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Convicted murderer, 45, will act as his own attorney at trial for shooting dead cop who tried to arrest him for killing his pregnant girlfriend weeks earlier

Markeith Loyd, 45, is set to face trial for shooting dead an Orlando cop who tried to arrest him for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend this fall

Markeith Loyd, 45, is set to face trial for shooting dead an Orlando cop who tried to arrest him for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend this fall 

A man currently serving life in prison for killing his pregnant girlfriend in 2016 will represent himself in his second murder trial for shooting dead an Orlando police officer who tried to arrest him for the first slaying.  

A judge granted 45-year-old Markeith Loyd's handwritten motion to act as his own attorney on Monday, according to Orlando News 6. 

The next day, a state agency accused Loyd's previous counsel, Terrance Lenamon, of submitting excessive legal bills for representing the convicted killer, arguing that his documentation of the hours he'd worked on the case was 'insufficient.' 

Currently, Loyd is serving a life sentence for the killing of Sade Dixon, 24, and consequently his unborn child. 

The trial for the fatal shooting of Lieutenant Debra Clayton is slated to begin on October 8, and Loyd is eligible to receive the death penalty if he is convicted.

Lieutenant Clayton served with the Orlando Police Department for 17 years - she is survived by her husband and son, and was posthumously promoted from the rank of Master Sergeant to the rank of Lieutenant.Dixon was three months pregnant when she was killed and had 2 and 8-year-old children.

Loyd is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting Lieutenant Debra Clayton multiple times as she tried to place him under arrest for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon

He is charged for first-degree murder for allegedly shooting Clayton multiple times as she tried to place him under arrest for Dixon's earlier killing outside of an Orlando Walmart store.

Lieutenant Clayton served with the Orlando Police Department for 17 years and was promoted posthumously from the rank of Master Sergeant to the rank of Lieutenant.

In previous testimony, before the pandemic slowed the court process, the defense argued that Loyd believed 'the police were trying to kill him' and had 'set him up,' according to the Orlando Sentinel. Previous attorney Lenamon also argued that Clayton fired first at the now-incarcerated man. 

'I was trying to turn myself in,' Loyd said in court in April. 'Walmart never had to happen but they were trying to kill me.'

The second alleged killing incited a manhunt, and officers were cleared to use force in the fugitive's arrest, according to the Orlando Sentinel. 

Loyd lost an eye after a mass of officers peppered him with punches, kicks and blows from rifle muzzles when he was located at an abandoned house in Carver Shores, weeks after Clayton's killing.

An internal investigation determined that the officers did not use excessive force, the Sentinel reported, and therefore a judge ruled that the beating could not be detailed to jurors. However, Loyd refuses to wear his false eye in court. 

Loyd is serving a life sentence for the killing of Dixon, 24, and their unborn child

Loyd is serving a life sentence for the killing of Dixon, 24, and their unborn child

A state agency accused Loyd's previous counsel, Terrance Lenamon, of submitting excessive legal bills for representing the convicted killer, arguing that his documentation of the hours he'd worked on the case was 'insufficient.'

A state agency accused Loyd's previous counsel, Terrance Lenamon, of submitting excessive legal bills for representing the convicted killer, arguing that his documentation of the hours he'd worked on the case was 'insufficient.'

 In the earlier 2019 murder trial, Loyd and his defense argued that he went into 'warrior mode,' reacting to Dixon's brother Ronald Stewart attacking him, and that he was attempting to defend himself when he shot the woman eight times. 

 'I wanted my child,' Loyd said in his testimony. 'I never meant to kill my queen.'   

He said that he went to Dixon's house on December 13, 2016, to try to convince her not to have an abortion. Loyd said his ex-girlfriend then pulled a gun on him, which he then took and store with his two guns until her brother - Ronald Stewart - came to check on them.

Loyd is said to have shot Dixon and Stewart as they were walking back to their house.

Dixon was three months pregnant, according to News 6, and had 2 and 8-year-old children. 

His lawyers argued that Stewart attacked Loyd, causing the gun to go off and hit him. Loyd said that he believed Dixon picked up the gun, prompting him to go into 'defense mode' and open fire on her - he said it was 'life or death.'

In the previous court case, a judge ruled that jurors could not be told that Loyd had slain Clayton - only that he shot the police officer, and that the same gun was used in both shootings. 

Previous attorney Lenamon agreed to reduce his fees for representing Loyd by about $8,000 - the judge ruled that Lenamon was entitled to 80 percent of the reduced fees, News 6 reported, which total to $53, 672. 

 It is unclear whether this is the reasoning for Loyd's decision to represent himself pro se - Loyd cited section 1 of the 14th Amendment and the 6th Amendment in seeking to represent himself, according to the Associated Press. 

The judge ordered criminal defense lawyer Teodoro Marrero and death penalty expert Terrance Lenamon to remain on as standby to represent Loyd if needed.

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