Authorities in Alabama have apprehended a man suspected in the gruesome murders of a mother, her pregnant daughter, and her young son, discovered bound in their residence on April 20th. Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch announced that 54-year-old William Graham Oliver faces eight counts of capital murder and was booked into jail on Tuesday.
The incident occurred early in the morning on April 20th, and sheriff’s personnel found the bodies in separate rooms with their hands tied behind their backs. The victims have been identified as 46-year-old Lisa Gail Fields, who had been stabbed; her 17-year-old daughter, Keziah Aliona Rooker, who was shot; and 12-year-old Thomas Cordell Jr., who suffered severe wounds.
Burch described the scene as “brutal” and noted that the house was left in disarray. Rooker’s toddler child was found unharmed, but tragically, her fetus did not survive. The discovery was prompted when Rooker’s partner, who was away working offshore, noticed her cellphone was active on a tracking app and couldn’t reach her.
Oliver, according to Birch, had known the family for some time and was reportedly looking for something in the house prior to the bodies being found. Birch mentioned they have solid circumstantial evidence and are confident about the investigation but withheld specific details regarding Oliver’s motive.
Initially, investigators believed more than one person might have been involved since the victims were restrained with zip ties. There’s currently no clarity on whether other suspects have been identified. Oliver has a history of arrests, including a first-degree theft charge in 2020.
The sheriff’s office has not yet provided additional comments regarding the ongoing investigation.
