KANSAS CITY MO. — More than two weeks after accused Kansas City, Missouri, serial killer Fredrick Scott was last in court, a judge ruled he is competent to stand trial.
I learned about Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Charles McKenzie's ruling Thursday afternoon.
LINK | Read the ruling
This has been a story I've covered extensively in recent years.
Scott is charged in the deaths of six people. Five of them were killed near the Indian Creek Trail in south Kansas City, Missouri. Five of his alleged victims were older white men.
Although it's been almost eight years since he was charged, Scott still hasn't gone to trial, primarily because he's slipped in and out of mental competency.
As we've covered in multiple reports, Scott was diagnosed with Schizophrenia while in custody and was put on medication.
During the case, Scott remained in custody at the Jackson County Jail. But jail staff aren't allowed to force inmates to take medication, and there were times Scott was believed to be off his meds and had to be sent back to the Department of Mental Health for specialized care where they can force prisoners to take medicine, usually in the form of injections, all with the hopes of restoring them to competency so they can stand trial.
In January 2025, I detailed how the Missouri Department of Mental Health is bogged down with a backlog of cases due to bed shortages. The wait time just to get evaluated (as of January) can take up to four months, followed by another wait of up to 12 months to be admitted to their care.
That has been the case with Scott, who most recently turned back over to the care of the Missouri DMH where he was administered medications. The department's evaluation determined Scott had been restored to competency, that he understood the charges he's facing, and is able to assist in his defense.
But, his public defender sought a second opinion from another expert, who refuted that assessment, and instead said Scott was not competent to proceed.
The Jackson County Judge in the case, Charles McKenzie, heard the arguments from both sides on June 16. On Thursday, he sided with the State, ruling the criminal proceedings against Scott will move forward.
"We are so thankful that it is moving forward, but we have had trial dates before & none of them ever happened!!" Bill Darby, the brother of Mike Darby, one of the alleged victims, told me in a text this afternoon. "We are cautiously optimistic."
A case management hearing to choose a trial date and address other pending issues in the case has been scheduled for July 10.
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