Brandon Miller Testifies In Capital Murder Trial Of Michael Lynn Davis

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Jurors heard a lengthy testimony Thursday from former Alabama basketball standout and current Charlotte Hornet Brandon Miller on the third day of the capital murder trial of Michael Lynn Davis.

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As Patch previously reported, Davis is charged along with former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles in the Jan. 15, 2023 shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris on Grace Street near The Strip.

The two capital murder cases are being tried separately and a trial date for Miles had not been set as of the publication of this story.

Miller, 22, is the most high-profile witness to take the stand yet in the case and appeared in court wearing a dark suit and white undershirt.

Miller recalled the day before the shooting as one worth celebrating after he scored 31 points in Alabama's blowout win over LSU in Coleman Coliseum. He would go on to be the No. 2 overall player selected in the 2023 NBA Draft and was the top college player to be drafted.

While Miller testified that he was not old enough to drink at the time, he said the original plan following the game was to go to The Strip and have a good time at Club 1225.

He said the night began when he drove by himself to The Vie at University Downs off of 15th Street to meet up with Miles, Davis and fellow Crimson Tide teammate Jaden Bradley.

As Patch previously reported, Miller opted to leave the group and go to Moe's Original BBQ in downtown Tuscaloosa with Alabama basketball walk-on Kai Spears upon seeing the long line outside of 1225 on that frigid January evening.

Miller testified that Miles rode with him to The Strip in his Dodge Charger, while Davis rode with Bradley in his two-seat Dodge Challenger. He said he let Miles know he was just down the street if he needed a ride before he departed for Moe's.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Paula Whitley then asked Miller to go over text message exchanges with Miles in the time right before the shooting.

Much of this had already been presented in court but absent of the context provided by Miller on the stand Thursday.

At 1:02 a.m., Miles texts Miller asking if he could pick him up and take him to The Lofts — the apartments where Miles lived.

Miller asked him when he needed to be picked up, to which Miles responded at 1:04 a.m. "whenever you leave that joint."

Miller responded at 1:06 a.m. that it was probably "going to be a minute."

After a brief pause in the conversation, Miles texts Miller again at 1:19 a.m. asking how long he was going to be at Moe's. Miller then told Miles to ride with Bradley and said he was going to give Tide basketball player Jaden Quinerly a ride back to his apartment.

Miller went on to say that he would be at Quinerly's apartment at The Vie after dropping off Spears.

Miller testified he eventually texted Miles at 1:38 a.m. that he was on the way to pick him up on The Strip. With Miller en route, though, and almost at the same time Miller had text him, Miles tells him: "I need my joint a n---- rl just got da fakin."

Miles was allegedly describing the brief verbal altercation on The Strip between Davis and Cedric Johnson — the boyfriend of Jamea Harris who shot Davis twice during the exchange of gunfire that killed Harris as she sat in the front passenger seat of her black Jeep Wrangler.

Johnson testified Tuesday that Davis was the initial aggressor and shot first after he ran up to the driver's side of the Jeep.

At the time of this crucial text message, Miles, Davis and Bradley could be seen on surveillance camera cutting through the back parking lot of the Houndstooth Sports Bar on their way to where Bradley had parked his car at a nearby apartment complex.

Miller responded again at 1:40 a.m. that he was on his way and later testified that he didn't know the gun owned by Miles was in his car until his teammate texted him about it.

While waiting on Miller to arrive and give Miles a ride, Bradley's car can be seen pulling out onto Grace Street and parking. As Patch reported on Wednesday, Bradley testified Davis was angry after the verbal exchange with Johnson and refused to get into his car, so Miles did while they waited.

Bradley, who had to physically pull Davis away from the argument with Johnson a few minutes earlier, also testified that Davis was "worried about the Jeep" and wanted to go back up Grace Street to look for it.

Dash camera video from Miller's car was also shown to the jury Thursday morning.

This is a crucial piece of evidence for several reasons — one of the biggest being that it picked up the conversation where Miles told Davis the gun was in the car and responded in the affirmative when Davis asked if there was a bullet in the chamber.

Miller did not speak with either man prior to or following this exchange.

The dash cam footage first shows Miller traveling up University Boulevard before taking a back way to Grace Street where Bradley's car was parked.

While Miller drives slowly up Grace Street, the camera clearly captures him passing the Jeep with its headlights turned off, followed by a red Impala. This was moments before the Jeep executed a U-turn, made its way back down Grace Street and pulled in behind Miller.

Patch previously reported that the red Impala had been reported stolen and was driven by Shu'Bonte Greene. One of the occupants of the Impala, Jack Thompson, is also suspected by defense attorneys of being a third shooter who fired a shotgun during the shootout.

On the dash cam footage, however, Miles and Davis have both gone separate directions at this point but it's clear from the conversation between Miller and Alabama basketball manager Cooper Lee, sitting in the passenger seat, that something was wrong.

"What the hell is going on?" Lee said.

Then the gunshots ring out.

After the first shots are fired, Davis — wearing a face-covering and a heavy coat with the hood pulled up — can be seen in front of Miller's car firing a handgun.

Miller testified that his car was struck twice through the front windshield and also sustained damage when he was side-swiped by the Jeep as the two vehicles tried to exit Grace Street.

"What the f*ck just happened bro?" Lee can be heard telling Miller at one point immediately after the shooting.

Miller, clearly panicked and upset about the damage to his car, told Lee "Don't tell nobody you saw that sh*t."

Miller then testified that it was indeed Davis who was shown on the footage in front of the vehicle shooting a handgun in the direction of his car.

When the prosecution wrapped up its questions Thursday morning, Miller said he'd met with the lead investigator Branden Culpepper twice and was never charged, stressing that he had been cooperative with every phase of the investigation.

While it is prohibited by court order from being discussed in front of the jury, Miller and the two men charged with capital murder were defendants on a recently settled wrongful death lawsuit with the family of Jamea Harris.

Cedric Johnson was also a defendant on the lawsuit at one point but was dropped before the settlement agreement was reached that saw the family paid an undisclosed amount "exceeding $75,000."

Under cross-examination by defense attorney John Robbins, Miller was asked if he interpreted the text message from Miles to mean that his friend felt threatened, to which he agreed.

Miller again mentioned that he was already on his way when he received the message but knew what the message meant before he arrived on Grace Street. He then explained that the term "fakin'" used in the text message is slang for someone making a threat.

What's more, Miller agreed with Robbins that a vehicle turning its lights off is indicative of a drive-by shooting — a notion also mentioned during jury selection by a juror who was not selected for the panel in the capital murder trial.

The third day of the capital murder trial will continue Thursday afternoon in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court with more witness testimony.

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