Indigent Defense Services appointed an attorney to Tony Maurice Gorham Monday.

Gorham had his first appearance in district court today and his appointed attorney, Sam Dixon, was with him.

Gorham’s case was continued until May 26. One of the matters surrounding that hearing will be his bond.

Gorham, 28, is charged in the Friday stabbing deaths of Maxine McCrary, 92, and her daughter, Nancy Burgess, 65.

Gorham, a convicted felon with a long criminal history, was charged in the murders Saturday morning.

The murders occurred after he apparently asked one of the victims to use her phone as she talked to a relative.

The victim told the relative a neighbor needed to use the phone and said she would call back.

Soon after that, McCrary and Burgess were stabbed to death and robbed of personal items.

When the victims didn’t call back police were called for a welfare check and officers walked into what police described as a brutal murder scene at McCrary’s home at 311 Highway 158.

Police received the call shortly before 11:15 Friday night and investigators worked until the morning following leads that led to the arrest of Gorham. He was found at an apartment on Oakridge Drive around 4:30 Saturday morning.