Michael Davis trial: Jury watches interrogation video

Hours after a young woman was shot and killed near the Strip in Tuscaloosa, the investigator tried and tried again to get an answer from Michael Davis.

How did Davis get the gunshot wound to his right shoulder? Did he shoot at someone, the investigator asked?

“No, I wasn’t shooting at nobody,” Davis said in a recorded interrogation on Jan. 15, 2023.

The jury in Davis’ capital murder trial today watched video footage of that interrogation.

Despite repeatedly saying he couldn’t remember what happened, Davis was arrested and charged with capital murder, accused of shooting and killing Jamea Harris.

The jury in downtown Tuscaloosa this week has also watched different videos clips that showed Davis coming up from behind the Jeep that carried Harris. Then surveillance videos showed Davis exchanging gunfire with someone in the Jeep.

During the trial this week, the prosecution and defense have argued differently as to who shot first: Davis or Harris’ boyfriend, Cedric Johnson. John Robbins, attorney for Davis, has argued that Johnson shot first and Davis returned fire “acting in self-defense” after a dispute. Johnson, and the prosecution, have disputed that in court, saying Davis shot first.

No matter who shot first, it’s undisputed that Davis exchanged gunfire with Johnson on Jan. 15, 2023.

Also charged with capital murder is Davis’ friend Darius Miles, who was on the Alabama men’s basketball team at the time. Davis was not affiliated with the team. Miles, who was removed from the team after his arrest, does not yet have a trial date set.

Branden Culpepper, the investigator who questioned Davis two years ago, took the stand Thursday on the fourth day of the trial as the prosecutors played the video.

Earlier in the night before Davis spoke with Culpepper, investigator Robert Newels went to the hospital to respond to a victim of a shooting, which was Davis. Newels told the jury that “I don’t remember” is the only response he ever got back from Davis when he asked him questions.

“‘I don’t remember’ doesn’t help us try to find out who did this to you,” Newels said.

“I don’t care,” Davis replied, per audio of the interview.

Davis told Culpepper he was drunk and that he couldn’t remember much anything that happened that night on the Strip.

“I took a big-ass shot of Tito’s,” Davis said, adding that it “f—ed me up.”

“I wouldn’t drink that Tito’s no more,” Culpepper responded.

Davis said he didn’t remember if he had gone downtown that night. He also didn’t seem to indicate that he knew Skylar Essex, Miles’ girlfriend, when asked, even though video evidence showed Davis speaking with Essex before the shooting on Grace Street.

“I knew he had some bitches,” Davis said.

Davis asked Essex where the Jeep was while standing on Grace Street, per testimony from Essex this week. Essex also testified that Davis told Miles to “take (Essex) home” shortly after. Also, Davis told Culpepper that Miles was essentially his brother because they had been close since 7th grade.

After talking for several minutes in the interrogation room, and Davis not giving Culpepper any kind of answer for how he got shot or if he shot someone, Culpepper became more and more confrontational.

“The fact you don’t want to tell me why you got shot is alarming to me,” Culpepper said.

Davis didn’t respond.

Shortly after, Culpepper stopped asking questions and began making statements.

“You caught a round in the shoulder, but a girl caught one in the face,” Culpepper told Davis.

Culpepper testified that he ended the interview once Davis asked for a lawyer. Robbins contended Culpepper ended the interview only after Davis asked for a lawyer a second time. The audio from the video played in court was not conclusive as to when Davis asked for a lawyer and if there were multiple occasions he did so; some of the audio was difficult to make out.

Later during testimony, two 911 calls were played; the one that a witness made after witnessing the shooting stating she saw someone with a shotgun on Grace Street, and the 911 call Miles made from an apartment after the shooting was also played Thursday.

The 911 operator asked where Davis was shot.

“He don’t know,” Miles said.

What part of town?

“He said he drunk,” Miles said. “He don’t know.”

After a short pause where no one was on the phone with the 911 operator, another voice that appeared to be Davis’ got on the phone.

“I think I’m grazed,” he said. “I don’t know. It hit my shoulder. I can’t move it.”

The voice said he needed an ambulance. The 911 operator assured him one was on the way throughout the call.

The 911 operator checked again: You don’t know where you got shot?

“No,” the voice said. “I’m drunk.”

No evidence has been shown in court to show how intoxicated Davis was or wasn’t when he was fielding these questions, or at any point in the night. Culpepper testified he took Davis’ blood, swabbed his cheek for DNA and also scraped under his fingernails. But Culpepper did not submit Davis’ blood for testing. It remains in evidence.

Culpepper said under cross examination that it was his decision not to submit the blood to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, but no reason was specified as to why he didn’t during testimony.

The trial will continue Friday.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.