Man acquitted in 2 videoed Birmingham homicides was previously charged in killings of toddler, man in park

A 28-year-old Birmingham man who posted Facebook live video of a shooting that left two men dead has been acquitted of capital murder.

A Jefferson County jury on Thursday found Dmarrco Harris not guilty in the 2022 fatal shootings. Harris successfully claimed self-defense.

Harris, who had previously been charged with two other murders including that of a toddler boy, was initially charged with murder in the slayings of Roderick Mariachi Williams and attempted murder in the wounding Antwain Lamar Lewis, Jr.

Lewis, however, died earlier this year from complications of the gunshot wound two years ago and the charges were updated to capital murder for the killing of two or more people in the same incident.

Lewis died on Jan. 25, 2024, and the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office ruled his death a homicide because he died from complications of the 2022 gunshot wound.

The double shooting happened on Friday, April 29, 2022. Officers responded at 10:53 p.m. to the 4200 of Second Avenue South.

Williams lying unresponsive on a staircase at an apartment complex. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Lewis was found lying on a sidewalk. He was taken to UAB Hospital.

Lewis was eventually released from the hospital and went home to Adamsville where he died near three months ago.

Harris was set to go to trial in those cases earlier this year, but then Lewis died. Jefferson County prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury, which returned the capital murder indictment last week.

In the video recorded and posted by Harris, he showed both victims and said, “In that video, Harris showed both victims and said, “Hey, we got one down in South Avondale. Look at this boy. They just tried to kill me. They’ve been trying to kill me for 10 years.”

Harris said in the video the dispute started while playing dice. “I blowed that (expletive) away,’’ he said in the video.

He claimed self-defense in the video and said there was a $20,000 “hit” on him.

After his arrest in that case, Harris was then charged with murder in an April 24, 2022, shooting that killed 40-year-old Urian Dion Woods, who was found wounded at Birmingham’s Marconi Park.

Woods was taken to UAB Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.

Prosecutors last year dismissed the charges against Harris in Woods’ slaying saying they did not have enough evidence to move forward with the trial.

Harris was also one of four young men charged in the 2017 shooting death of 2-year-old Ron’Narius “Duke” Austin, and the wounding of his mother, Shay Austin.

They, along with two others, were riding in a vehicle on the way home from a family gathering when they were shot.

Police said a vehicle with at least four people in it was at some point involved in a shootout with someone inside the victims’ vehicle. Charges against Harris and three others were later dismissed at the request of prosecutors.

Harris, who had been held in the Jefferson County Jail since 2022, was released from custody midday Friday.