Birmingham Police Charge Couple With Double Murder In Roebuck

BIRMINGHAM, AL - A couple arrested in Florida has now been formally charged by the Birmingham Police Department with the double murder of Mary and Steve Holt of Roebuck. The north Alabama couple had been staying across the street from the Holts for several weeks leading up to their murder. Police were led to the murder scene by the Holts' three-year-old granddaughter.

Kristen Gullion and Zachery Phillips were each arrested in south Florida when they were in possession of the Holts' stolen car. Police have filed capital murder charges against both.

Related story: Victims Whose Granddaughter Led Police To Their Bodies Identified

Neighbors said the home where Phillips and Gullion had been staying was a drug halfway house run by Expect a Miracle treatment center. Representatives from Expect a Miracle told Alabama Media Group that the organization had not leased the home for that purpose for several months, and that a graduate of the program had been living there since the lease was terminated. Neighbors said they often saw the pair sitting on the front porch of the home.

(For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

The Birmingham Police Department received the report about a young child wandering the street alone the afternoon of August 2, and when investigators arrived, they noticed the child's clothing was stained with blood. The child, later identified as the three-year-old granddaughter of the couple who lived in the home, led officers to two unresponsive adults inside their home. Both adults were pronounced dead on the scene at 4:41 p.m.

This is a developing story and will be updated as information is available.

Photos via Broward County Jail, Miami-Dade County Jail

Like the Birmingham Patch Facebook page for more local news.