On a Saturday afternoon in Colquitt, Georgia, a violent encounter cut short the life of 30-year-old Lamaris Miller. The incident, which occurred on June 20, 2015, at approximately 2:00 PM, also resulted in serious injuries to two teenagers, 18-year-old Damien Lee and 17-year-old Levionte Burr. The tranquil day was shattered by the sound of gunfire at a residence on North 2nd Street, prompting a response from the Colquitt Police Department.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered a
chaotic scene with three individuals suffering from gunshot wounds. Lamaris Miller, a male, was pronounced dead at the scene. The two other victims, Lee and Burr, were so severely injured that they were airlifted to the Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan for urgent medical care. The gravity of the situation led the local police to request the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to piece together the events that had transpired.
The investigation quickly centered on 47-year-old Ralph Rogers, who was arrested at the scene. Eyewitnesses provided a harrowing account of the moments leading up to the shooting. According to their testimony, the altercation began when Burr approached Rogers armed with a tire iron. Rogers responded by shooting Burr. After Burr fell, Rogers shot her again. At this point, Lamaris Miller, who was unarmed, approached Rogers questioning why he had shot his sister. In response, Rogers shot and killed Miller. The violence did not end there; Rogers then pursued Damien Lee, who had run across the street, shooting him in the back and then standing over him to shoot him a second time.
In the aftermath, Ralph Rogers was taken into custody and held at the Miller County Jail. On August 17, 2015, a grand jury indicted him on multiple charges, including malice murder for the death of Lamaris Miller, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault for the shootings of Damien Lee and Levionte Burr, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. His trial commenced on April 4, 2016, and concluded with the jury finding him guilty on all counts. On June 20, 2016, exactly one year after the fatal shooting, Rogers was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Lamaris Miller.
