One Dead, One Injured in Highland Park Stabbing
Update 10:28 a.m.:
Sgt. Lance Koppa said the victims have been identified as John Rodman Steele and Dina Steele. Both were transported to Baylor Hospital, where John Steele was pronounced dead and Dina Steele is in stable condition.
Koppa said the Steele’s children, ages 12 and 16, were inside the home at the time of the incident. The children were not injured and are with a family member.
There were two calls to HP dispatch, the first was a male voice with audible commotion, then disconnected for an unknown reason. The next came from a female voice as officers arrived on scene. The victim stated there had been a stabbing and they had been stabbed.
Dallas County is helping process the crime scene as Koppa said there is a large amount of evidence in the home. The weapon has not been determined yet.
Anthony McClure, a friend and member of the Steele’s monthly prayer group, said the family was a part of Highland Park United Methodist Church and a strong Christian backing. McClure said the incident doesn’t add up as they were a very loving couple who had a wonderful family and were actively involved in the community and church.
“None of this makes sense at all,” McClure said.
According to Park Cities People archives, Dina and John were married at HPUMC on June 7, 1986.
Koppa said previously the only call at the Steele residence was for a noise complaint a few months ago.
Original Post:
Early Wednesday morning, a man was killed and a woman left in stable condition after a stabbing at an HP home in the 3200 block of Cornell Avenue.
Sgt. Lance Koppa, a spokesman for Highland Park, said HP dispatch received a brief call from the home at 4:18 a.m., but the call was disconnected. Officers were then dispatched and found the the two victims inside the house.
Koppa said based on what officers found out at the scene, the incident was concentrated inside the home. They are not actively seeking out any suspects outside of the ones at the scene and inside the house.
The man was pronounced dead after being transported to a nearby hospital. The woman is still in stable condition.
Koppa said this is the first homicide in HP since October of 2001.
We’ll keep you updated.
39 comments to "One Dead, One Injured in Highland Park Stabbing"
I’m sure the doctors can handle it.
But, I do know that domestic violence is not something that only happens in poor homes. It is a tragic something that happens in many homes, regardless of income, regardless of church attendance and regardless of how wonderful familes appear outside of their own families.
As someone who came from an upper middle class, conservative, educated and very religious family who was active in the community and the church…..I can say that you never know what goes on in families on the inside.
Sometimes the outside view is accurate and other times it is a total illusion.
@Claire – thanks for the clarification.
Those property gates are a lot taller and thicker now than they were a generation ago.
Thoughts and prayers are with the Steele family.
Really? So you are going to label UP residents as “ignorant trash”, hope that something bad happens to him, and then try to be religious and say your thoughts and prayers are with the family?
I certainly think hipUPdad crossed the line, but so did you.
Ever notice how often in the wake of tragedies of this sort the neighbors state “they were such good christians!” They taught SUNDAY SCHOOL… They went to BIBLE STUDY…
Maybe tragedies like this have their deep origins in the GUILT that is the poison in all this look-over-your-shoulder sort of peer-pressure christianity.
No one needs this fairy tale to be “good”. Psychologically it’s healthier not to feel your actions are constantly watched and judged.
I wonder if there’s anything in this tragedy with this sort of explanation.
Very sad for all involved.
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