Man accused of killing Biloxi Officer Robert McKeithen committed indefinitely to Mississippi State Hospital

BILOXI, Miss. (WXXV)-The man accused of killing Biloxi Police Officer Robert McKeithen in 2019 will be indefinitely committed to the Mississippi State Hospital after a second competency hearing was held this week.

During the hearing, doctors from the Mississippi State Hospital at Whitfield testified that Darian Atkinson has been receiving competency restoration services since he was admitted to the hospital in March 2023.

During that time Atkinson has received antipsychotic medications, individual and group therapy sessions, and extensive testing designed to uncover mental illness and determine if Atkinson is fabricating or exaggerating his symptoms. Dr. Robert Storer testified that Atkinson suffers from severe mental illness on the schizophrenia spectrum. Atkinson’s symptoms include paranoia, delusions with disassociation and hallucinations, cognitive dysfunction, and thought disturbance. According to Dr. Storer, these symptoms are extremely hard to fake, and Storer does not believe Atkinson is faking or exaggerating his symptoms. Atkinson’s symptoms have improved since his admission to the State Hospital, but Dr. Storer testified that Atkinson’s symptoms continue to prevent him from understanding the nature of the charges and proceedings against him, and render him unable to assist his counsel with his defense, recall relevant facts, or testify in his own defense.

Dr. Storer testified that he does not believe Atkinson can be restored to competency with continued treatment in the foreseeable future.  He recommended that Atkinson be committed indefinitely to the hospital.

Doctors testified at while at Whitfield, Atkinson is classified as the highest security risk and will be confided to maximum security where he will be confined for 12 hours a day and take his meals there as well. With the exception of emergency medical treatment, Atkinson would not leave the unit.

After hearing the testimony, Judge Schmidt found Atkinson not competent to stand trial and entered an order committing Atkinson to the Mississippi State Hospital at Whitfield until such time as he is restored to competency.

The District Attorney’s Office requested that Atkinson be evaluated once a year and if he is ever restored to competency, the judge has ordered that the court and the DA’s office would be notified and Atkinson would be immediately transported to the Harrison County Adult Detention Center to stand trial for capital murder.

Biloxi Police Chief John Miller said in a statement, “The men and women of the Biloxi Police Department are saddened by the news that Darian Atkinson has been deemed incompetent to stand trial for the brutal and senseless murder of Officer Robert McKeithen. Although disappointed, our trust in the judicial system is fervent and our faith in the Harrison County District Attorney’s to pursue justice for Officer McKeithen and his family is resolute. We are confident, District Attorney Crosby Parker will continue to seek justice for Robert and his family regardless of the situation. Many thanks to the Gulfport Police Department and the District Attorney’s for their hard work and diligence.”