What did Travis Lamar Birkley do? Charges explained as Milwaukee man is accused of taking selfie at crime scene

Over the weekend, a 34-year-old Wisconsin resident, Travis Lamar Birkley, was arrested for purportedly killing six individuals who were put in place in the basement of a Milwaukee duplex. Authorities claim the alleged killer took a selfie that inextricably linked him to the atrocities.

As per reports by LawandCrime, Travis Lamar Birkley was arraigned on Sunday and is charged with six counts of felony murder for allegedly killing six individuals during a botched robbery.

Reportedly, his bail was set at $1 million on Sunday. At the hearing, the attorney who represented Birkley declined to comment on the matter.

The six victims were discovered with gunshot wounds on January 23, but court documents detailing the charges against Travis Lamar Birkley show they were murdered three days prior.

Travis Lamar Birkley was linked to the killings via cellphone data, which included a photo he snapped that appeared to show the basement of the house where the bodies of the victims were discovered later.

According to CBS Milwaukee affiliate WDJT-TV,

"Birkley seemed to be wearing an expensive set of spectacles that belonged to one of the victims in the shot, although witnesses told police Birkley didn't wear glasses."

Shell casings discovered at the site were said to be from two different guns, according to court filings.

There have been no subsequent arrests in this case, and police stated no additional information was obtained on Sunday.

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Travis Lamar Birkley was charged with killing six people after clicking a selfie at the crime scene

According to a report from Milwaukee Fox affiliate WITI, the Milwaukee Police Department responded to a call at an address in the 2500 block of 21st Street at approximately 3:30 pm on January 23. When cops arrived at the incident, they were reportedly approached by two people who informed them that there were two dead bodies in the basement.

Officers entered the house and searched it, discovering six bodies in different areas of the basement, according to reports.

Charles Hardy, 42, Caleb Jordan, 23, and Javoni Liddell, 31, were eventually identified as the first three fatalities by police. Later on, authorities reportedly located the other three bodies of individuals named Donald Smith, 44, Donta Williams, and Michelle Williams, 49, in the home's upstairs unit, along with 11 ammunition casings shot from a 9 mm handgun.

WDJT reported,

"Six people were found murdered in a home on N.21 street on Jan 23. but the bodies were already in rigor mortis when they were found. "

Based on court statements, witnesses told police that Donta Williams, Michelle's spouse, was selling synthetic marijuana at his home and published a live video on Facebook.

According to the charging documents, Travis Lamar Birkley went to Williams' home on January 20 with the goal of robbing Donta, but was confronted by Michelle, who was attempting to protect her husband. Birkley allegedly told the confidential informant that he was with his cousin and that Michelle had been shot first, followed by Donta. The two reportedly killed four others in the basement of the house to remove all the remaining witnesses.

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said,

"This 911 caller claimed she was the victim of a shooting, and that multiple other people were shot. The caller gave the house number where the bodies were found, but an incorrect street that was three blocks away."

According to the criminal complaint, when authorities tracked the number that contacted 911, they spotted Travis Lamar Birkley in a house with three other people, one of whom admitted to making the call. The alleged caller, identified only as "TO," told police that Birkley told her to contact 911 and gave her instructions on what to say.

Milwaukee PD has reported that Travis Lamar Birkley faces up to 330 years in prison if convicted.