In January 2022, a welfare check at a duplex on North 21st Street in Milwaukee revealed six people had been fatally shot. One of the victims was Michelle Williams, a 49-year-old Black/African American woman, found alongside her husband Donta Williams, Donald Smith, Charles Hardy, Javoni Liddell, and Caleb Jordan. Police say the scene suggested a targeted event rather than a random act of violence.

Investigators developed leads quickly and initially took four persons of interest in for questioning. In June 2022 authorities charged 34-year-old Travis Lamar Birkley with six counts of felony murder. Investigators reported cellphone data placed Birkley at the duplex around the time of the killings and a selfie on his phone showed him in the basement of the home wearing glasses belonging to one of the victims. Court papers and a witness statement described a robbery motive that allegedly escalated when Michelle Williams intervened.

In January 2023 a court found Birkley incompetent to stand trial and medical evaluators said he was unlikely to regain competency, leaving the case’s future unresolved. Does anyone have information about Michelle Williams, the household, or the days leading up to the shootings that could help clarify what happened?