Heartbreak Beyond Words: Mom and Two Little Girls Slaughtered Just Days After Burying Their Baby Boy – By the Man They Trusted Most

In the quiet streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a family was shattered in the most unimaginable way. In February 2020, the Banks family laid to rest 21-month-old Arzel Ivery Jr., a bright-eyed toddler who had battled asthma since birth. Just eight days later, his mother, 26-year-old Amarah “Jerica” Banks, and his two young sisters — 5-year-old Zaniya Ivery and 4-year-old Camaria Banks — were gone too, their lives brutally taken in what authorities described as a horrific act of domestic violence.

Jerica Banks was remembered by loved ones as a devoted mother, an honor student, and a graduate of the Milwaukee School of the Arts who cherished playing the violin and pouring her energy into her children. She had recently endured the devastating loss of her youngest son, Arzel Jr., whose death from respiratory complications came after ongoing health struggles. The family gathered to mourn him on February 7, supporting Jerica through her grief. That night, after being dropped off at her apartment, she and her daughters vanished.

What unfolded next was a nightmare that would rock the community. According to details that emerged in the investigation, tensions escalated between Jerica and Arzel Ivery Sr., the father of her son and one of the daughters. The couple had a history together, and Ivery had been staying with the family. A heated argument broke out, reportedly fueled by Jerica’s frustration over Ivery’s decision to return to work as a security guard so soon after their son’s funeral. In the darkness of that early morning, the confrontation turned deadly.

Ivery later confessed to strangling Jerica during the fight. In a chilling account, he admitted to then turning on the two frightened little girls, believing they could not live without their mother. He kissed his daughter Zaniya, whispered that “Daddy loves you,” and ended their lives before attempting to conceal the evidence by setting the bodies on fire in a garage near his apartment building on the city’s north side, about four miles from the family home.

The disappearance triggered an Amber Alert for the girls, but it was days before the grim discovery. Family members grew increasingly worried when Jerica — known for staying in close contact — went silent. A concerned neighbor had even reported hearing screams and a woman pleading for help, but initial police response was limited. Ivery fled to Memphis, Tennessee, where a family member alerted authorities after he returned home acting suspiciously. He was arrested there and extradited back to Milwaukee.

The tragedy highlighted the profound vulnerabilities within families navigating grief, financial pressures, and strained relationships. Jerica had been meticulously managing her son’s asthma, using nebulizers and closely monitoring his symptoms, yet the loss compounded the emotional toll on everyone. For a young mother already carrying the weight of burying one child, the final days must have been filled with unbearable sorrow mixed with attempts to hold her remaining family together.

In July 2021, Arzel Ivery was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to three counts of first-degree intentional homicide. The case left behind devastated grandparents, aunts, uncles, and a community mourning not just three lives cut short, but the innocence stolen in a place that should have been safe — their own home.

This story serves as a painful reminder of how quickly domestic disputes can escalate and the importance of support systems for grieving families. Jerica Banks and her children — Arzel Jr., Zaniya, and Camaria — are remembered as beloved souls taken far too soon, their memories living on in the hearts of those who knew their warmth and laughter.