Jamila Rogers

A sweet and loving woman, Jamila Rogers was dedicated to caring for her sick mother and was a cherished presence in the lives of her family in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 27-year-old Black woman is remembered by her loved ones for her kind spirit. Her life was cut short in what her family has described as a devastating act of domestic violence.

In the early morning hours of Sunday, November 6, 2022, Jamila was on Bragg Street in Raleigh when an altercation broke out among several people. Her aunt, who witnessed the horrific event, said the confrontation escalated. "They stepped up to her and she pushed them back - he told her don’t you ever put your hands on me again," her aunt recounted to reporters. She said that as Jamila was walking away from the argument, she turned back around. At that moment, around 1:30 a.m., she was shot.

Her aunt rushed to her side. “I was devastated. I was there," she said. "I was there to lay with her on the ground hoping that she would survive. She never came back. I was hoping she was coming home.” Emergency personnel arrived at the scene, but Jamila’s injuries were fatal. Her death left her family heartbroken, particularly her mother, who had relied on her daughter for care. In the days that followed, a memorial of candles appeared in the 600 block of Bragg Street, spelling out "LLJ" for "Long Live Jamila," a testament to the love her community held for her.

The Raleigh Police Department launched a homicide investigation and quickly identified a suspect: 44-year-old Stanley Lemont Johnson, who was known by the alias "Tadpole." Police released his mugshot, stating he was Jamila's ex-partner and was last seen leaving the scene on foot, heading eastbound on Bragg Street. They asked the public for help in locating him.

Johnson was eventually apprehended and brought to trial in Wake County Superior Court. Court documents from his subsequent appeal refer to the victim in the case as Jermiller Kernny. In April 2025, a jury acquitted Johnson of first-degree murder with premeditation but found him guilty of first-degree felony murder, with the illegal possession of a firearm by a felon serving as the underlying felony. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Johnson appealed the conviction. In a 2-1 decision released in September 2026, the North Carolina Court of Appeals ordered a new trial. The appellate judges ruled that the trial judge had introduced the felony-murder theory too late in the proceedings, after the defense had already prepared its evidence and closing arguments based on the initial first-degree murder charge. The court found that this timing deprived Johnson of adequate notice and a fair opportunity to respond to the new theory. The ruling was not a finding of innocence but a decision based on trial procedure.

As of October 2026, the case was expected to return to the Wake County trial court. Prosecutors could potentially seek a review from the North Carolina Supreme Court or proceed with a new trial against Stanley Johnson for the killing of Jamila Rogers. Her family continues to wait for a final legal resolution, while her aunt’s warning to others about the dangers of domestic violence still resonates. “Separate yourself," she advised, "because it could cost you your life or others.”