Capital Murder Defendant Found Incompetent, Committed To Texas State Hospital

TEXARKANA, Texas–A Maud, Texas, man accused of murdering a dollar store clerk last year has been found incompetent to stand trial because of his mental health, putting his capital murder case on hold for at least four months.

Keshawn Deiron Wickware, 29, has been ordered by Fifth District Judge Bill Miller to spend the next 120 days in a state mental hospital with the goal of restoring him to competency, court records show.

Wickware has a history of assaultive and erratic behavior, including a 2024 incident at a local hospital where family members had taken him for mental health treatment, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Wickware will receive psychiatric care at a lockdown facility. The court will revisit Wickware’s status in 120 days and may order his continued commitment if he remains incompetent. Defendants are considered incompetent if they cannot understand what is happening around them, the criminality of their alleged conduct and/or are unable to assist their lawyer with a defense.

In a case like Wickware’s, the defendant will remain in a secured mental health facility until competency is restored.

Wickware has been in Bowie County custody since his arrest for capital murder on March 4, 2025, in the fatal shooting death of 47-year-old Denyle Pierce. Since his arrest, Wickware has been accused of assaulting a female correctional officer in the Bowie County jail.

He allegedly grabbed the officer’s breast and attempted to grab her groin area in February. A charge of assault on a peace officer related to that alleged assault has also been put on hold because of Wickware’s psychiatric issues, court records show.

Pending charges of attempted assault on a peace officer and terroristic threat against a peace officer in connection with a June 2024 incident at CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital in Texarkana are on hold as well.

Wickware was allegedly punching walls, had thrown a chair and was being combative with hospital staff who had been told the morning of June 5 by Wickware’s family that he attempted to harm himself by setting the back seat of his car on fire, according to a probable cause affidavit.

When police arrived, they allegedly noticed cuts on Wickware’s fists consistent with punching a wall but he had since calmed down so they left. About 15 minutes later, the officers were again dispatched to the hospital and asked to help get him into restraints so he could be treated without assaulting the hospital staff, the affidavit said. 

Wickware allegedly threatened to kill the officers before he was taken to jail.

Wickware was reportedly a regular customer at the Family Dollar when he walked into the shop at 424 Broadway St. in Maud, Texas, shortly before 8 p.m. on March 4, 2025. Pierce reportedly joked with Wickware, asking him “if he was cold” because of the mask he was wearing.

Wickware allegedly ignored the joke, approached the counter and asked for some Black and Mild cigars before pulling a black and silver handgun from his pocket and pointing it at Pierce. Another employee on site allegedly told officers that she believes Wickware pulled the trigger, fatally shooting Pierce in the head, because she was too slow in opening the register.

After fatally shooting Pierce, Wickware allegedly left empty-handed and fired several shots upward into the air outside the front door before making a getaway in a burnt orange SUV, turning onto Highway 8 in the direction of Cass County.

As Wickware was well known to the store’s management and employees, they were able to provide police with surveillance video from a few days before that showed Wickware allegedly wearing the same jacket with a distinctive insignia, the same jogger-style pants and the same tan-colored slide sandals as he had worn during the shooting.

A tip from a local resident led officers to an apartment complex just a few blocks away in the 300 block of Ash Street. Wickware was allegedly wearing the same jogger-style pants and slide sandals as in the recording of the fatal shooting. A jacket with the same distinctive insignia was allegedly recovered from his apartment along with a black and silver Taurus 9 mm handgun from the residence.

If convicted of capital murder, Wickware faces a possible death sentence or life without the possibility of parole. He will be held in the Bowie County jail until he is transported to a state mental hospital.

His bail is set at $1.275 million. 

Wickware is represented by Texarkana lawyer Jeff Harrelson. Bowie County District Attorney Kelley Crisp and Assistant District Attorney Christina Flanagan are representing the state.