NewsState

Actions

Florida man guilty of killing pregnant ex-girlfriend

Markeith Loyd still faces trial in officer's death
Markeith Loyd
Posted at 7:51 AM, Oct 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-17 07:51:04-04

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been convicted of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend and still faces trial in a police officer's fatal shooting.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that 44-year-old Markeith Loyd was found guilty Wednesday of first-degree murder. Jurors will reconvene to decide whether he should face life in prison or the death penalty.

Authorities say Loyd killed Sade Dixon in December 2016 and gunned down Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton in January 2017 while she was trying to arrest him.

Loyd testified that he was trying to convince Dixon not to get an abortion. He said he never meant to shoot her, claiming that he was acting in self-defense.

The trial for Clayton's slaying is scheduled for next year. Prosecutors are also seeking the death penalty in that case.