Crime
West Wilson’s Cousin May Need Mental Health Treatment Amid Being Charged With Murder
Dakota Sweeney — the cousin of former Summer House star West Wilson — should be treated at a mental health facility after being charged with killing his step-grandmother, his lawyer has argued in a new court filing.
Sweeney’s attorneys lodged an amended motion in Carroll County, Missouri in June, pressing the court to sign off on mental health treatment, not simply an evaluation, Us Weekly reported on Tuesday, June 30.
Sweeney, 28, is currently facing charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action for fatally shooting his 75-year-old step-grandmother, Gayle Wilson, on April 22, according to People.
The original motion called for a medical expert to evaluate whether Sweeney could understand the proceedings against him and assist in preparing his defense, TMZ reported in May.
His attorneys had then pressed for a mental health professional to sit down with him and evaluate whether he understood “the nature, quality and wrongness” of the act he is accused of committing.
Sweeney was taken into custody on April 22 and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to KTTN.
His grandfather, who was in the home and was a witness to the tragedy as it occurred, told officers that Sweeney shot Gayle with a handgun “without warning” while she was on the couch, according to NBC15.
Another witness said the two had clashed earlier that day over Sweeney’s alleged refusal to help with domestic chores, according to the outlet.
If found guilty, Sweeney could face the death penalty or a life sentence, according to the official court documents reviewed by Newsweek. He remains jailed without bail at Caldwell County Jail, where he has entered a not guilty plea, according to the outlet.
As Star previously reported, Wilson and Amanda Batula will not be returning to Summer House for season 11 following the news that they are dating, a scandal that rocked the Bravo reality series following their respective relationships with castmates Ciara Miller and Kyle Cooke.
