Victim reported domestic violence days before Milwaukee murder-suicide

Jesse Garza

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A gofundme page was established for Neyaka Oliver, the victim in a murder-suicide in Milwaukee.

Charges of domestic abuse, strangulation and battery were filed against a habitual criminal suspected of killing a Milwaukee teacher two days later in what Milwaukee police say was an apparent murder-suicide.

Cas Alexander Martin, 26, was charged with the offenses Saturday, two days before Neyaka Oliver, 27, was fatally shot Monday in the 3500 block of North 58th Street, according to state court records and Milwaukee police.

Milwaukee police have identified Martin as the 26-year-old man who killed himself after shooting Oliver.

According to the complaint, Martin's alleged victim, identified by the initials N.O., walked into the 7th District police station and reported the abuse on March 13.

After a review of the allegations, an arrest warrant was issued for Martin on Saturday, according to the complaint and state court records.

Oliver was a teacher at the Next Door Foundation.

Milwaukee Police Department forensic staff leaves the scene where there was a report of a possible murder-suicide on Monday, March 18, 2019, in the 3500 block of 58th street. A 27-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man are dead following an apparent murder-suicide in the Sherman Park neighborhood, Milwaukee police said. No other information available.

Martin was a habitual criminal previously convicted of armed robbery, who stalked Oliver at the school the day she reported the abuse. According to the complaint, he sent her threatening text messages from outside the school and texted her a photo showing him in the school office.

According to the complaint:

On the evening of March 13, Oliver walked into the 7th District police station and identified Martin as her live-in boyfriend who beat and choked her at her apartment in the 7200 block of West Appleton Avenue the night before.

She also described how Martin threatened her with a knife, went through her phone, asked her questions about what he saw on it, and slapped her every time she responded with an answer he didn't like.

Martin continued the abuse until Oliver fell asleep, and gave her a ride to work the next morning after she tried to hide scratches and bruises inflicted upon her the night before.

While she was at work, Martin sent her dozens of text messages warning her that she better come out and threatening her mother.

He also sent Oliver a video of himself outside the school and a photo of himself at a school receptionist's desk.

Oliver's mother picked her up from work, and the next day Oliver went to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office for a charging conference.

While there, she showed investigators photographs time-stamped from the day before showing a significant amount of damage Martin allegedly committed at her apartment, including about $3,000 in damage to shoes, clothing and plumbing.

The address of the home where Oliver was killed was listed in court records as her mother's address in August.

Funeral arrangements for Oliver were pending Wednesday.

The Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee operates a 24-hour domestic violence hotline at (414) 933-2722. The Milwaukee Women's Center offers a 24-hour crisis line at (414) 671-6140.