Convicted killer Markeith Loyd requests co-counsel for second murder trial

Judge granted Loyd’s motion earlier this month to act as own attorney in upcoming trial

Trial date set for convicted killer Markeith Loyd in death of Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon in the case against Markeith Loyd is expected to center around his request for co-counsel after a judge granted a motion earlier this month to let him act as his own attorney.

Loyd is accused of shooting and killing Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton outside a Walmart in 2017 while he was on the run for killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, outside her home.

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A judge granted Loyd’s handwritten motion on Aug. 2, according to the Orange County Clerk of Courts website. It is not clear exactly when the motion was filed, but the postmark on the document shows a date of July 27, 2021.

However, Loyd recently filed for another motion asking for legal help.

If convicted of killing Clayton, Loyd could face the death penalty. Earlier this year, a judge set a new trial date of Oct. 8 and said she believed the trial would last “four to six weeks, most of which will be jury selection.”

Loyd was convicted in October 2019 of killing Dixon. He’s also already serving a life sentence for that conviction.

The hearing took place Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

Also on Thursday, the state filed a motion to subpoena Loyd’s jail records dating back to June 1, 2018. Prosecutors are seeking his medical, mental health and disciplinary records from the Orange County Jail, according to the motion.

The trial is still scheduled to begin Oct. 8.


About the Author

Brenda Argueta is a digital journalist who joined ClickOrlando.com in March 2021. She is the author of the Central Florida Happenings newsletter that goes out every Thursday.

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