Tuscaloosa Murder Trial for Darius Mile's Codefendant Draws Near

The jury trial of the alleged shooter in one of the most notorious homicides in Tuscaloosa's recent history may be just weeks away, a judge said Tuesday.

The killing in question is the January 2023 shooting of Jamea Harris, who was fatally shot during a gunfight between Michael "Buzz" Davis and the victim's boyfriend, a man named Cedric Johnson.

What may have been a relatively routine case was made into worldwide news by Davis's lifelong friend and now co-defendant - former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles.

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As the Thread has extensively reported, Miles and other members of the Alabama basketball team were on the Tuscaloosa Strip celebrating a home win over the LSU Tigers on January 15th, 2023. His friend Michael Davis had a short verbal altercation with Cedric Johnson, who was visiting from Birmingham with Harris, her female cousin and three other men.

Darius Miles reportedly saw Johnson arm himself, and he texted his then-teammate Brandon Miller, asking him to drive to the Strip so Miles could retrieve a gun he left in the car when riding with Miller earlier that night.

Miller arrived, Michael Davis armed himself with Darius Miles' gun, and moments later, he exchanged fire with Cedric Johnson, who was in the driver's seat of a Jeep driving down Grace Street on the Strip.

Johnson shot Davis twice, and police say one of the shots Davis fired fatally struck 23-year-old Jamea Harris in the head. Attorneys on either side of the case disagree about who shot first.

Johnson drove down the street to the Walk of Champions, where he found police officers who called in droves of others, including the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit. Investigators eventually charged Michael Davis with capital murder for Harris' death. Because he provided the gun, Darius Miles was arrested and charged with the same.

There's a lot more nuance to the case, but much of it has been covered in our previous reporting and will surely be explored again when the cases go to trial.

Both men have been held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond since January 2023. The cases are being tried separately, and different defense attorneys are representing Miles and Davis.

For Michael Davis, that day seems just weeks away. Circuit Judge Daniel Pruet held a hearing on Wednesday to review the case with Chief Assistant District Attorney Paula Whitley and Davis' lead defense attorney, Birmingham's John Robbins.

Pruet told the lawyers he's ready to begin a jury trial on Monday, May 5th, which is just over 10 weeks away. Trying to estimate how long they should plan to be in court, the attorneys could not rule out the trial lasting more than a week but said it should certainly conclude in less than two weeks.

Pruet said there will likely be at least one more hearing between now and then, but he expects the trial to begin as scheduled.

There are currently no hearings scheduled for co-defendant Darius Miles and no trial date has been set for the former Alabama basketball player.

For more coverage of both cases as they develop and the trial when it begins, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.