Johnston County father accused of killing his 14-month-old’s aunt, Sheriff’s Office says
Johnston County authorities have charged a man with murder in a Sunday night shooting in Smithfield.
Sheriff’s deputies sent to a home on Bear Oak Drive at 9:23 p.m. found 44-year-old Emily Christine Steinhoff fatally shot, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Dorian Thomas, 50, was charged with murder at the scene.
Steinhoff had come to the home with her sister to pick up her sister’s 14-month-old child, who had spent the weekend with Thomas, his father, the release stated.
During a custody exchange, Thomas produced a firearm and fired a single shot at Steinhoff, the Sheriff’s Office said.
He is being held in the Johnston County Detention Center without bail. The investigation remains ongoing with no additional details released.
The N.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence has recorded 14 homicides related to domestic violence in 2024, according to its website.
Raleigh theater company mourns death
Steinhoff graduated from a directing and stage management workshop at Raleigh Little Theatre last June, according to the theater’s website.
Steinhoff was an Army veteran, a registered nurse and an attorney, according to a biography posted by the theater. She was an assistant stage manager for the “Three Little Birds” musical at Raleigh Little Theatre and for the African American Cultural Festival.
“We are heartbroken as we join our greater theatre community in mourning the tragic loss of Emily Steinhoff James,” the theater company said on social media. “Emily’s light shined so brightly, both on and off the stage, and we are so fortunate she found her way to RLT back in 2017. She put her whole heart into everything she did, and her infectious energy and compassionate spirit inspired everyone around her. Words fail to convey how deeply we are going to miss her.”
Steinhoff is survived by her husband and her son, Raleigh Little Theatre said.
This story was originally published March 18, 2024 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Johnston County father accused of killing his 14-month-old’s aunt, Sheriff’s Office says."
