Man Strangled Woman, 2 Daughters Following Son's Death: Report

MILWAUKEE, WI — A Milwaukee man accused of killing a woman and their two daughters strangled them and tried setting them on fire just days after they lost their 21-month-old son to health complications, according to police.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County, Arzel Ivery Sr., 25, of Milwaukee, has been charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide. If convicted, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

According to a FOX 6-TV report, Ivery's 21-month-old son, Arzel Ivery, Jr. died of viral bronchitis and bronchiolitis on Jan. 24.

Arzel Ivery, Jr.'s funeral was held on Feb. 7. Witnesses who attended the child's funeral said it was the last time they saw Amarah J. Banks, 26; Zaniya R. Ivery, 5; and Camaria Banks, 4, alive. An Amber Alert was issued over the weekend after the three went missing, according to court documents.

According to the Memphis, Tennessee police department, Arzel Ivery, Sr.'s father called local police, saying his son confessed to killing Amarah J. Banks, Zaniya Ivery and Camaria Banks. Ivery Sr. was arrested later that day made his initial appearance in court in Memphis. He was brought to Milwaukee over the weekend. Milwaukee police officials say Arzell Ivery, Sr. led investigators to the garage at his apartment near N. 47th Street and Burleigh where the bodies of Banks and her two children were found.

Amarah Banks, Zaniya Ivery, and Camaria Banks — who were the subjects of an Amber Alert issued on Saturday — were discovered in a garage in the 4700 block of West Burleigh Street, Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales said.

When police questioned Arzel Ivery, Sr. about what happened, he told investigators that things had been tense between him and Amarah Banks since the death of their son, police said. Arzel Ivery, Sr. said Amarah Banks had not wanted him around any more because he reminded her of their son, according to the criminal complaint. Arzel Ivery, Sr. said he went to the funeral for their son, but then had to go right to work. He told police he works as a security guard at two different places and that he got off of his second job around 1 a.m. on Feb. 8, the criminal complaint stated.

According to investigators, Arzel Ivery, Sr. said he went to Amarah Banks' home after work, showing up around 1:30 a.m. or 1:45 a.m. on Feb. 8. When he arrived, he said Amarah Banks was angry that he had gone to work, and yelled at him that he did not care about the death of their son, investigators said. He claimed that things became heated, and that she picked up a knife and implied that she did not want to live anymore, investigators said.

Investigators say Arzel Ivery, Sr. got into a physical confrontation with Amarah Banks, and ended up strangling her with both hands. He told investigators that "she was not fighting him, so he figured that she wanted to die," police said.

According to the criminal complaint, Arzel Ivery, Sr. told investigators that he did not want the children to live in a world where they did not have their mother. He told police that he went into the children’s bedroom and took his daughter, Zaniya Ivery out of the room, police said. Arzel Ivery, Sr. told investigators he kissed her, said "daddy loves you," and then told her that her mother wanted her in heaven with her, according to police. Arzel Ivery, Sr. told police he then strangled his daughter, investigators said.

Investigators say he followed the same procedure that resulted in the death of his other daughter, Camaria Banks. Police say Arzel Ivery, Sr. hauled the bodies of the three into his car and started driving around to find a place to dispose of them. He told police that he remembered his old apartment building on the 4700 block of W. Burleigh St., and dragged the bodies into the back corner of the garage, where he lit them on fire, according to the criminal complaint.

According to the criminal complaint, Arzel Ivery, Sr. admitted that he went and bought a .40 caliber handgun and then left for Memphis where his father lived. He planned on starting a new life in Memphis.