Former Alabama basketball participant Darius Miles has been indicted by way of a grand jury on capital homicide fees for the January capturing loss of life of a 23-year-old girl close to campus, his lawyer showed to the Associated Press on Friday.
Michael Davis, who could also be charged within the capturing loss of life of Jamea Harris, used to be additionally indicted, protection lawyer Mary Turner advised the AP. Turner best represents Miles.
Tuscaloosa county district lawyer Hays Webb advised AL.com that the indictments in opposition to Miles and Davis, who have been held with out bond since their arrest, have been issued on Wednesday.
Harris used to be sitting in a automobile when she used to be struck by way of a bullet. A police investigator testified remaining month that Miles equipped the handgun Davis allegedly used within the capturing.
During a courtroom listening to remaining month, Turner prompt Miles used to be in a defensive posture when he advised Davis the place the gun used to be positioned.
But prosecutors maintained there used to be abundant proof to pursue fees within the capturing, which took place early January 15 at the Strip, a district of bars and eating places close to the Tuscaloosa campus. Testimony on the listening to remaining month indicated there were some type of verbal altercation ahead of the capturing.
The Turner Law Group, which is representing Miles, issued a remark Friday, announcing they have been disillusioned by way of the verdict to pursue capital homicide fees “considering the evidence uncovered during our investigation and the obvious weaknesses in the government’s case brought to light during the preliminary hearing .”
Miles used to be a reserve at the Crimson Tide however an ankle harm sidelined him for the remainder of the season. After he used to be charged in January, Alabama stated he used to be “removed from campus” and the workforce.
During the February courtroom listening to, Tuscaloosa police investigator Brandon Culpepper testified that Miles texted Tide freshman basketball big name Brandon Miller to carry him his gun. Police have stated every other participant, guard Jaden Bradley, used to be additionally on the scene.
Neither Miller nor Bradley had been charged with anything else.
“This whole situation is just really heartbreaking, but respectfully that’s all I’m going to be able to say on that,” Miller advised journalists Wednesday in his first public feedback concerning the case.
Both Miller and Bradley have persisted to play because the No. 4 workforce within the nation because it makes its manner during the Southeastern Conference Tournament forward of the NCAA match. Miller scored 18 issues and had 9 rebounds in Friday’s SEC quarter-final win over Mississippi State.
In the postgame information convention, Miller used to be requested his ideas at the indictment. He stated, “I can’t – I’m not going to be able to say on that.”
Coach Nate Oats used to be requested whether or not he has a guns coverage for his workforce, and stated that “our players are required to follow the university policy on guns, which essentially bans them on campus.”
He additionally used to be requested who used to be occupied with deciding whether or not Miller and Bradley may just proceed to play.
“It’s been a difficult situation, as you understand. I mean, we’re dealing with a criminal matter,” Oats said, adding that as the school received “facts from law enforcement as they do their investigation,” “this was a decision made, based on all the facts we had, with , obviously, my boss, (Director of Athletics) Greg Byrne; his boss, (President) Dr. (Stuart) Bell; and the Board of Trustees.
“And everybody was comfortable, and based on the information we had, Brandon didn’t break any school policy or team policy, so … I was comfortable with the decision that was made.”
Harris’ mother told reporters last month that she is frustrated by the focus on basketball instead of her daughter’s death. She said her daughter was a beautiful person who was trying to have a night out with friends when she was killed.
“She has a 5-year-old son that is still waiting for his mother to come home,” DeCarla Heard told reporters. “I want justice for my grandson.”
Oats used to be requested Friday whether or not he has spoken to Harris’ circle of relatives.
“Listen, this entire scenario has been, clearly, as you already know, tricky to take care of, tragic, to have any involvement in a tender girl dropping her existence. What you ask is a personal topic. I’m now not going to speak about publicly with everyone,” he said. “A lot of this is just hard to deal with, to be honest with you. But it’s a private matter.”