Photo via Markeith Loyd/Facebook
Markeith Loyd, the twice-convicted killer of both his ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon and Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton, is facing the death penalty as sentencing gets underway.
Loyd is already serving a life sentence for the killing of Dixon. Earlier this month, he was found guilty of murdering Clayton. The OPD officer approached the then-fugitive Loyd in a Walmart parking lot in 2017. When she attempted to arrest him, Loyd shot her three times. Medical examiner reports claim Loyd then stood over the injured Clayton and shot her in the neck.
While Loyd pleaded not guilty to the murder and attempted an insanity defense, a jury found him guilty of murder. The question of whether Loyd should receive the death penalty remains.
While prosecutors are attempting to paint a picture of repeated instances of violence against police, Loyd's defense is focusing in on the assault Loyd suffered at the hands of police during his arrest. Loyd lost use of an eye due to injuries he suffered when OPD arrested him. Officers were cleared of wrongdoing by the Seminole County State's Attorney.
Every stage of Loyd's multiple trials have been filled with small dramas. State Attorney Aramis Ayala made national headlines for not seeking the death penalty in Loyd's first trial, leading then-governor Rick Scott to remove her from the case. There's no such objection from these prosecutors. Under the law any death sentence must come from a unanimous jury decision.
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