A recording of an interrogation is giving a better idea of what Markeith Loyd, who is accused of two murders, said about the death of his pregnant ex-girlfriend.
In January 2017, Loyd was accused of gunning down Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton in a Walmart parking lot after she recognized him as being sought in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, and her unborn child in December 2016.
Loyd was on the run for nine days before his capture, investigators said.
For 45 minutes, Loyd was interrogated by an Orlando police detective and an Orange County Sheriff’s Office detective.
At first, Loyd pretended not to know anything about the deaths of Dixon and Clayton.
“What I’m in custody for?” Loyd asked in the interrogation.
Loyd later told the detectives he had broken up with Dixon because he was mad she was smoking while pregnant. He said she pulled a gun on him and that her brother was involved in the shooting.
“So, she pulled a gun on you? What did you do?” the detective asked.
“I disarmed her,” Loyd said.
“And what did you do with her gun?” the detective asked.
“I put it in my back pocket, but when her brother jumped me, I guess it (fell) out,” Loyd said.
“And when did you take your gun out?” the detective asked.
“While me and him (Dixon’s brother) were tussling,” Loyd said.
The one thing Loyd never cleared up is how an argument that day in December 2016 got so out of control that Dixon’s brother got shot and Dixon and her unborn baby were killed.
During the interrogation, Loyd begged for medical care. He was badly injured during his capture.
He was covered in blood and lost an eye from the injuries.
The detectives challenged Loyd as weak.
“I need medical attention,” Loyd said.
"Medical attention is coming," said a detective.
"Ain't no medical attention coming with y'all (expletive), why didn't it come yet?" Loyd said.
“You don’t need to open your eyes, Markeith. You need to open your mouth,” said the detective.
"You wanna say anything to them? You give a (expletive) at all that that woman, who's probably one of the truly nicest, biggest-hearted police officers I've ever met in my life, a woman who truly gave a (expletive) about this community and truly got into this line of work to make a, make the community a better place, and you shot her down like a (expletive) dog because you're a little goddamn (expletive). OK? You got anything to say, to say to that family?” the detective said.
Loyd was silent and then responded with, “Your mama a (expletive).”
Orlando Police Chief John Mina is on record defending his officers' actions the night Loyd was captured.
Loyd may have had a plan to turn himself in, based on what's heard in the interrogation video.
"You were going to call her parents so they could turn you in and get money? Whatever,” said a detective.
Loyd responded by saying he was going to call Dixon’s stepfather so Dixon’s family could get the Crimeline reward money.
“Is that gonna be your, your 'I'm sorry, here, here's some money? 'That's all she was worth? $100,000?” the detective asked.
“No, it wasn't about no money,” said Loyd.
“So what was it about? You were tired of running?" asked the detective.
Loyd never answered the question about money. He is set to go on trial in September.
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