A 54-year-old man has been charged with multiple counts of capital murder after allegedly killing an Alabama mother, her two children, and her unborn grandchild. William Graham Oliver was arrested on Tuesday, more than a week after the bodies of Lisa Fields, 46, her daughter Keziah Luker, 17, and 12-year-old Thomas Cordelle Jr. were discovered in their Wilmer home on 20 April.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said the victims were found in separate rooms with their hands bound behind their backs with zip ties. Fields had been stabbed and her throat cut, Luker, who was eight months pregnant, was shot, and Thomas's throat was cut, nearly decapitating him. An 18-month-old child present in the house was unharmed.
Investigators believe Oliver, who lived several miles away and knew the family, was at the home around 7.30pm the night before the bodies were found. Burch stated there was strong circumstantial evidence but declined to reveal a motive or what Oliver was allegedly searching for. Oliver was arrested during a traffic stop near his home as SWAT officers executed a search warrant.
Despite a criminal history dating back to 1990, including a 2020 theft charge, Burch noted Oliver had no prior violent offences. The bodies were discovered after Luker's boyfriend, who was at work, noticed unusual activity on her phone via the Life360 app and contacted a relative, who went to the scene.
Prosecutors have filed eight capital murder charges, including counts for murder of two or more persons, murder during a burglary, murder of a child under 14, and murder in the presence of a child. Family members expressed shock and described the victims as kind and devoted. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with funeral expenses.
