Inset, clockwise from left: William G. Oliver (Mobile County Metro Jail), Lisa Gail Fields, Keziah Arionna Luker, and Thomas Cordelle Jr. (Serenity Funeral Home).
A 54-year-old man in Alabama is accused of killing a mother and her two children, allegedly tying up the victims before carrying out a series of fatal attacks inside the family”s home.
William Graham Oliver was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with eight counts of capital murder in the slayings of 46-year-old Lisa Gail Fields, 17-year-old Keziah Arionna Luker, and 12-year-old Thomas Cordelle Jr., authorities announced. Investigators said Luker was eight months pregnant with her second child when she was killed.
Specifically, Oliver is facing one count of capital murder of two or more persons, four counts of capital murder during a burglary, two counts of capital murder of a child, and one count of capital murder in the presence of a child, according to local Fox affiliate WALA.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch announced the arrest during a Tuesday news conference, saying investigators believe Oliver acted alone in committing the alleged quadruple murder. He also emphasized that Oliver had known of the family for some time and lived only a few miles from where he allegedly killed them.
“Anytime there are children involved, it makes it a little tougher, especially an unborn child,” Burch said.
The investigation began in the early morning hours of Monday, April 20, when a concerned family member went to Fields’ residence in the 7900 block of Auble Moody Road after Luker’s partner and the father of her toddler and unborn child noticed unusual activity on their shared family planning app, according to a report from AL.com. Luker’s partner was working offshore at the time.
Wondering why she was awake at such a late hour and fearing something could be wrong with the pregnancy, he contacted another family member to check on Luker. The relative went inside the house about 2:30 a.m., where they discovered the victims’ bodies and contacted authorities.
Deputies determined the victims had been killed hours earlier, after Oliver was at the home around 7:30 p.m. the previous evening, Burch said. Evidence later recovered from Oliver’s residence — including a vehicle and items described as “supporting evidence” — helped tie him to the crime, according to a report from local CBS affiliate WKRG.
Authorities said all three victims were found with their hands bound behind their backs with zip ties or flex cuffs in separate rooms of the home, 1819 News reported. Fields had reportedly been stabbed and her throat cut. Luker was shot, and her younger brother’s throat was slashed so severely that investigators said he was nearly decapitated.
Luker’s toddler daughter was found unharmed inside the residence, officials said.
“At this point we believe he’s solely responsible for the murders,” Burch said, adding that investigators have identified a motive but are withholding details due to the pending case. “He was at the home 7:30 ish Sunday night. Very very tight timeline. Very solid circumstantial evidence at this point and we feel confident that we have the right man.”
Burch noted that while Oliver has a criminal history dating back decades, this marks the first time he has faced violent charges.
Investigators continue to process evidence as the case moves forward, with officials emphasizing that additional details — including the alleged motive — will be presented in court.
