West Wilson's Cousin's Court Behavior Raises Concerns, Judge Orders Mental Exam

West Wilson's cousin appeared in court Wednesday after being accused of murdering their step-grandmother ... and the hearing quickly shifted focus from bond to concerns about his mental competency.

Dakota Sweeney appeared remotely from jail for a hearing tied to the shocking April killing of his 75-year-old step-grandmother, Gayle R. Wilson, inside a Missouri home. During the proceeding, Sweeney barely interacted with the court at all ... appearing sluggish and largely unresponsive while officials tried multiple times to confirm he could hear what was happening.

At one point, the judge repeatedly asked Sweeney to raise his hand or nod if he could hear the discussion after apparent technical difficulties with the jail connection. While Sweeney ultimately appeared able to hear the court, he still did not verbally respond.

According to the public defender ... Sweeney has been only "minimally responsive" during prior interactions with his legal team and appears to be in a poor mental state. Defense counsel told the court the most reaction they’d previously received from him was a slight nod and "half a smile for a bad joke."

Sweeney’s attorney formally requested a mental evaluation Wednesday and asked the court to continue the case until July 29. Prosecutors did not object to either request -- and the judge approved the motion on the spot.

As we previously reported, Sweeney -- who's related to the Bravo reality star through extended family -- was arrested April 22 in Carrollton, Missouri after deputies responded to reports of a shooting at a residence.

Officers say they arrived to find Gayle dead inside the home from a gunshot wound. Investigators say a witness told police Sweeney had been sitting quietly in the same room as Wilson for roughly 30 minutes before allegedly pulling out a handgun and shooting her.

Cops also say tensions had reportedly been brewing earlier in the evening ... with witnesses claiming Sweeney and Wilson argued over him not helping around the house with chores.

TMZ also obtained dispatch audio from the night of the shooting ... with dispatchers relaying information from a caller who claimed a man had shot his mother-in-law inside the residence. The victim was confirmed to be Gayle, Sweeney's step-grandmother.

Authorities say Sweeney was taken into custody without incident at the scene. According to the probable cause statement, officers allegedly found a holster on his person after the arrest.

He was later charged with first-degree murder.

Here’s how the family connection works ... West's father, Bruce, and Sweeney's mother, Kelly, are both stepchildren of Gayle Wilson -- making Sweeney and West cousins through the blended family.