In the quiet city of Phenix City, Alabama, the life of 41-year-old Jermaine Harris was cut short by violence. On December 17, 2020, Harris was fatally shot in an apartment on 10th Avenue. Details surrounding the circumstances of the shooting and information regarding any potential suspects or arrests in connection with his death have not been made public.
The case of who is responsible for the death of Jermaine Harris remains unresolved.
Nearly two years later, another act of violence shook the community, this time along the Phenix City Riverwalk. On the afternoon of December 3, 2022, 40-year-old Darren 'Darrelyn' Tremaine Harris, a Black male, and 32-year-old John Arthur Burkus were shot and killed in a brazen daytime attack. Witnesses reported seeing Harris being shot from the 14th Street Walking Bridge.
The investigation into the double homicide led Phenix City Police to identify a person of interest through surveillance footage. This ultimately led to the arrest of Damon Daniels Jr. Daniels was taken into custody in Columbus, Georgia, and faced capital murder charges for the deaths of Harris and Burkus. Investigators discovered. 40-caliber ammunition in Daniels' bedroom, which matched the ammunition found at the crime scene. During questioning, Daniels initially denied being in Phenix City on the day of the murders but later claimed he shot both men in self-defense, alleging that he had used methamphetamine that day which made him paranoid.
Court proceedings revealed that this was not Daniels' first encounter with the law regarding a homicide. He had previously been charged with murder in the 2019 shooting death of Anthony Harmon. In that case, the charge was reduced to manslaughter, and Daniels received a five-year split sentence. For the murders of Harris and Burkus, the Russell County District Attorney announced they would be seeking the death penalty. The families of both victims expressed their desire for justice to be served. An obituary for Darren Harris described him as a graduate of Central High School in Phenix City, an avid basketball player, and a lover of the arts who also enjoyed singing. He was a father of four children.
