An Alabama man is accused of using a chainsaw to decapitate two relatives after a family member contacted 911 about his increasingly concerning behavior.
Prosecutors are also considering whether to file additional charges after the Mobile man allegedly told a judge to kill his court-appointed lawyer.
Thomas Henry Steele, 47, faces two capital murder charges in the Oct. 12 deaths of his aunt, Christy Deloach, 65, and his grandmother, Dora Boone, 85. The women were found at their home on Carolina Court in Mobile.
At a bond hearing and initial court appearance on Oct. 13, Circuit Judge S. Wesley Pipes ordered Steele to undergo an inpatient competency evaluation. The order came after Steele said “kill him” when the judge appointed public defender Glenn Davidson to represent him.
Thomas Henry Steele (Mobile County Metro Jail)
Davidson confirmed to News Outlet that he remains Steele’s attorney but said he could not provide further details while his client undergoes a mental competency evaluation.
“It’s a terrible situation but I won’t have an official way to question anybody until we get to the preliminary hearing,” Davidson said.
Tara Zieman, communications director for the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office, told News Outlet that prosecutors “have not decided” whether to pursue additional charges related to the alleged threat. The decision is pending the results of Steele’s mental health evaluation.
“The defendant is currently being held without bond at a secure medical facility, where he is receiving treatment intended to restore his competency to stand trial,” Zieman said.
“If he is found competent, we will move forward with the prosecution and continue to advocate that he remain held without bond until resolution of the case.”
The competency evaluation could last as long as 90 days, according to the district attorney’s office, and will be conducted through the Alabama Department of Mental Health.
“Patients begin receiving restoration and treatment services immediately upon admission,” Malissa Valdes, ADMH’s public information officer, said in an emailed statement to News Outlet.
“Patients are referred for their evaluation once their symptoms are stable and they have completed the restoration program. This timeframe varies based on the patient’s treatment, clinical needs, and their symptoms.”
911 call
A relative called 911 hours before police found the women’s bodies, reporting concerns about Steele’s conduct.
Thomas Henry Steele allegedly killed his aunt, Christy Deloach, and grandmother, Dora Boone, at their home on Carolina Court in Mobile. (Google Maps)
According to a 911 transcript obtained by AL.com, the caller said Steele had stopped taking lithium, given away his phone and talked about giving away his vehicle. She described him as bipolar and said he planned to “live for God.”
“He’s calm. He’s not violent or anything,” she told the dispatcher.
The caller also said she had contacted 988. Before ending the call, the dispatcher gave her the non-emergency phone number for Mobile police.
A criminal complaint alleges that Steele killed both women with a chainsaw, NBC 15 News reported. Police found the victims dead inside the home and detained Steele at the scene.
Zieman told News Outlet that she did not know whether the victims or other relatives had previously sought legal intervention to have Steele placed under mental health observation.
Steele’s prior incarcerations included “several DUI cases, the most recent dating to 2009,” according to Zieman.
Steele is scheduled for arraignment Nov. 19 at 9 a.m. before Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Jay York.
‘Beautiful person’
Deloach spent 15 years working at Mr. Sam’s Hair Fashions in Mobile, where salon owner Lenny Zanghi described her as a hardworking stylist who lifted others’ spirits.
Christy Deloach was killed in Mobile, Alabama. (Facebook/Christy Deloach)
“Just a real sweet girl. Beautiful person. I considered her a friend. You know, she’d been with us for 15 years, and she cut my hair,” Zanghi told WKRG.
Neighbors described Deloach as being kind and attending events in the community.
She also cared for her mother, Dora, after her father, Phillip Boone, died. The Boone couple purchased the home in 2014, Lagniappe Daily reported.
Investigators said that they believe the suspect lived at the home with the victims.
