds to Davis or Miles, as capital murder charges do not allow for bond. 

Davis and Miles are charged with capital murder in the shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris, a young mother from Birmingham. Harris’ family sat on the front bench of the courtroom Tuesday as the last moments of Harris’ life were described in detail. 

“I am angry,” said Harris’ mother Decarla Heard. “I have been angry since Jan. 15. I have been so angry that I haven’t had time to grieve. She has a 5-year-old son still waiting on his mama to come home. She’s not coming home.” 

Davis and Miles have been held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail since they were charged the day after the shooting.

The preliminary hearing lasted about three hours, and the bond hearing lasted half an hour immediately after the preliminary hearing.

The prosecution, led by Tuscaloosa County Chief Assistant District Attorney Paula Whitley, asked Jannik not to grant Davis or Miles a bond in this case, citing “more than sufficient evidence” that capital murder is the appropriate charge for both defendants. Davis is accused of shooting and killing Harris and Miles is accused of providing him the gun. 

What happened before the shooting remains unclear. Both the state and defense mentioned verbal exchanges between Davis and Harris’ boyfriend Cedric Johnson, who was also in the vehicle when Harris was shot. Court records show Johnson also fired a weapon.

Lead Investigator Brandon Culpepper was the first witness called Tuesday.

Culpepper testified that Miles texted his then-teammate Brandon Miller to bring his gun to him. Culpepper said Miles can be heard telling Davis where the gun was and that a bullet was in the chamber in dash cam video recovered from Miller’s car. That video was not played during the hearing. 

Miller’s car was shot twice during the exchange. UA basketball player Jaden Bradley was also there that night, Culpepper said. Neither Miller nor Bradley have been charged in this case.

After the shooting, Culpepper said Miles called 911 from an apartment off 15th Street in Tuscaloosa. During that call, Culpepper said Miles told dispatchers his friend had been shot. 

According to court documents and testimony, the defendants’ stories later changed. 

Culpepper said Harris was shot once in the left side of her face and Davis was struck in his right shoulder and grazed on his right side. In court on Tuesday, Davis was wearing a sling on his shoulder. 

Davis is being represented by attorney John Robbins. Miles is being represented by Mary Turner and Turner Law Group. 

During the hearing, Turner said Miles was acting defensively because he felt threatened by Harris’ boyfriend, and that he’d seen a gun in the vehicle.

Both defendants were visibility emotional when their mothers took the stand Tuesday and requested that Jannik consider bond for their sons. 

From here, the case goes to a Tuscaloosa County Grand Jury. The grand jury will determine if the case moves to a jury trial.