Alabama Man Accused of Decapitating Grandma, Aunt With Chainsaw as Disturbing 911 Call From Relative Emerges

Thomas Steele's aunt, Christy Deloach, called 911 about his behaviour on 12 October, hours before police arrested him in Mobile for allegedly decapitating her and his grandmother with a chainsaw.

Thomas Steele, 47, faces two counts of capital murder over the deaths of Christy Deloach, 65, and Dora Boone, 85. The victims were his aunt and grandmother. He appeared in court the following day and was denied bond.

Alabama Man's Relative Sought Guidance

The woman called after 11am on Monday, reporting concerns about her nephew, according to transcripts obtained by the broadcaster. She described him as bipolar and reported that he was no longer taking lithium.

She told the operator he had given away his phone and was giving away his car. 'He says he's just going to live for God and not going to have any kind of electronics.'

The operator queried whether medical assistance was needed. The woman responded, 'It's in his mind. He's following God.'

After the caller reported that her nephew was acting out, the operator sought clarification and enquired whether he was being harmful. The woman replied, 'I just needed to figure out what to do. I called 988 and tried to talk to him. He's calm! He's not violent or anything. So, I guess I'll just let it play itself out.'

The operator provided the police department's telephone number before the call concluded.

Police Detain Alabama Man at Carolina Court

An unnamed source told FOX10 that police were called to the Carolina Court home about two and a half hours later. They were informed Steele was waiting outside.

Officers reported finding his grandmother and aunt decapitated with a chainsaw.

Another woman was inside the home at the time of the killings and was unharmed, the same unnamed source reported. It remains unclear how long after the earlier 911 call the two victims were killed.

Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood confirmed the victims' identities and stated that investigators believed Steele lived at the property with them. He declined to elaborate beyond the court complaint.

'What's contained in the complaint itself speaks to the gruesome nature of this,' Blackwood stated. 'The details of that will come out in future proceedings.'

Competency Evaluations Ahead for Alabama Man

At the 13 October bond hearing, Steele was informed that public defender Glenn Davidson would represent him. He reportedly responded, 'No. Kill him.' He was then escorted from the courtroom without incident.

Davidson stated that Steele needed a medical evaluation to establish whether he was mentally competent for court proceedings to continue. He did not rule out a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Davidson stated, 'I can't say for sure — but all signs indicate yes. It was really apparent from the outset that he had mental issues.'

Blackwood also addressed the question of competency, stating, 'It nevertheless appears that there are some issues, but there are going to be the appropriate evaluations to establish whether or not he's competent right now to proceed.'

An acquittal by reason of insanity would still involve legal procedures to prevent him from posing a danger to the public. If Steele is found unfit to stand trial, he would need to be restored to competency before a trial could take place.