In a quiet Milwaukee neighborhood, the grim discovery of six individuals, including 31-year-old Black/African American male Javoni Liddell, shattered the community on January 23, 2022. Police had been called to a residence on North 21st Street for a welfare check on a Sunday afternoon. Upon entering the duplex, they found the bodies of five people. A sixth victim was discovered shortly thereafter.
All six victims, who ranged in age from 23 to 49, had been fatally shot.
The scene was described by a relative of one of the victims as an "execution-style" slaying. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office later identified the deceased, including Javoni Liddell. The motive for the mass killing was not immediately clear, leaving a neighborhood on edge and investigators piecing together the events that led to the tragedy. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots in the days leading up to the discovery but had not thought much of it due to the frequency of such sounds in the area.
The investigation into the homicides led police to Travis Lamar Birkley. A crucial piece of evidence came from a 911 call made by an individual who claimed to be a shooting victim and provided the address of the house where the bodies were found, though with a slightly incorrect street name. When police traced the call, they found Birkley and others. A search of Birkley's phone revealed a selfie taken in the basement of the crime scene. In the photo, he was wearing glasses that belonged to one of the victims.
Investigators believe the motive for the killings was robbery, alleging that Birkley had gone to the house to rob one of the residents who was known to sell synthetic marijuana and had recently displayed a large amount of cash on social media. According to the criminal complaint, Birkley and a cousin allegedly shot the first two victims before killing the remaining four to eliminate any witnesses. Birkley was subsequently charged with six counts of felony murder.
