The Richmond County grand jury returned a murder indictment Tuesday, Feb. 8, against a Waynesboro man suspected of killing a transgender woman in late 2020.
Jerrome T. Miller, 30, is accused of murder and weapon charges in the Oct. 3, 2020, fatal shooting of 33-year-old Felycya Harris.
Harris, a transgender social media influencer, was found shot to death at Meadowbrook Park in south Augusta.
Miller was arrested Nov. 20, 2021.
MORE: Felycya Harris Murder: Five things to know after Jerrome Miller’s arrest
Another man, who has been repeatedly reported by friends of the victim as having information pertaining to the crime, previously known only as “Gunslinger” is now in police custody.
Reginald Barnes, also known as “Gunslinger,” 48, was arrested on Nov. 24, 2021 on a grand jury warrant.
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Felycya Harris was born Antaun Benjamin Harris and had lived as a woman named Felycya for years. Harris had created multiple platforms on social media, including Snapchat, where she sought social media fame as a transgender activist and interior designer.
Apparently, Harris spent a lot of time on Snapchat, which is a service that airs a video once and then deletes it for further viewing.
MORE: Murders Unsolved in Augusta: The Felycya Harris Homicide
According to multiple sources, Harris was also known to invite men to tryst with her and would capture the sexual acts on camera. The sources say that if the men caught on camera with Harris did not pay her, she would post the encounter on Snapchat.
One man filed a police report, stating he was being extorted by Harris over a brief encounter that occurred in her apartment. The man stated he was enticed by Harris to her apartment to smoke marijuana, and he allowed a sexual act to occur between the two, but fled the scene when he discovered that Harris was a biological male.
The victim reported that shortly afterwards he began getting threatening phone calls threatening him that video of the encounter would be broadcast on the internet if he did not pay to keep the matter quiet.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has not released a possible motive for why Miller might have allegedly committed the slaying; internet speculation is that some of Harris’ online sexual exploits may have caught up with her in deadly fashion.
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Sources, who wished to remain undisclosed, say that Harris hung out at a garage off of Spring Grove Drive in south Augusta that was frequented by a man known on the street as “Gunslinger” as well as then-Richmond County Sheriff’s Deputy Alphonzo Forrest.
Aside from his job as a deputy, Forrest also performed on various internet platforms as a “media influencer,” primarily hosting and appearing on podcasts and YouTube videos about mental health and physical fitness.
Who frequented the auto garage became important when evidence related to Harris’ last hours was found sitting out in broad daylight.
Harris’ automobile was found at the auto repair shop, stripped nearly to the chassis shortly after her death, according to Harris’ mother Clara Taylor.
“They tore that car up. There was nothing left. Someone, maybe her roommate, changed all her passwords so nobody could access anything. I know there was more than one person involved,” Taylor said.
Gunslinger, now known to be Barnes, is in police custody, according to sources close to the investigation; however, there is no record of him being housed at the Charles Webster Detention Center. The warrant does say “two other safe keeping” which means that he is likely being held in another county for any variety of reasons.
Meanwhile, Forrest, who quit the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and entered rehab shortly after the murder, was fired from the Snellville Police Department, a small town east of Atlanta, for lying on his job application shortly after being given a polygraph test by his own department over his association with Harris and his possible knowledge of the circumstances surrounding her death.
MORE: Former Richmond County Deputy Fired Over Felycya Harris Murder Investigation
In September of 2021, Investigator Randall Amos of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office named Forrest as a person of interest; however, no further information on Forrest’s status regarding the investigation has been released.
While an arrest and indictment have been secured in the murder of Harris, the investigation remains ongoing.
Sandy Hodson, Greg Rickabaugh and Anna Virella contributed to this article.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
Greg Rickabaugh is the Jail Report contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at greg.rickabaugh@theaugustapress.com
Anna Virella is the newsroom coordinator with The Augusta Press. Reach her at anna@theaugustapress.com.
