Phenix City man facing murder charges sent back to jail after bond hearing

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Damon Daniels, Jr. is facing murder charges after being accused of shooting and killing 40-year-old Darrelyn Harris and 32-year-old John Burkus on the river walk in Phenix City. He is facing capital murder charges under Alabama law.

“Under certain qualifications, and the murder to two individuals at the same event qualifies as capital murder which means that the punishment if convicted, can be the death penalty or life without patrol,” says Russell County District Attorney Rick Chancey.

This isn’t the first time Daniels has faced murder charges. According to documents we obtained, Daniels took a plea deal back in 2019 in the shooting death of Anthony Harmon at a nightclub parking lot on South Seale Road in Phenix City. Those charges were reduced from murder to manslaughter. And that case came up during court proceedings Wednesday. “He had pled guilty to manslaughter, which was reduced from murder, and then he served a 5-year split sentence, and then he got out on probation which is when I believe this occurred,” says Chancey.

District Attorney Rick Chancey says for the families of the two men shot and killed earlier this month, this helps bring some closure. “I think it brings a little piece of mind for them to know the person charged with this is not on the street anymore, and the Phenix city police department did a great job in getting this person arrested,” says Chancey. He also credits the community with helping make the arrest by not being afraid to come forward with information leading police straight to Daniels. “We got to this charge from people stepping up to report it,” says Chancey.

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