Thomas Markle Ordered to Undergo Mental Competency Exam

The 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, faces federal charges involving alleged possession of child sexual abuse material. A Florida judge questioned whether he can understand the proceedings and assist in his own defense

A federal judge in Florida has ordered an independent psychiatric evaluation of Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, after questioning whether the 82-year-old is mentally capable of standing trial on federal charges involving alleged possession of child sexual abuse material.

The order, issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin in Tampa, follows Markle’s first court appearance on Friday. In a two-page ruling, Griffin said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Markle may suffer from a mental illness or impairment severe enough to prevent him from understanding the proceedings against him or adequately assisting in his own defense.

The judge cited unspecified information about Markle’s health, his advanced age and what the order described as memory loss. She appointed forensic psychiatrist Dr. Amie Gerodimos to conduct an independent assessment, establish a diagnosis and determine whether Markle is mentally competent to face the case.

The evaluation comes after Markle’s arrest Friday on federal charges of possessing child sexual abuse material. According to an FBI affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, investigators recovered a collection of slides, photographic negatives and books from storage units Markle had rented in Los Angeles since 2008.

Among the material seized were two explicit photographs allegedly depicting Markle posing with a nude minor, along with other images showing children at various stages of undress. One photograph showed a naked girl in a room that appeared to belong to a motel chain in the Philippines, where Markle had lived for a period.

FBI Director Kash Patel made a public statement about the allegations, saying Markle had “targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions.”

Markle had until recently lived in Lakeland, Florida. The Daily Mail reported that he had been staying in a nursing home.

No guilty plea was entered during Friday’s hearing. Griffin authorized Markle’s release on bail, subject to house arrest and electronic monitoring. The psychiatric evaluation will determine whether the proceedings can move forward with him in his current condition.

In her order, the judge said the available information gave her “reasonable grounds to believe” that Markle might have “a mental disease or defect rendering him mentally incompetent to the extent that he is unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him or to assist properly in his defense.”

The assessment by Gerodimos is intended to establish whether those concerns are sufficient to affect Markle’s legal capacity to stand trial.

(Photo: © AndKronos)