A 26-year-old Milwaukee man was charged in three Oct. 19 homicides on the city’s north side, with a family member telling police the man was struggling with mental health issues and had separately threatened his own family recently.
Michael Williams was charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide on Oct. 24 in the killings of Marcus Smith, 64; Sandra Lee, 50; and Lakendrick Roby, 44, on the city’s north side. Prosecutors charged Williams in the shootings they say happened about one hour apart and as the man later attempted to wash himself and his clothing with bleach.
The charging document cites an interview Milwaukee police had with a family member, who said Williams had acted erratically, telling them, “God told (him) to kill family” and that he had also struggled with drug abuse.
The two initial homicides of Smith and Lee occurred on the 4300 block of North 27th Street near a store around 9:27 p.m., according to the criminal complaint. Police reviewed store surveillance footage that showed the two victims and Williams in or near the store. The footage shows Smith falling to the ground with Williams nearby, and Lee running from Williams. Williams is seen pointing a gun toward the woman and shooting her.
The third homicide occurred 0.4 miles away from the first two on the 4600 block of North 31st Street, according to the criminal complaint. A 911 caller told police a person was shot inside of a vehicle and distant surveillance video would show Williams and Roby walking toward the vehicle.
The video would later show Williams running away toward the area where he was arrested.
A witness of the first homicides identified the suspect of the shootings as a shirtless man in jogging pants and with a gun, according to the criminal complaint. The witness told the officer the suspect had entered a nearby apartment building, where police would arrest Williams.
During the arrest, he smelled of bleach and stated “he did the city a favor,” according to the criminal complaint.
Williams was scheduled for an initial court appearance on Oct. 25. If convicted, he faces a life sentence.
The shootings were part of a deadly week in Milwaukee, where seven homicides occurred, according to Milwaukee Police Department data. As of Oct. 24, the city has seen 121 homicides, 10 more than last year at this time and 23 less than two years ago.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee 26-year-old charged in three homicides on city’s north side
Reporting by David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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