In the fading light of a late winter evening in 2017, the life of 18-year-old Tyshun Tyree Miller was cut short in a burst of violence. On March 18, 2017, Miller was the victim of a fatal drive-by shooting in the Brighton community, a close-knit area near Bessemer, Alabama. The sudden and tragic event sent ripples of grief and shock through the local community, leaving family and friends to mourn the loss of the young man.
In the days that followed, law enforcement officials launched an
intensive investigation into the shooting. Their efforts led to the arrests of three individuals: Hendarius Jamal Jones, then 26, Jermiah Benson, 25, and Deandre Moore, 26. All three men were subsequently charged with capital murder in connection with Miller's death, bringing a glimmer of hope to a grieving family that justice would be served. Jones and Moore were taken into custody within five days of the incident, while Benson was apprehended in March of the following year.
However, the path to justice took an unexpected turn more than two years after the fatal shooting. In September 2019, a Jefferson County Circuit Judge dismissed the capital murder charges against Hendarius Jamal Jones and Jermiah Benson. It was also anticipated that the charges against Deandre Moore would be dropped. The dismissals came after the presentation of video evidence that reportedly provided an alibi for the suspects, suggesting they were at a service station in Brighton after having driven to Bessemer's Southside to drop one of them off, making it impossible for them to have been at the scene of the crime at the time of the shooting.
The charges were dismissed without prejudice, which leaves open the possibility for them to be refiled should new evidence surface. In the wake of this development, prosecutors have urged for the investigation into the death of Tyshun Tyree Miller to remain active. The case, for now, remains a painful and unresolved chapter for his loved ones and the community.
