MILWAUKEE – A Wisconsin man who was reportedly involved in a robbery is charged with six counts of murder after the victims were killed during the crime at a Milwaukee duplex in January.
All six victims were found at a home in north Milwaukee on Jan. 23. However, investigators believe the slayings occurred three days earlier.
Travis Lamar Birkley, 34, was arraigned on the charges Sunday and is being held on $1 million bail, the New York Post reported.
A confidential witness told investigators that Birkley admitted to killing all six victims during a “robbery gone bad” with his cousin, according to a complaint.
Court records said that Birkley sometimes stayed at the home where the bodies were found and that he worked security for the drug dealing that took place at the residence, Fox 6 Milwaukee reported.
Detectives found a “selfie” that Birkley allegedly took in the basement of the home on Jan. 20, hours after the murders occurred, in which Birkley is wearing sunglasses that belonged to one of the victims.
A witness also told police that they saw Birkley with cash, guns, and drugs after the homicides that belonged to a victim, according to the complaint.
The deceased victims were identified as Charles Hardy, 42; Caleb Jordan, 23; Javoni Liddell, 31; Donta “Michael” Williams, 44; Michelle Williams, 49; and 43-year-old Donald Smith, police said.
According to court documents, investigators collected 11 spent 9mm cartridge casings at the crime scene. They were fired from two different weapons. One fired six and the other fired five, consistent with two shooters being involved in the murders, Fox 6 reported.
Milwaukee police initially arrested four individuals following the murders in January. However, they were later released. Currently, no one else has been charged in the slayings other than Birkley.
The Milwaukee Police Department did not comment further on the case after Birkley’s arraignment on Sunday.
