Alabama man allegedly decapitates family members with chainsaw hours after 911 warning

Thomas Henry Steele, 47, is accused of killing his aunt, Christy Deloach, 65, and grandmother, Dora Boone, 85, with a chainsaw at their Mobile home on 12 October. The case has drawn attention to a relative’s 911 call about Steele’s behaviour hours before the women were found, as well as questions about his mental fitness to stand trial.

At an initial hearing the next day, Steele reportedly told a judge to kill his court-appointed lawyer, prompting an inpatient competency evaluation. Prosecutors have not decided whether to pursue additional charges over the remark; the assessment could take up to 90 days. Steele is being held without bond at a secure medical facility, and his arraignment is scheduled for 19 November.