Report: Brandon Miller, Darius Miles wrongful death lawsuit settled

The wrongful death lawsuit against former Alabama players Brandon Miller and Darius Miles has been settled, AL.com’s Matt Stahl and Nick Kelly reported. As part of the settlement, the suit will be dropped with prejudice and a trust fund will be set up to benefit the child of Jamea Jonae Harris – the woman who was killed during the January 2023 incident.

Miller and Miles were defendants in the suit, as was Michael “Buzz” Davis. All parties agreed to dismiss the suit with prejudice, which means the plaintiff cannot file the same claim again. U.S. district judge Anna M. Manasco approved terms of the settlement, as well as the dismissal, on Monday, according to AL.com. Specific terms were not revealed.

Miller is currently in his second season in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets after going No. 2 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was never charged with a crime in the case, while both Miles and Davis are facing capital murder charges. They are awaiting trial.

Darius Miles was removed from campus and the Alabama basketball team as a result of the incident, which took place in the early morning hours of Jan. 15, 2023. Police from Tuscaloosa as well as the University of Alabama were dispatched around 1:45 a.m. that morning. They were sent to the Walk of Champions at Bryant-Denny Stadium. There, they found Harris dead inside a vehicle, per Capt. Jack Kennedy of Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes, as they later deduced that the shooting had taken place off of University Boulevard.

The driver of the vehicle told police their car was hit with gunshots. In turn, the driver returned fire in self-defense and notified authorities that he may have struck one of the shooters.

According to AL.com, Miller drove to The Strip that night because he was Miles’ ride. Miles also allegedly texted Miller asking for his “joint,” which investigators said meant his gun which Miles left in the back of the car. Miller’s attorney also testified Miller didn’t know “that illegal activity involving the gun would occur.”

A grand jury indicted both Miles and Davis, who allegedly pulled the trigger, on capital murder charges in March 2023. Miles has since been denied bond multiple times. Tuscaloosa Circuit Court judge Daniel F. Pruet also denied a a motion to suppress statements Miles made to law enforcement on Jan. 15, 2023.