ORLANDO, Fla. — A member of the jury that convicted Markeith Loyd of the capital murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend told WFTV reporter Megan Cruz the jury could not reach a unanimous decision to send the Orlando man to death row.
Cruz interviewed the juror Thursday evening. The woman, who asked we conceal her identity, agreed to talk about her experience during the trial exclusively to Channel 9. She is the first juror from the trial to speak publicly about it.
Loyd, 44, shot Sade Dixon to death in December 2016. When Dixon died, so did her unborn son. Loyd also shot her brother, but he survived.
The woman told Channel 9 the jury almost didn't convict Loyd because two of the jurors initially believed he may have been innocent.
"There were just some who didn't believe that he committed the murders," the woman said.
Prosecutors said that Loyd went to Dixon's home to confront her after a recent breakup. They said after the two started fighting, Loyd pulled out his two guns and opened fire.
The defense argued Dixon's brother attacked Loyd first, forcing Loyd to fight back.
"Portions of his story were believable, but the evidence showed something different," the juror continued. She told Channel 9 that certain evidence that was presented showed Loyd was lying about aspects of the shooting.
"Gun shells fall differently, but they don't fall a whole yard differently. They don't jump across the yard."
In the end, the ten that believed he was guilty convinced the two outlying jurors, but the jury was not able to come to an agreement on the death penalty, instead deciding on life without the possibility of parole for Loyd.
The juror told Channel 9 she believed Loyd deserved the death penalty.
"He killed an unborn child," she exclaimed. "(And) He murdered the mom. There seemed to be no remorse. And that was sad, that you could take somebody's life and not feel bad."
The woman added that the jurors were never argumentative and that they all openly shared their opinions.
Email Cruz your questions at megan.cruz@wftv.com
Cox Media Group
