Status Hearing For Former Alabama Basketball Player Darius Miles Set For July

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Capital murder suspect and former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles will have a status hearing in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court in July that could possibly see a trial date set.

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This latest development comes after his co-defendant in the case, Maryland native Michael Lynn Davis, was found guilty of capital murder in the 2023 shooting death of 23-year-old Birmingham mother Jamea Harris on Grace Street.

Jurors unanimously agreed that Davis was the aggressor after viewing security camera footage that shows Davis run up to the side of the Jeep driven by Harris' boyfriend Cedric Johnson as it pulled in behind cars owned by Alabama basketball players Brandon Miller and Jaden Bradley.

Davis was shot twice during the exchange and is believed to have fired the shot that killed Harris as she sat in the front passenger seat of her Jeep.

Miles is accused of giving his handgun to Davis, who used it in the fatal shootout with Johnson in the early morning hours of Jan. 15, 2023.

Court records show a status conference for Miles is set for July 11.

In a separate filing, Circuit Court Judge Daniel Pruet denied a motion to suppress statements Miles gave to law enforcement prior to and immediately after being charged with capital murder.

Defense attorney Mary Turner argued in her motion that Miles was interviewed by law enforcement three different times before he was formally charged.

ALSO READ: Jury Finds Michael Davis Guilty Of Capital Murder In 2023 Shooting Death Of Jamea Harris

The first of these alleged interviews occurred at The Vie at University Downs after Miles called 911 to report that his friend had been shot. As Patch previously reported, Miles could be heard on the call with dispatch saying he did not know how Davis had been shot.

Miles was also among the occupants who remained at the apartment when Captain Marty Sellers of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit told them "no one was leaving" until the officers finished their investigation.

Turner said Miles had three separate interactions with law enforcement at the apartment and was not advised of his right to remain silent. She also said that while the interactions were not accusatory in nature, the officers' questions focused on the events leading up to the shooting.

Judge Pruet ruled that these interactions at the apartment did not rise to the level of a custodial interrogation, pointing out that Miles possessed his cell phone the entire time and was not segregated from others in the apartment.

Turner goes on to say that the first interaction saw Sellers speak with Miles and another occupant in one of the apartment's bedrooms about what happened that evening. Neither of the young men were handcuffed and talked to Sellers for approximately four minutes.

VCU Investigator Christopher Martin was later asked to speak with Miles and talked to him for about three minutes in one of the apartment's bedrooms, asking him what he had "seen or heard" when Davis was shot.

Investigator Jeff Miller, who has testified during previous hearings for Miles, then reportedly arrived at the apartment and also spoke with Miles for about seven minutes.

Among the occupants of the apartment who were taken to VCU for formal interviews was Skylar Essex, Miles' girlfriend. This prompted Miles to ask if he could go to the VCU office with Miller and he was allowed to ride in the front passenger seat of Miller's vehicle.

After arriving at the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office, there were reportedly no interview rooms available. Miles was then asked to sit and wait in a lobby, where he was neither guarded nor surveilled.

Investigator Miller then took Miles into an interview room when one became available and began with asking his for biographical information before asking more "substantive questions."

It was at this time that Miller confronted Miles by telling him that the statements he made at the apartment did not seem to be true, before encouraging him to "not get caught up" in the case by not being truthful.

Miller then spoke with Miles several different times in the interview room, stepping out on multiple occasions and returning with additional questions.

Miles was in the interview room for about four and a half hours before Miller advised him of his rights and presented a Miranda form to be signed by Miles.

Explaining that the form was "procedural," Miller also testified that he asked Miles if he was going to write his University of Alabama basketball number next to his signature on the form.

He was then interviewed by Miller and others for several more hours after signing the waiver.

Turner argues that the investigators used a two-step interview tactic to trick Miles into speaking with them — a “question first, warn later” interrogation method that is a violation of constitutional rights.

In denying the motion to suppress, Judge Pruet ruled that Miller's interactions with Miles made it clear that he did not initially view Miles as a suspect. This was underscored by Miles riding in the front seat of Miller's vehicle to VCU and being left alone in the lobby at the VCU office before being put into an interview room.

Judge Pruet also ruled that there was no evidence to support the argument that investigators employed a two-step interview tactic to get Miles to talk to them.

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