Mobile man charged with capital murder in the chainsaw killings of his grandmother and aunt.

Two capital murder counts are the most serious charges Alabama files. The competency order matters just as much right now. Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood said the case cannot go to a preliminary hearing until Steele is found competent, and that process could take 30 to 90 days. Whether he can stand trial is a separate question from his mental state at the time of the killings. A charge is not a conviction.

Mobile police were called to the 2400 block of Carolina Court around 1:36 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, for a death investigation and found two women dead inside the home, FOX10 News and AL.com reported. Officers detained Thomas Henry Steele, 47, at the scene. He was booked into Mobile County Metro Jail. NBC 15 reported he is now charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Christy DeLoach and Dora Boone. Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood said the victims were Steele's grandmother and aunt, and that investigators believe he lived in the home with them.

A criminal complaint filed Tuesday alleges Steele used a chainsaw and decapitated both women, FOX10 News, NBC 15, and Lagniappe reported. The complaint alleges the killings happened "by one act or pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct," according to NBC 15. Blackwood declined to describe the scene beyond the court papers. "What's contained in the complaint itself speaks to the gruesome nature of this," he said. "The details of that will come out in future proceedings."

At Steele's initial appearance and bond hearing Tuesday, the judge appointed attorney Glen Davidson to represent him, NBC 15 reported from inside the courtroom. Steele quietly said "No," paused, and then said, "Kill him." He did not yell or struggle and was escorted out without incident. Blackwood confirmed Steele made "some kind of audible remark" and was removed. He is held without bond.

The judge ordered a mental competency evaluation through the Alabama Department of Mental Health, Blackwood said. He said medication was mentioned in a 911 call tied to the case but would not discuss any psychiatric history. If Steele is found incompetent, he would have to be restored to competency before the case can move to a preliminary hearing. Blackwood said his office is prepared to prosecute "whichever path it goes," and that procedures exist to protect the public even if a mental disease or defect defense succeeds. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.