Former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles has been indicted via a grand jury on capital murder charges for the January capturing demise of a 23-year-old girl.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles has been indicted via a grand jury on capital murder charges for the January capturing demise of a 23-year-old girl close to campus, his legal professional showed to The Associated Press on Friday.
Michael Davis, who may be charged within the capturing demise of Jamea Harris, was once additionally indicted, protection legal professional Mary Turner instructed the AP. Turner most effective represents Miles.
Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Hays Webb told AL.com that the indictments against Miles and Davis, who’ve been held without bond since their arrest, were issued on Wednesday.
Harris was once sitting in a automobile when she was once struck via a bullet. A police investigator testified closing month that Miles equipped the handgun Davis allegedly used within the capturing.
During a court docket listening to closing month, Turner urged Miles was once in a defensive posture when he instructed Davis the place the gun was once positioned.
But prosecutors maintained there was once considerable proof to pursue charges within the capturing, which took place early Jan. 15 on “The Strip,” a district of bars and eating places close to the Tuscaloosa campus. Testimony on the listening to closing month indicated there were some form of verbal altercation sooner than the capturing.
The Turner Law Group, which is representing Miles, issued a remark Friday, announcing they had been disillusioned via the verdict to pursue capital murder charges “considering the evidence uncovered during our investigation and the obvious weaknesses in the government’s case brought to light during the preliminary hearing.”
Miles was once a reserve at the Crimson Tide however an ankle damage sidelined him for the remainder of the season. After he was charged in January, Alabama said he was “removed from campus” and the team.
During the February court docket listening to, Tuscaloosa Police investigator Brandon Culpepper testified that Miles texted Tide freshman basketball superstar Brandon Miller to carry him his gun. Police have mentioned some other player, guard Jaden Bradley, additionally was once on the scene.
Neither Miller nor Bradley were charged with the rest.
“This whole situation is just really heartbreaking, but respectfully that’s all I’m going to be able to say on that,” Miller told reporters Wednesday in his first public feedback in regards to the case.
Both Miller and Bradley have persevered to play because the No. 4 group within the nation makes its method during the Southeastern Conference Tournament forward of the NCAA Tournament. Miller scored 18 issues and had 9 rebounds in Friday’s SEC quarterfinal win over Mississippi State.
In the postgame news convention, Miller was once requested his ideas at the indictment. He mentioned, “I can’t — I’m not going to be able to say on that.”
Coach Nate Oats was once requested whether or not he has a guns coverage for his group, and mentioned that “our players are required to follow the university policy on guns, which essentially bans them on campus.”
He additionally was once requested who was once keen on deciding whether or not Miller and Bradley may just proceed to play.
“It’s been a difficult situation, as you understand. I mean, we’re dealing with a criminal matter,” Oats said, adding that as the school received “facts from law enforcement as they do their investigation,” “this was once a call made, in line with all of the info we had, with, clearly, my boss, (Director of Athletics) Greg Byrne; his boss, (President) Dr. (Stuart) Bell; and the Board of Trustees.
“And everyone was once comfy, and in line with the information we had, Brandon didn’t destroy any faculty coverage or group coverage, so … I used to be happy with the verdict that was once made.”
Harris’ mom instructed journalists closing month that she is pissed off via the focal point on basketball as an alternative of her daughter’s demise. She mentioned her daughter was once a gorgeous one who was once looking to have an evening out with buddies when she was once killed.
“She has a 5-year-old son that is still waiting for his mother to come home,” DeCarla Heard instructed journalists. “I want justice for my grandson.”
Oats was once requested Friday whether or not he has spoken to Harris’ circle of relatives.
“Listen, this whole situation has been, obviously, as you know, hard to deal with, tragic, to have any involvement in a young woman losing her life. What you ask is a private matter. I’m not going to discuss publicly with everybody,” he said. “A lot of this is just hard to deal with, to be honest with you. But it’s a private matter.”
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