Milwaukee man charged with murder of 6 near 21st and Wright

MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man has been charged within the deaths of six individuals final January on town’s northside.

Travis Birkley, 34, has been charged with six counts of felony homicide ensuing from an armed theft – celebration to against the law, in keeping with court docket paperwork.

Crime Scene

In accordance with a prison criticism, police have been referred to as to the house close to twenty first and Wright on Jan. 23 round 3:30 p.m. When police arrived, they discovered two individuals outdoors the house who mentioned “there’s two our bodies down there.” Police surveyed the three-story residence and located three our bodies within the basement, which seemed to be sleeping. As soon as blankets have been eliminated, police seen gunshot wounds to the top of all three, later recognized as Charles Hardy, 42, Caleb Jordan, 23, and Javoni Liddel, 31. Within the higher unit of the residence, police discovered Donta “Michael” Williams, 44, and Michelle Williams, 49, lifeless from gunshot wounds. 

Within the higher unit, police discovered a number of rooms that appeared to have objects misplaced as if somebody had been looking for an merchandise or objects. Police then entered a big room that contained piles of things, as if somebody was piling issues up whereas on the lookout for one thing.

Throughout follow-up searches, sufferer Donald Smith, 43, was discovered deceased beneath a pile of clothes within the second-floor bed room.

On the kitchen flooring, detectives discovered a bronze-fired 9mm cartridge casing. Within the widespread room, between the our bodies of Michelle and Donta, Detective Smith discovered a further seven fired 9mm cartridge casings. Elsewhere in that room, they discovered a further two fired 9mm cartridge casings and a final fired 9mm cartridge casing within the upstairs lounge. There have been a complete of 10 fired 9mm cartridge casings within the higher unit of the residence.

Within the basement, detectives discovered quite a few indicators that a number of individuals have been residing within the basement. Moreover, they discovered prescription bottles and paperwork within the identify of the above-mentioned defendant, in addition to a Visa debit card within the identify of the defendant’s cousin.

In whole, 11 fired 9mm cartridge casings have been taken to the Milwaukee Police Division Intelligence Fusion Heart and subjected to testing which decided that the casings have been per having been fired by two completely different 9mm handguns, one fired 6 fired 9mm casings and the opposite fired 5 fired 9mm casings. This might be per two shooters being concerned on this incident.

Witness Statements

Police spoke with a household buddy of Michelle Williams who mentioned her household hadn’t heard from her in two days. When the witnesses went to the house on twenty first and Wright, they discovered dried blood on the doorknob and on the inside door. They then referred to as 911. When officers arrived, the witness went inside however discovered the door to the primary a part of the home locked, so she went downstairs. As soon as there, they noticed the legs of two individuals and ran upstairs to inform the police that there have been “our bodies” within the basement. 

A buddy of the victims mentioned she would go there virtually each day to purchase and use K2, artificial marijuana, which was offered there. She said she was on the residence on January 19 and noticed Donta Williams, Donald Smith, Michelle Williams, and Charles Hardy all current. She said that whereas she was there, Donta Williams was on somebody’s Fb Stay counting out his income from promoting K2. She said that he counted as much as $16,000 whereas she was there. 

The identical witness mentioned she spoke to sufferer Donald Smith on Fb messenger on a video chat at 7:33 a.m. on Jan. 20. The decision lasted 26 minutes and 53 seconds and ended simply earlier than 8:00 a.m. on January 20. This was the final time she noticed Donald Smith. She tried to name him at each 11:53 a.m. and 11:59 a.m., however he didn’t reply. She then went to the residence that very same day round 12:50 p.m. and was pounding on the door, yelling her identify in an try to be let in. Nobody answered and Donald didn’t reply any of her texts or calls ever once more, the criticism mentioned.

Cellphone information and interviews with members of the family discovered all of the victims have been killed on January twentieth, someday after 8:00 a.m.

Suspicious Name to Police

The 911 name occurred at 3:46 a.m. This is similar quantity that left an unread textual content message on Donta Williams’ cellphone on January 20, 2022. The caller was feminine and was crying. The caller said “please assist me” and said that she was shot within the head. The caller said that she was at the moment at 2505 N. twenty fourth Avenue. She additionally said that three different individuals had been shot. Detectives famous that the deal with quantity is the precise variety of the residence concerned on this incident, simply off by three blocks. He additionally notes that the claims of accidents match these suffered by a number of of the victims. A number of individuals might be heard on the decision, in keeping with the criticism.

As soon as the feminine caller is transferred to the Milwaukee Hearth Division operator, she once more repeated the deal with of 2505 N. twenty fourth place and now said that 4 different individuals in the home have been additionally shot. The feminine caller said that she was shot within the face and begins to ask for assist. The road is disconnected. Milwaukee Police are instantly dispatched to the deal with. 5 completely different Milwaukee police squads are dispatched to the residence and decide that the deal with doesn’t exist. The officers try quite a few occasions to name the telephone quantity again, with out success. The police checked this space for over 25 minutes and couldn’t discover any victims, a criticism learn.

The emergency dispatch heart examine telephone information for the caller’s quantity they usually appeared to point out that decision was constituted of the realm of 2876 N. thirty second Avenue. Two minutes later, a Milwaukee police officer arrived within the space of 2876 N. thirty second Avenue, which was a closed development website. Officers went to 2 companies, neither of which reported listening to any gunshots at the moment. He additionally made a number of makes an attempt to name the quantity again, however was unsuccessful.

On January 25, Milwaukee Police Division of the 911 name to the residence of 2835 A. N. twenty ninth Avenue. At that residence, police discovered the Birkley, in addition to three different individuals. The cellphone was situated contained in the residence and decided to be Birkley’s cellphone. An individual within the residence admitted to police that she was the one who made the telephone name to police described above. She mentioned the defendant is the one which instructed her to name and what to say. Thus, somebody with the defendant made the suspicious telephone name to police that had the precise home quantity, in addition to the data that a number of people had been shot, and that no less than one individual had been shot within the face. Due to this fact, Birkley allegedly instructed somebody to make a telephone name that clearly contained info solely somebody concerned within the crime would have. 

Birkley’s Cell Cellphone Information

Beginning at 11:53 p.m. on January 19, 2022 and till 3:05 pm on January 20, 2022, Birkley’s cellphone is hitting off cell towers and displaying timing advance information that’s per him being on the murder location. Importantly, this consists of a number of hours after the homicides occurred, a criticism mentioned.

Throughout a evaluate of his cellphone, detectives situated a “selfie” that had been taken utilizing the cellphone. The “selfie” is taken on January 20 at 10:25 a.m. The image reveals the defendant in what seems to be a basement. The partitions, pipes and different distinguishing markings within the photograph, police have been in a position to find a spot within the basement of 2505 N. twenty first St that corresponds with that photograph. Thus, Birkley took a photograph of himself within the basement the place three lifeless our bodies have been later situated, at a time a number of hours after they have been believed to be killed, a criticism mentioned.

Lastly, the “selfie” reveals Birkley sporting a pair of what seems to be costly eyeglasses. Witnesses have instructed police that he didn’t put on glasses. Two witnesses have been proven the “selfie” and recognized the glasses worn by Birkley as belonging to sufferer Donta Williams. One witness was in a position to ahead a photograph of sufferer Donta Williams sporting what seems to be the identical glasses, previous to his loss of life.

 When mixed with the timing described above, that is per the Defendant taking a photograph of glasses taken from the deceased sufferer whereas within the basement the place three lifeless victims are, all at a time per all six victims already being lifeless.

Confidential Witness

A confidential witness instructed detectives they knew Birkley and that he had admitted to committing the homicides together with his cousin throughout a “theft gone unhealthy,” the criticism mentioned. 

The witness mentioned Birkley instructed him that he and his cousin had deliberate to rob Donta Williams and after being let into the higher unit, had pulled firearms on Donta. Birkley then said that Michelle had come from a “blind” spot in an try to guard Donta, so Birkley instructed the witness that he and his cousin had shot Michelle first after which Donta. He then went on to say he and his cousin had then gone downstairs and needed to shoot Charles Hardy as a result of he was coming upstairs with a firearm or was about to return upstairs with a firearm, the criticism learn. Birkley then mentioned that everybody else within the basement needed to be shot in order that there wouldn’t be some other witnesses.

The witness mentioned sufferer Donald Smith should have heard the gunshots. Birkley instructed them that he and his cousin didn’t know that Donald was current till he got here out they usually shot him as properly. 

Money bond for Birkley is about for $1 million. He’s due again in court docket on June 15 for his preliminary listening to.

The Milwaukee Police Division continues to hunt further info relating to this incident. Anybody with any info is requested to contact Milwaukee Police at 414-935-7360 or to stay nameless, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Suggestions or P3 Suggestions App.