Wrongful Death Settlement for Mother of Jamea Harris, Fatally Shot Near University of Alabama

On January 15, 2023, Jamea Jonae Harris, 23, was fatally shot on Grace Street near the University of Alabama's Tuscaloosa Strip. She left behind a son, then five years old. Darius Miles, a former Alabama basketball player, and Michael Davis were charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting. Brandon Miller, another former Alabama player who went on to be selected second overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, was not criminally charged but became a civil defendant.

In October 2023, Kirby D. Farris and Malia D. Tartt of Farris, Riley & Pitt filed a wrongful death suit in federal court on behalf of Decarla Raietta Heard, Harris's mother and the personal representative of her estate. The complaint named Miles, Davis, and Miller as defendants and sought damages exceeding $75,000 to be determined by a jury.

The central theory against Miller rested on gun liability. A police investigator had testified that the firearm used in the killing was retrieved from Miller's vehicle. The complaint alleged that the defendants "knew or should have known that bringing a dangerous weapon to a dispute and discharging said weapon would likely result in harm" to bystanders. Miller's defense maintained that he had no knowledge of any intent to use the weapon and never handled it, pointing out that it had been concealed under clothing on the vehicle's rear seat.

The case was litigated in U.S. District Court before Judge Anna M. Manasco. A trial date had been set for June 2025. Before that date arrived, the parties reached a confidential settlement. In late March 2025, Judge Manasco entered an order dismissing the lawsuit with prejudice. As part of the settlement, the court approved the creation of a trust administered by Advocacy Trust, LLC for the benefit of Harris's son. The settlement amount was not disclosed publicly.