Man accused of multiple 2021 Springfield shootings, murder to plead insanity

A man accused of two random Springfield shootings — one resulting in a first-degree murder charge — has changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.

Darius Adams, 28, stands accused of murder, first-degree assault, and armed criminal action for his alleged 2021 crimes at nearby south Springfield locations. The first shooting occurred on Aug. 18, seriously injuring a man, and the second was on Dec. 4, killing 41-year-old Nathan Hale.

Investigators believe the shootings were unprovoked and that Adams did not know the victims.

Representing the jail suit-clad Adams at a court hearing on Wednesday was St. Louis-based attorney Isaac Dodd, who requested a second pre-trial mental evaluation on behalf of his client. Dodd said he learned of Adams' previous head injuries he believed could be "relevant to his competency.” The nature of the head injuries were not disclosed.

Adams' family agreed to pay for the second mental evaluation, Dodd told Greene County Judge Todd Myers, who granted the request. The trial is slated for January.

Adams' mother previously told investigators that her son had a history of mental health problems.

Adams entered a not guilty plea after his May 2022 arrest, months after the alleged shootings, a case that initially presented little evidence and what police described as a "whodunnit homicide.”

Investigators began piecing together proximity of the respective shootings at South Fremont and South National streets with the similar nature of the crimes. In both shootings, according to police reports, the suspect stopped his car in the middle of the road, went up to a man walking near a bus stop and shot the person multiple times before getting back in his car and driving away.

Investigators also noted in court records that at both shootings there was a light-colored sedan with dark wheels and tinted windows, later determined to be a Chevrolet Malibu, seen by witnesses. Investigators were able to determine "unique characteristics" of the vehicle from surveillance footage and witness photos that eventually led them to Adams, who owns a Chevrolet Malibu. Bullets found by investigators at both crime scenes also reportedly matched a gun found in Adams' home.

Hale's death was among the 26 homicides in Springfield in 2021.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Defendant in multiple 2021 Springfield shootings will plead insanity