A Berrien County jury found Yas'mine Harris guilty on all five counts Friday in the February 2023 kidnapping and killing of 20-year-old Ja'kesse Middleton, closing the first chapter of a case that took more than three years to reach trial. Middleton, a Valdosta resident, was found dead along Highway 122 near Possum Creek Road two days after he was reported missing.
Harris was one of four people indicted in connection with Middleton's death, and her trial was underway.
Middleton's body was discovered on February 25, 2023, prompting a joint investigation by the Berrien County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The body was found on a rural stretch of Highway 122 near Possum Creek Road in Berrien County.
Four Initial Arrests
State investigators arrested four initial suspects in March 2023 — Norman Wright of Warner Robins, along with Valdosta residents Ernest Smith, Eric Smith, and Harris — each charged with three counts of felony murder, kidnapping, robbery, and aggravated assault, per the GBI's press release. Four people were indicted in connection with Middleton's death.
The Berrien County Sheriff's Office requested assistance from the GBI, which listed its Region 4 Douglas Office for tips.
Plea Deals Cleared the Way for the First Trial
Two of Harris's co-defendants accepted plea agreements before her trial. A remaining co-defendant is scheduled for a separate jury trial in March 2027, meaning the case will stay active in Berrien County courts for months to come.
The Alapaha Judicial Circuit covers Atkinson, Berrien, Clinch, Cook, and Lanier counties, and Chase Studstill was appointed district attorney in 2021, according to the Office of the Governor of Georgia.
Possible Sentences Under Georgia Law
Under Georgia Code § 16-5-1, a person convicted of murder may be punished by death, life imprisonment without parole, or life imprisonment, according to Justia. That statute defines felony murder as causing a death during the commission of an underlying dangerous felony, regardless of intent, meaning life imprisonment is one possible penalty at sentencing.
Middleton's parents spoke during court proceedings in 2026 about their son's kidnapping and death. With Harris's conviction now secured and one more co-defendant still awaiting trial next March, the family's wait for complete answers in the case is not yet over.
