Through a true crime tale and a gruesome murder, ‘Locked Inside’ exposes holes in how we care for those with mental illness

True Crime May 26, 2022
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Listen to ‘Locked Inside’

“Locked Inside” isn’t your typical true crime podcast. This series follows the long, disturbing, and heartbreaking tale of Christopher Lambeth. As pieces of Christopher’s story continue to come together, they reveal gaping holes in America’s justice and mental health systems that led to tragedy. This podcast carefully digs into the subject of mental illness, care for those who need it, and what happens when every cry for help is ignored.

Investigative reporter Erica Stapleton hosts this 12News I-Team and VAULT Studios co-production. “Locked Inside” is a multi-part podcast investigating Christopher Lambeth’s murder of Steven Howells and two decades of systemic failures that led to Steven’s death. Episodes of this podcast are just 30 minutes long, and new episodes are released on Tuesdays.

Tilda Manor

The story of “Locked Inside” begins on April 12, 2021 with body-cam footage from police. In the early morning, police respond to a frantic 911 call at Tilda Manor, a behavioral health facility on a quiet suburban street in Gilbert, Arizona. Tilda Manor is supposed to provide 24-hour supervision for residents who are all in need of mental health and behavioral services. A staff member had called the police because he and another staff member had been attacked by a resident of the group home.

The two staff members had run outside to call 911 and when the police arrived, they found the house locked from the inside. Not in much of a rush just yet, the officers tried the doors. It wasn’t until six minutes after the officers arrived that one peered through the window of the front door and saw a man lying in a large pool of blood.

Instantly, this changed everything. Backup was called and the officers frantically tried to enter the home. Eventually, one of the residents of Tilda Manor opened the front door for the officers, and then from there, the body-cam footage has been redacted. But Erica tells us that the audio can still be heard.

While one officer began chest compressions on the bleeding man, other officers noticed a trail of blood leading to the bathroom. Inside the bathroom, Christopher Lambeth had just stepped out of the shower and was getting dressed. The police calmly took him into custody and put him in the cruiser. Shortly after, Steven Howells was declared dead.

The fallout

The news of the murder shocked the neighborhood. This unassuming house in suburbia was hiding dark secrets, and now they were laid bare for the public to witness. Unfortunately, this is just the start of “Locked Inside.” It would come to light that Steven Howells was not the first person Christopher had killed, and his death may have been entirely preventable if not for the system that let both of them down.

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In “Locked Inside,” Erica speaks with a slew of people involved in and who bore witness to this case. She speaks with Steven’s ex-wife, who was with him until his delusions became too much for the both of them. She speaks with the unknowing neighbors of Tilda Manor, experts on the case, mental health professionals, and more.

Christopher Lambeth’s story is a 20-year-long mystery that takes Erica across Arizona, Hawaii, and all the way to the very top levels of the government. And most importantly, this podcast asks if Arizona’s most vulnerable population is really all that safe and if those responsible for caring for them are following the rules.

Listen to ‘Locked Inside’

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