In the quiet community of Goldville, just outside of Alexander City, Alabama, the autumn of 2015 was shattered by a brutal act of violence that claimed the lives of a brother and sister. Dianna Mitchell Sharpe, a 48-year-old woman, and her 50-year-old brother, Robert Wayne Mitchell, were found shot to death in their shared mobile home on Pate Road on October 8, 2015.
The discovery of their bodies marked the beginning of a somber investigation into a double homicide.
The initial shock to the community was soon followed by a swift turn of events in the case. The prime suspect, Dean Carl Stevens, who was 53 at the time and resided in the same home, turned himself in to authorities in the nearby town of New Site shortly after the killings. Stevens was reportedly in a relationship with Dianna Sharpe, a detail that added another layer of tragedy to the already grim circumstances. Following his surrender, Stevens was taken into custody and charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of the siblings.
In August of 2016, a grand jury in Tallapoosa County formally indicted Dean Carl Stevens on two counts of capital murder, moving the case towards a trial. After a series of pre-trial motions and a mental competency evaluation, the case was scheduled to go to trial in April 2018. However, before a jury could be seated, Stevens entered a guilty plea in September 2018, admitting to the shooting deaths of both Dianna Mitchell Sharpe and Robert Wayne Mitchell. In accordance with his plea, Dean Carl Stevens was sentenced to life in prison for the murders.
