Murder suspect declared incompetent to proceed with trial

A man charged in the 2011 killing of another man at a Springfield Greyhound bus station has been declared incompetent to proceed with his trial, according to Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson.

Mohamed Dawod, who authorities say is responsible for the 2011 shooting death of Justin Hall, was declared last month incompetent to proceed, Patterson said.

The next step is a probate court proceeding, during which Keith Schafer, director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health, will decide whether to move forward with either commitment or guardianship proceedings.

Under commitment, Dawod would be committed to the Department of Mental Health. A guardianship would place Dawod in the custody of another person.

Patterson said the case is expected to be dismissed without prejudice, which means that if Dawod were ever to be declared competent in the future, he could be retried for the charges.

Authorities said the Sept. 8, 2011 shooting appeared to be random. Witnesses said Dawod had been quiet while he was on the bus, which was on its way to St. Louis.

Authorities say Dawod and other passengers had exited the bus at the Springfield terminal as it stopped for a break. Hall and other passengers were lined up to reboard the bus when Dawod got in line behind them.

Authorities say Dawod then shot Hall in the back. Three men wrestled Dawod to the ground as he attempted to fire his gun a second time, but it jammed, court documents say.

Dawod told police at the time that he had a limited understanding of English and didn't fully understand his rights.