Courtroom outburst delays hearing for accused Kansas City serial killer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A morning evidentiary hearing, involving murder suspect Fredrick Scott, took an unexpected turn.
Witnesses say Scott caused a courtroom outburst, which will delay the seven year old case again.
Scott is charged with six murders, including three cases where victims’ remains were discovered on the trails near Indian Creek in 2017.
Monday’s session was meant to be the start of a two-day evidentiary hearing. Instead, the courtroom at the Jackson County Courthouse was cleared when Scott lashed out at courtroom employees, and cursed at his public defender.
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Scott’s public defender, Patrick Berrigan, argued that Scott is only competent to stand trial when he’s medicated for a mental heath condition, and that’s been difficult while Scott has been in jail.
“I’m more angry now than I’ve ever been. I feel like I’m full of rage after today,” Allison Boddicker said.
Boddicker and her sister, Jennifer O’Shea, are Mike Darby’s daughters. Darby, who owned the popular Coach’s Bar and Grill on 103rd Street in south Kansas City, was 61 years old when his remains were found on those trails near Indian Creek seven years ago.
Darby’s loved ones estimate they’ve been to court as many as 60 times since then, and they’re weary from multiple delays in this case.
“I left there thinking — you have got to be kidding me. I think it’s because he’s choosing not to take his medication. We are powerless over that. We have no control over that,” Boddicker said.
“This is one of the oldest cases that’s open in Jackson County. It’s not just a petty crime. This is a major crime. The fact that we haven’t gone to trial yet is insane,” O’Shea said.
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Darby’s family members believe Monday morning’s outburst by Scott is merely for show.
Berrigan has asked Judge Charles Frazier to assign Scott to a state mental facility in Fulton, Missouri to help monitor his medication. He told FOX4 his client’s mental health is at stake.
“What we would like is for him to be found competent and to stand trial for all of these murders. We don’t want to keep pushing it down the road,” Bill Darby, Mike’s brother, said.
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As of close of business on Friday, the judge had not agreed to the request to send Scott to Fulton, Missouri. A spokesperson for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office had no comment on Monday.
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