Hospital Patient Accused of Killing Woman on His Floor Is Placed in State Facility Ahead of Possible Trial

A man accused of killing a patient at a Mississippi hospital earlier this year has been deemed incompetent to stand trial and committed to Mississippi State Hospital, his defense lawyer confirms to PEOPLE.

David Reed, 36, is charged with first-degree deliberate murder in the March killing of 51-year-old Wendy Gilbreath, according to his indictment obtained by PEOPLE.

In the indictment, which was filed in June 2024 – months after the March 5 attack – Reed is accused of “grabbing her by the neck and slamming her head into the floor multiple times.” 

Reed has entered a plea of not guilty, according to his lawyer, William Bell.

Both Reed and Gilbreath were being treated on the sixth floor at Merit Health Central in Jackson, Miss. at the time of the attack, according to Jackson police, who previously confirmed that the two did not know each other but that Reed – who police did not immediately name – had suffered “a psychiatric episode at the time he attacked.”

Reed was arrested at the Jackson hospital, according to police, and Gilbreath was rushed to University of Mississippi Medical Center for treatment.

She died the following day, according to her obituary in The Houston Chronicle.

Gilbreath grew up in Houston, Texas, graduating from Southern Methodist University with a degree in advertising, according to her obituary, which celebrated her “bright personality,” “loving energy” and beloved cats named Hampton and Peter Pan.

“While fighting challenging illnesses throughout her adult life, Wendy exhibited remarkable courage and stamina as she sought solutions,” her loved ones recalled in her obituary, directing memorial donations be made to a mental health foundation. “Wendy was truly an inspiration to those who witnessed her bravery every day. Wendy never gave up.”

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On Thursday, Oct. 17, Hinds County Circuit Judge Adrienne Wooten ordered Reed sent to the state hospital in what his defense lawyer characterized to PEOPLE as an “attempt” at “competency restoration.” 

In an email Wednesday, Oct. 23, Hinds County Circuit Clerk Zack Wallace declined to answer a set of questions regarding the court proceedings, but The Clarion Ledger reported from inside the courtroom that Wooten described an earlier evaluation of Reed as “very strange.”

"I will say to you that her opinion goes from one end of the spectrum to the other," Wooten said at the hearing, per the newspaper. "At one point he can be restored, and at the other point she doesn't believe that he can be.”

Bell tells PEOPLE that Reed’s hospitalization has not been defined for any particular period of time but that his doctors will be required to submit reports to the court every four months following admission “about whether there is a substantial probability of David becoming mentally competent to stand trial in the foreseeable future” as well as if any “progress toward competency is being made.”

Bell says the next court hearing has not been scheduled.

PEOPLE reached out to Merit Health Network – which oversees the Jackson hospital – for comment about any new security measures that had been put in place since the March 5 attack. 

“Maintaining the safety of our patients and staff is our priority and we continually review opportunities to strengthen our security processes and training,” spokesperson Melanie McMillan said in an email to PEOPLE, adding that Jackson police continue “ to maintain a presence at our facility.”