In a brutal crime, a Milwaukee mom was strangled by her boyfriend, Arzel Ivery, who then killed her two daughters, one of whom was his own child.
Amarah “Jerica” Banks was bludgeoned and then strangled by her boyfriend, who then killed the two young girls, according to court documents shared with People. Before the killings, Ivery and Banks had gone to their 21-month-old son’s funeral after the young boy passed away from bronchitis.
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According to police reports, Banks blamed Ivery for their son’s death and asked him to leave their home “because he reminded her of their son.” Banks was also upset after Ivery went to his job after their son’s funeral, according to police.
Ivery alleged that when he returned home, Banks cut his left wrist with a knife she had grabbed during an argument. He told police that he pushed her into a wall twice, which caused her to bleed from her mouth.
Neighbors allege that they saw Banks running through their apartment complex’s parking lot, screaming, “No, no, please don’t kill me.” According to witnesses, Ivery pulled Banks back into their apartment.
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The 26-year-old mother and her daughters were reported missing shortly after their son’s funeral. According to Fox 6, at the time Banks was reported missing, her family told authorities that they had no idea where the mom and her girls could be despite talking with her consistently up until she went missing.
Ivery later confessed to the police that he strangled Banks when they returned to their apartment. He then strangled the two girls, ages four and five.
Ivery told police that “he did not want the children to live in a world where they did not have their mother.” He allegedly told the girls, “Daddy loves you” and that their mom “wanted them in heaven with her,” according to the police report.
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After killing them, Ivery told police that he took the bodies to the garage of an apartment complex where he used to live and then set them on fire. Ivery was arrested in Memphis, Tennessee, and brought back to Milwaukee, where he led police to the bodies.
Ivery has since been charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of aggravated battery.