Ex-Deputy murders wife and Sister-In-Law, blames his ALS

Claims ALS affected his brain and his ability to follow the law

A former Dane County sheriff's deputy charged with fatally shooting his wife and Minnesota sister-in-law formally entered pleas Friday of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to first-degree intentional homicide charges.

Andrew Steele, 40, of Fitchburg, claims that the terminal disease with which he was diagnosed in June, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), affected his brain, causing poor impulse control and affecting his ability to obey the law.

The trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on April 13. With Steele's plea, it will be a two-phase trial, the first to establish guilt, the second to decide whether he was legally responsible for his actions.

Steele was wheeled into the courtroom by bailiffs at the start of a status conference before Circuit Judge Nicholas McNamara, and otherwise appeared engaged and attentive.

Nicholson said that the disease has progressed to about 45 percent, not much change from an estimation she provided in court last year, so his health is not rapidly deteriorating.

While ALS does not affect the brains of most people who are diagnosed with the disease, Nicholson said there is a small subset, thought to be about 20 percent, who do experience dementia.

In a court filing last week, Nicholson wrote that Steele has suffered damage to his hippocampus, the emotional center of the brain, causing poor impulse control and loss of memory. His frontal lobe was also damaged, which can cause loss of inhibition, personality changes and loss of the ability to conform his conduct to the law.

Steele will be back in court for what is expected to be an all-day motion hearing on March 27.

Somehow I believe this like I have a bridge in London to sell you. Apparently no motive is being released yet, and between the 2 women, 6 children have been left motherless. Their 2 children, and her sister's 4 kids. Nice guy. What a real nice guy! Seriously dude. WTH? Just because you're dying doesn't mean you have to take everyone with you. Honest. Now who do you expect to raise your kids? Some guys are just muck holes! Just major muck holes!

Sounds like he is dangerous and there is no cure..most definitely he should be locked away for societies protection as he has no ability to follow the law, jokingly I will add that probably started after he joined LE.

originally posted by: vonclod
Sounds like he is dangerous and there is no cure..most definitely he should be locked away for societies protection as he has no ability to follow the law, jokingly I will add that probably started after he joined LE.

My thoughts exactly. ALS made him break the law my butt! So let's take a look at ALL the ALS patients and see how many of them broke the law and used ALS as an excuse? I'm honestly curious. I wonder where you'd get the statistics for that?

a reply to: Anyafaj

I have some trouble buying it, either way though you would think he needs to locked up in one form of institution or another..as he cannot follow the law and seemingly never will. ALS is incurable and I do not believe they can repair the brain damage he supposedly suffers I see a progressively downward spiral of lawlessness to come..which smiley is the roll eyes one..lol.
I joke slightly but nothing funny about it.

a reply to: Anyafaj

You could start by researching the effects of ALS on the brain, and also the psychological effect on how being diagnosed with a terminal illness affects the mental health of an individual.

I'm not saying he's being 100% truthful at all, but there may be more truth to his claim than you're accepting. I haven't done any research, so I can honestly say I have no clue.

Really sad for the kids and family and friends involved

EDIT: This source may have some good info.

Disconnects in these networks due to damage caused by disease can happen anywhere in the brain, he explains. In ALS, they occur in the frontal and temporal lobes governing the higher thought processes that make up “executive function.” Such processes include: making or following complicated plans, solving complex problems, following a series of directions and making sound judgments.

...

It’s estimated that between 10 to 30 percent of people with ALS will have more severe FTD symptoms.

a reply to: Anyafaj

Why was he allowed to have a gun if he was mentally ill ?

a reply to: tom.farnhill

For the sake of argument I would imagine the brain trauma diagnosis was post murder, the damage he supposedly suffers is not typical in ALS but not unheard of as I read it...just a guess.

originally posted by: tom.farnhill
a reply to: Anyafaj

Why was he allowed to have a gun if he was mentally ill ?

It doesn't say if it was his service revolver, or a home gun, so it's possible it was a personal weapon bought before the ALS was brought on. The SIL was shot in the head and managed to call 911 and tell them it was him that shot her before she passed away from her wound. The police are not releasing all details, my guess is, they know more than they are saying.

Ashlee Steele, 39, was found shot in the head in the master bedroom and cops found Andrew Steele sitting in a laundry room with a pistol.

The former deputy had started the dryer and vented it back into the room and he had set up a grill loaded with hot charcoal in the room.

The killings came just days after the victims and the suspect's friends took part in the ALS ice bucket challenge, raising $23,000 towards the ailing deputy's medical expenses.

However, the motive for the slayings remains a mystery.

Sourc e

It sounds like the deputy was trying to kill himself as well with the venting of the dryer and the grill. Maybe burn the house down? But responders got there too quickly for his plans with the SIL calling 911. Otherwise who knows what headline we'd be reading.

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: Anyafaj

You could start by researching the effects of ALS on the brain, and also the psychological effect on how being diagnosed with a terminal illness affects the mental health of an individual.

I'm not saying he's being 100% truthful at all, but there may be more truth to his claim than you're accepting. I haven't done any research, so I can honestly say I have no clue.

Really sad for the kids and family and friends involved

EDIT: This source may have some good info.

Disconnects in these networks due to damage caused by disease can happen anywhere in the brain, he explains. In ALS, they occur in the frontal and temporal lobes governing the higher thought processes that make up “executive function.” Such processes include: making or following complicated plans, solving complex problems, following a series of directions and making sound judgments.

...

It’s estimated that between 10 to 30 percent of people with ALS will have more severe FTD symptoms.

Here's the thing though, if he suffers ALS so bad that he can't follow a complicated plan, how was he able to set up the grill and the dryer vent facing INSIDE in an attempt to burn the home down with them inside? Wouldn't that constitute as a "complicated plan"?

Disconnects in these networks due to damage caused by disease can happen anywhere in the brain, he explains. In ALS, they occur in the frontal and temporal lobes governing the higher thought processes that make up “executive function.” Such processes include: making or following complicated plans, solving complex problems, following a series of directions and making sound judgments.

Honestly just curious. If I were on a jury and I heard he set all of this up, yet he couldn't follow directions, I would call BS on this.

I don't figure a person would have much more trouble acquiring a gun than a salt shaker to be completely honest.

a reply to: Anyafaj

I wonder what Stephen Hawking would have to say about this man's defense.

a reply to: Anyafaj

Like I said, I'm not saying he's being completely honest--I'd find the same holes in his story, too. All I was trying to do was post the fact that it may be possible that what he's saying is true. But honestly, there are varying degrees as to how many of the symptoms affect an individual, and many degrees of severity. I'd have to listen to a few medical experts before I could make an honest determination.

Update to thread:


Andrew Steele found NOT LEGALLY REPONSIBLE in the killings of his wife and sister in law.

Forty-year-old Andrew Steele had pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease to two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the August 22 shooting deaths of his 39-year-old wife, Ashlee Steele, and her sister, 38-year-old Kacee Tollefsbol of Lake Elmo, Minnesota.

Defense attorneys argued that the disease damaged Steele's brain, making him not criminally responsible for the deaths. The ex-deputy claimed he "blacked out" during the murders.

Love the used and abused "blacked out". He apparently remembered how to shoot his wife, his sister in law and how to set up his dryer to try and start a fire to try and burn his house down to make it seem as if the bodies burned inside the home. But hey, he blacked out guys and doesn't remember a thing! Whatever! Apparently his ALS has not progressed enough that he remembers how to try and cover his hide to keep his butt out of jail! Argh!

The surviving sister claimed the ex-deputy acted inappropriately towards his sister-in-law during a family vacation last year and had fallen in love with her.

If the jury had found him responsible for the double-homicide, Steel could have faced up to a life sentence without parole.

Ashlee Steele, 39, was found shot in the head in the master bedroom and cops found Andrew Steele sitting in a laundry room with a pistol.

The former deputy had started the dryer and vented it back into the room and he had set up a grill loaded with hot charcoal in the room in a possible suicide attempt by carbon monoxide.

The killings came just days after the victims and the suspect's friends took part in the ALS ice bucket challenge, raising $23,000 towards the ailing deputy's medical expenses. In his letter, Steele lamented that collected funds were not enough to cover their family's expenses.

Between the two of them, the slain sisters have left six children behind.

I believe sadly this is a man who beat the system. But it's too late now.

originally posted by: tom.farnhill
a reply to: Anyafaj

Why was he allowed to have a gun if he was mentally ill ?

Why not? If you follow the logic that the population needs to be armed, and that unarmed citizens will become the targets since they can't fight back. By creating laws saying the mentally ill can't own a weapon, you are saying they don't get the ability to defend themselves.

Is that what you want? A world where those who are sick are unable to defend themselves? The thieves will eat them alive before their disease does.

originally posted by: Aazadan

originally posted by: tom.farnhill
a reply to: Anyafaj

Why was he allowed to have a gun if he was mentally ill ?

Why not? If you follow the logic that the population needs to be armed, and that unarmed citizens will become the targets since they can't fight back. By creating laws saying the mentally ill can't own a weapon, you are saying they don't get the ability to defend themselves.

Is that what you want? A world where those who are sick are unable to defend themselves? The thieves will eat them alive before their disease does.

What happens though when you have a situation like this? And then he can do like he just did. Get away with murder by blaming it on his mental illness? 6 children are now motherless. All because he decided to kill his wife, and her sister and attempt suicide, or fake suicide.

a reply to: Anyafaj

So take away one of their basic constitutional rights based on what they might do rather than what they have done? Most who are mentally ill are less violent than the general population, and even those that aren't, aren't guaranteed to act on that illness.

It's like saying, everyone in society except for a specific underclass is allowed to defend themselves. What do you think is going to happen to the group that can't?