William Graham Oliver is charged with eight counts of capital murder in the deaths of Lisa Fields, Keziah Luker and Thomas Cordelle Jr.
MOBILE, Ala. — Prosecutors said Thursday that a possible burglary may help explain the killings of a Wilmer mother, her pregnant daughter and her young son, as a judge denied bond for the man charged in the case.
William Graham Oliver, 54, is accused of killing Lisa Gail Fields, 46, Keziah Arionna Luker, 17, and Thomas Cordelle Jr., 12, inside their Mobile County home. Luker was eight months pregnant, and her unborn child also died. The case moved into court this week as prosecutors said they plan to seek the death penalty.
Oliver appeared before Mobile County District Judge Brandy Hambright for a bond hearing Thursday. Hambright denied bond after reading the charges. Defense attorney Bucky Thomas said the ruling was expected because capital murder defendants in Mobile County often remain jailed without bond. Thomas said Oliver maintains his innocence and that the defense is still trying to learn the evidence behind the charges.
District Attorney Keith Blackwood said investigators have theories about a motive but cannot know what was in the suspect’s mind. He said four of the capital murder counts are tied to a burglary prosecutors believe Oliver intended to commit when the killings happened. Blackwood said the scene and evidence suggest burglary was likely part of the motive, though officials have not publicly detailed what Oliver may have been looking for.
The victims were found in separate rooms with their hands bound behind their backs. Prosecutors said Fields and Cordelle suffered severe knife wounds, and Luker was shot in the head. Authorities said an 18-month-old child was found unharmed at the home. Investigators first said the violence and restraints raised questions about whether more than one person was involved, but Oliver is the only person publicly charged.
Sheriff Paul Burch previously said Oliver knew the family and had been at the home before the killings. Authorities also said investigators collected evidence after searching Oliver’s property. The killings shook Wilmer, a rural community northwest of Mobile, where relatives and neighbors described the victims as a close family and questioned why anyone would target them.
Blackwood said prosecutors will pursue the death penalty. “This is a case where the facts cry out for it,” he said after the hearing. Thomas said Oliver pleaded not guilty to all charges. He said the defense had only recently been appointed and had not yet reviewed all evidence in the case.
Oliver remains in custody without bond. His preliminary hearing is set for May 21, when prosecutors are expected to outline more of the evidence and the court will decide whether the case should continue toward grand jury review.
Author note: Last updated May 1, 2026.