William Graham Oliver faces eight capital murder counts after three family members were found bound inside a Wilmer home.
WILMER, Ala. — A 54-year-old Alabama man has been charged with eight counts of capital murder after a mother, her pregnant teenage daughter and her young son were found bound and killed inside their Wilmer home, authorities said.
William Graham Oliver was arrested Tuesday, April 28, more than a week after deputies found the bodies of Lisa Gail Fields, 46, Keziah Arionna Luker, 17, and Thomas Cordelle Jr., 12, at the family’s home on Auble Moody Road. Luker was about eight months pregnant, and her unborn child also died. Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said investigators believe Oliver knew the family and acted alone.
The investigation began early April 20 after relatives became worried that they could not reach Luker. Authorities said Luker’s boyfriend, who was working away from home, noticed activity tied to her phone and asked someone to check on the family. Deputies were called to the home at 7950 Auble Moody Road, where the three victims were found in separate rooms. Burch said all three had their hands bound behind their backs with zip ties or flex cuffs. An 18-month-old child, Luker’s daughter, was found inside the house and was not hurt.
Burch described the scene as brutal and said the victims were killed in different ways. Fields’ throat was cut, and she also had stab wounds, according to authorities. Luker was shot. Thomas had his throat cut, the sheriff said. Investigators initially said the way the victims were restrained raised the possibility that more than one person may have been involved, but Burch said after Oliver’s arrest that deputies believe he was the only attacker. “Anytime there are children involved, it makes it a little tougher, and especially an unborn child,” Burch said.
Oliver is charged with one count of capital murder of two or more people, four counts of capital murder during a burglary, two counts of capital murder of a child younger than 14 and one count of capital murder in the presence of a child. Authorities said the burglary counts are tied to the allegation that Oliver illegally entered the home before the killings. The charge involving a child in the presence of a murder stems from the allegation that Luker was killed while her toddler was in the home. Oliver has not been convicted, and the charges are allegations.
The sheriff said Oliver had known the family “for quite some time” and lived in the Wilmer area, not far from the home where the victims were found. Burch said investigators believe Oliver was at the house around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, and that detectives built a close timeline around the deaths. “Very, very tight timeline. Very solid circumstantial evidence at this point, and we feel confident that we have the right man,” Burch said. Authorities said Oliver was inside the home looking for something, but they have not publicly said what they believe he wanted.
Burch said investigators have a motive but are not ready to release it. He said the capital murder charges include burglary allegations, which he described as part of the motive. Deputies and investigators also searched Oliver’s home Tuesday before the arrest, according to local reports from the scene. Investigators were seen carrying evidence bags from that property. Authorities have not released a full inventory of what was taken, whether a firearm or knife has been recovered, or whether forensic testing has linked any weapon to the killings.
The deaths shook the small community near the Mobile County line and drew family members and friends to a funeral service Wednesday in Theodore. Loved ones remembered Fields, Luker, Thomas and Luker’s unborn child as one family lost in a single night. Neighbors of Oliver told local reporters they were stunned by the arrest and described him as quiet. Court and jail records cited by local outlets show Oliver had past arrests in Mobile County, including property-related cases, but Burch said the current allegations are the first violent charges investigators were aware of in his record.
The case now moves into Mobile County court, where Oliver was scheduled for a bond hearing Thursday morning. If the charges proceed as capital murder counts, prosecutors could seek penalties that include life in prison without parole or the death penalty. Authorities have not said whether Oliver has entered a plea or whether he has an attorney who can speak for him. Investigators also have not released final autopsy findings or a full timeline of what happened between the Sunday evening visit and the discovery of the bodies early Monday.
Oliver remained jailed as of Thursday, April 30, while detectives continued to process evidence in the case. The next public milestone is the court hearing on bond and the filing of any additional court records that detail the allegations.
Author note: Last updated April 30, 2026.