Former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles is set to face trial for capital murder beginning on December 1 in Alabama Circuit Court. This trial comes more than two years after he was arrested in connection with the tragic fatal shooting of Jamea Harris in Tuscaloosa. At just 23 years old, Miles has been accused of aiding and abetting co-defendant Michael Davis, who was previously found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Davis is currently in the process of appealing his verdict.
The case against Miles centers on the events surrounding the shooting that resulted in Harris's death. During a shootout involving Harris's boyfriend, Cedric Johnson, Davis fired into Harris's Jeep, striking and killing her while she was seated in the front passenger seat. Under Alabama law, shooting and killing someone while they are in a vehicle can lead to a capital murder charge, which is the basis for the serious allegations against Miles.
Prosecutors allege that Miles supplied Davis, his childhood friend, with the gun used in the shooting. During Davis's trial, his defense attorneys argued that Davis was acting in self-defense against Johnson when he discharged the weapon. The prosecution had previously decided to remove the death penalty from the table for Miles, who has been held without bond in the Tuscaloosa County Jail since his arrest on January 15, 2023—the same day he was removed from the Alabama basketball team.
During his time with the Alabama basketball team, Miles played in 53 games, starting two and averaging 4.2 points per game. Notably, Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller, a former standout at Alabama, testified during Davis’s trial. Prior to the shooting, Miller and Miles exchanged texts in the half-hour leading up to the incident, and Miller drove to a bar in Tuscaloosa to pick up Miles. Miller stated he was unaware that Miles had placed his gun in Miller's car until he arrived at the scene. It is important to note that Miller has not been accused of any wrongdoing or charged with a crime, and he has cooperated fully with the ongoing investigation.
As the trial approaches, it remains uncertain whether Miller or any current or former members of the Alabama men’s basketball program will be called to testify in Miles's trial. During the Davis trial, both Miller and Jaden Bradley, a former member of the Crimson Tide who now plays for Arizona, were called as witnesses. The state also listed ex-Alabama team manager Cooper Lee, who was present in Miller's car, and former basketball player Nick Pringle as potential witnesses. However, neither Lee nor Pringle was called to testify in the Davis trial.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the implications of this case continue to resonate within the Alabama basketball community and beyond. The upcoming trial for Darius Miles will undoubtedly attract significant attention, given the serious nature of the charges and the involvement of high-profile individuals from the basketball program.
