A chilling 911 call made just hours before two Alabama women were found dead inside their home has taken an alarming new turn, with emergency officials admitting that a dispatcher mishandled the call for help.
Thomas Henry Steele, 47, is accused of killing his 85-year-old grandmother, Dora Boone, and his 65-year-old aunt, Christy Deloach, with a chainsaw at their home in Mobile on October 12.
But what happened earlier that day is now raising troubling questions about whether warning signs were overlooked.
Shortly after 11 a.m., a female relative contacted 911 expressing concerns about Steele’s unusual behavior. According to a transcript obtained by local news outlets, she told the dispatcher that he had stopped taking his lithium medication, was giving away his possessions and had begun talking about abandoning electronics to devote his life to God.
The caller described Steele as having bipolar disorder but insisted he was not threatening anyone.
“He’s calm! He’s not violent or anything,” she told the dispatcher.
Rather than transferring the call directly to law enforcement, the dispatcher provided the non-emergency number for the Mobile Police Department.
At approximately 1:36 p.m., officers responded to a home on Carolina Court, where they discovered Boone and Deloach dead inside. Steele, who authorities believe lived with both women, was detained at the scene.
Court documents allege that he used a chainsaw to kill and decapitate the victims. He has since been charged with two counts of capital murder.
The disturbing timeline has now prompted an acknowledgment from the Mobile County Communications District.
Robert Jackson, the district’s director, told FOX10 News on October 23 that an internal review determined the dispatcher had made the wrong decision. The call should have resulted in a direct transfer or notification to the appropriate agency rather than simply providing a telephone number, he explained.
Jackson said the dispatcher faces disciplinary action and additional training.
However, investigators have not publicly established exactly when the killings occurred, and there is no confirmation that a different response to the 911 call would have prevented the deaths.
The case took another unsettling turn during Steele’s initial court appearance on October 13.
When Circuit Judge S. Wesley Pipes appointed public defender Glenn Davidson to represent him, Steele reportedly objected before making a disturbing two-word remark.
“Kill him,” he allegedly said.
Court officers escorted Steele from the courtroom, and the judge denied him bond.
Prosecutors are now considering whether the courtroom remark warrants additional criminal charges, although no decision has been announced.
Steele’s behavior also prompted questions about his mental competency. A judge initially ordered an evaluation, then issued an emergency order on October 16 directing that he undergo inpatient treatment and assessment through the Alabama Department of Mental Health after court records indicated his condition had deteriorated.
The evaluation will determine whether Steele can understand the proceedings and assist in his defense. It is separate from any determination of his mental state at the time of the alleged killings.
Meanwhile, the tragedy has devastated friends and coworkers who remember Deloach as a caring woman devoted to her family.
She spent approximately 15 years working at Mr. Sam’s Hair Fashions in Mobile, where colleagues described her as a cheerful, dependable stylist who regularly encouraged others.
Salon owner Lenny Zanghi called her a “beautiful person” and said he considered her a friend.
Coworkers told FOX10 News that Deloach frequently prayed with people, comforted customers and helped brighten difficult days. Flowers were placed at her salon station following her death.
Deloach also helped care for her elderly mother, who died alongside her in the family’s home.
For those who knew the women, the loss has been especially painful as questions continue to surround the events leading up to their deaths.
Steele remains held without bond at a secure state medical facility while undergoing evaluation and treatment. His arraignment is scheduled for November 19, although the competency proceedings could affect the court’s timeline.
Investigators have not announced a motive, and prosecutors have yet to determine whether additional charges will be filed over his courtroom remarks.
The case now leaves authorities confronting two separate questions: what led to the deaths of two women inside their own home, and whether the emergency call made earlier that day should have triggered a different response.
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