An Alabama woman, her pregnant teenage daughter, and her 12-year-old son were found brutally murdered in their home, according to investigators.
According to Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch, deputies arrived at a Wilmer home shortly after 2:30 a.m. and discovered three dead in separate rooms, their hands tied behind their backs.
Lisa Gail Fields, 46, was stabbed; Keziah Arionna Luker, 17, was shot; and Thomas Cordelle Jr., 12, had his throat sliced and was nearly decapitated. “It was a brutal scene,” Burch explained. “Murdering two children is not worth killing over a disagreement with an adult. I hope and am confident that we will have this animal or animals off the streets soon.”
An 18-month-old child was discovered unhurt in the residence. At this point, we don’t suspect a domestic or family scenario,” Burch told reporters.
Burch stated that the home was “left in disarray,” implying that the offenders were looking for something. Investigators suspect more than one person was involved in the killings because the victims were apprehended.
According to the sheriff, Luker was approximately 7 or 8 months pregnant. Burch stated that the mother was stabbed, the 17-year-old was shot, and the 12-year-old’s throat was slashed along with the mother’s. “It tells me that they had a plan coming in to bring zip ties or flex cuffs with them, so they had a plan.”
The father-to-be, who works offshore, made the discovery after becoming concerned when he couldn’t reach Luker after seeing her cell phone enabled on Life 360, according to the sheriff. Another family member went to check on her and discovered the three victims in different rooms, their wrists chained behind them.
Once a suspect has been caught, the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office will decide whether the loss of Luker’s unborn child deserves an extra murder charge.
Burch stated that detectives presently have “positive leads” in the case.
Luker’s father told WALA-TV that his daughter recently obtained her GED. “It’s a senseless murder,” he stated. “She was a bright spot in my day. A person who makes you happy; someone who can make you laugh while you’re down. She felt empathy for everyone. She loved her brothers, her mother, and all of us.”