Javoni Liddell

On a Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, police were called to a duplex on North 21st Street for a welfare check. Inside the residence on January 23, 2022, they made a grim discovery: six people had been shot to death. Among the victims was Javoni Liddell, a 31-year-old Black/African American man. The others were identified as Charles Hardy, 42; Caleb Jordan, 23; Donald Smith, 43; Donta Williams, 44; and Michelle Williams, 49. A relative of one victim described the scene as an "execution-style" slaying.

Officers had been dispatched to the home around 3:45 p.m. after neighbors reported a strong odor. They initially found five bodies, but a sixth was discovered during a later search. The victims were located in different parts of the house, with three found in the basement under blankets. According to the medical examiner, Javoni Liddell lived at the home, along with the Williamses and Donald Smith. Investigators noted that several rooms appeared to have been ransacked, as if someone had been searching for something.

The investigation soon centered on robbery as a possible motive. According to court documents, one of the residents, Donta Williams, sold synthetic marijuana and had recently appeared in a social media video counting a large amount of cash. Police believed the home was targeted for that money. Investigators found shell casings from two different guns at the scene, indicating more than one shooter.

Nearly five months later, in June 2022, police arrested 34-year-old Travis Lamar Birkley. A witness told police that Birkley had admitted to killing the six people with his cousin during a botched robbery. According to the criminal complaint, they shot the first two victims and then killed the remaining four to eliminate any witnesses. A search of Birkley’s phone revealed a selfie he had taken in the basement of the crime scene, wearing glasses that belonged to one of the victims.

Birkley was charged with six counts of felony murder. However, in January 2023, his criminal case was suspended after he was found incompetent to stand trial. A judge dropped his bond conditions, and prosecutors stated they might pursue a civil commitment or protective custody hold under state law due to his mental incapacitation.