The Harris-Miller wrongful death lawsuit was a federal civil case filed in October 2023 by Decarla Raietta Heard, mother of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris, against former Alabama basketball players Brandon Miller and Darius Miles and their friend Michael “Buzz” Davis, seeking damages for Harris’s shooting death near the University of Alabama campus. The case settled after mediation and was dismissed with prejudice on March 31, 2025, with the undisclosed proceeds placed in a trust for Harris’s young son.
Who Filed the Suit and What It Alleged
Heard filed the complaint on October 20, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Western Division, under case number 7:23-cv-01424-LSC.1PR Newswire. Farris Riley and Pitt Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit on Behalf of Family of Jamea Harris The three named defendants were Miles, Davis, and Miller.
The complaint alleged that all three “knew or should have known that bringing a dangerous weapon to a dispute and discharging said weapon would likely result in harm,” and that Harris’s death was a “direct or proximate consequence of the negligence or wantonness of each of the defendants.”2ESPN. Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Ex-Alabama Star Brandon Miller In a statement through attorneys Kirby Farris and Malia Tartt, the family said, “Jamea was taken from our family, her friends, and her son Kaine by a senseless act of gun violence.”3WBRC. Family of Jamea Harris Filing Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Former UA Player Brandon Miller
Why Miller Stayed in the Case
Miller’s attorneys moved to dismiss him, arguing he did not own, load, or fire the gun and did not hand it to Davis. In April 2024, U.S. District Judge Scott Coogler denied the motion. Coogler found that a reasonable juror “could conclude it was foreseeable that someone might use the firearm to hurt someone else.”4AL.com. Wrongful Death Case Against Alabama Basketball Players Brandon Miller, Darius Miles Settled The ruling kept Miller a defendant heading into mediation.
How the Case Ended
After mediation, all parties filed a joint motion to dismiss with prejudice. U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco entered the dismissal order on March 31, 2025, closing the case permanently.5ABC 33/40. Alabama Court Approves Trust for Child of Jamea Harris After Lawsuit Dismissal
The financial terms were not disclosed. Judge Manasco authorized a trust to be managed by Advocacy Trust, LLC, for Harris’s minor son Kaine, her sole heir.5ABC 33/40. Alabama Court Approves Trust for Child of Jamea Harris After Lawsuit Dismissal Each side agreed to bear its own legal costs.6Tuscaloosa News. Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Alabama Basketball Darius Miles, Brandon Miller, Michael Davis Settled
The Shooting Behind the Suit
The lawsuit arose from events in the early morning hours of January 15, 2023, along “the Strip,” a nightlife corridor on University Boulevard in Tuscaloosa. An argument broke out between Davis, a friend of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles, and Cedric Johnson, Harris’s boyfriend, who was sitting in a black Jeep with Harris and her cousin Asia Humphrey. Davis approached the Jeep and said, “My name’s Buzz, and I whack people.”7WBRC. Body Cam Footage Shown to Jury in Capital Murder Trial
Prosecutors said Miles then texted his teammate Brandon Miller asking him to bring his gun. Miller drove his Dodge Charger to the scene with the firearm in the back seat, and Miles told Davis where the gun was. Davis retrieved it and fired into the Jeep, killing Harris. Johnson returned fire with a revolver Harris had handed him moments earlier.8ESPN. Brandon Miller Testifies He Was Almost Hit by Bullets9Tuscaloosa Thread. Second Shooter Takes the Stand During Michael Davis Murder Trial Two of Davis’s bullets struck Miller’s windshield, nearly hitting him. Harris, a mother with no university affiliation, died from her wounds.3WBRC. Family of Jamea Harris Filing Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Former UA Player Brandon Miller
Civil Liability Versus Criminal Charges for Miller
Miller was named as a civil defendant but never criminally charged. Tuscaloosa chief deputy Paula Whitley said, “There’s nothing we could charge him with according to the law.”10Times Delphic. Brandon Miller Scores Career-High After Role in Fatal Shooting Alabama law requires proof of criminal intent, and prosecutors concluded the evidence did not meet that threshold as to Miller.11Yahoo Sports. Alabama Allowing Brandon Miller to Continue to Play Is Now the Story of the College Basketball Season
Miller testified at Davis’s criminal trial that he read Miles’s text as meaning someone was trying to scare Miles, that he did not know the gun would be given to Davis, and that he never touched or saw the weapon or spoke to Miles or Davis when they came to his car.8ESPN. Brandon Miller Testifies He Was Almost Hit by Bullets The civil standard is lower, which is why Judge Coogler found the negligence and wantonness claims against him could proceed to a jury even without any criminal case.
Where the Two Criminal Co-Defendants Stand
The dismissal ended the civil case for all three defendants, but the criminal proceedings against Davis and Miles continued on separate tracks.
Davis went to trial in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court beginning May 5, 2025. Prosecutors called the shooting a “cold calculated ambush”; the defense argued self-defense, contending Johnson fired first.12ABC 33/40. Michael Davis Faces First Day in Trial for Capital Murder Charges On May 9, 2025, the jury found Davis guilty of capital murder. Judge Daniel F. Pruet sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole after prosecutors declined to seek the death penalty. His attorneys said they would appeal.13ESPN. Michael Davis Found Guilty of Capital Murder
Miles faces capital murder charges for allegedly aiding and abetting Davis by providing the firearm and has pleaded not guilty. Court documents indicate he admitted to police that he provided the gun to Davis shortly before the shooting.14WSFA. Capital Murder Trial Date Set for Former Alabama Basketball Player Darius Miles15ESPN. Date Set for Ex-Bama Player Darius Miles Capital Murder Trial16Tuscaloosa News. Darius Miles Capital Murder Case Paused Pending Appeals Court Review17ABC 33/40. Former Alabama Player Darius Miles Trial Delayed Amid Defense’s Push for Judge’s Recusal