BUFFALO, N.Y. — An indictment was unsealed Monday morning in the State Supreme Court charging Jamien Harris, 41, with second-degree murder.
The Buffalo woman is accused of shooting to death her grandmother on November 21, 2021.
Catherine Jones, 90, had dementia and after the death of her husband was being cared for by her granddaughter Jamien, according to relatives.
In November, police responded to a domestic call at Jones' Highgate Avenue home and found her shot in the chest. She died as a result of her injuries.
Prosecutors describe the killing as intentional.
When police searched the home on a warrant, loaded unregistered handguns were found. Harris pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a firearm and was sentenced to five years probation in January of this year.
In a move that is rare, the judge, Hon. M. William Boller did not set bail for this homicide case.
Roosevelt Jones is the son of Catherine and uncle of Jamien. He was not expecting to learn that his niece was going to be free.
"It surprised me because she needs to be held accountable for what she did, and I'm disappointed that bail wasn't set. I felt that she should be remanded with no bail but if she got bail, I felt it. It should be extremely high," Jones said.
He described the care his mother provided for Jamien as loving and thoughtful. "My mother has bought her cars, got her apartments, furniture. She was wonderful to Jamien and this is how she repays her by. allegedly murdering her."
If convicted of the murder charge, Harris faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.