ORLANDO, Fla. — On the fourth day of testimony in the penalty phase of Markeith Loyd’s murder trial, the jury heard from Loyd’s family and friends — and a psychologist who said Loyd has long suffered from PTSD, which affects how he responds to situations.


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This comes as the defense makes a case as to why Loyd should get a life sentence, rather than the death penalty.

Loyd is facing the death penalty, or life in prison, after being convicted of murdering Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton in the parking lot of a Walmart in 2017.

Authorities were looking for him after he shot and killed his ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon and her unborn child — crimes he would later be convicted for. He is currently serving a life sentence for those deaths.

On Thursday, the jury also heard from a detective with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, who talked about Loyd’s unanswered pleas for medical attention following his arrest in January 2017.

Detective Greg McQuitter said after Loyd was arrested, he was with the man for at least 45 minutes as he was taken from the scene where he was apprehended back to the Orlando Police station. McQuitter said during that time, Loyd was never offered medical attention.

The jury also heard testimony from another defense expert, a clinical psychologist who said Loyd has long suffered from PTSD from childhood beatings by his mother and a kidnapping and beating when Loyd was a teenager.

Dr. James Campbell testified that he believes that the trauma he suffered affects Loyd’s actions and how he responds to situations. But the state questioned Campbell’s assessment of Loyd because of differences in how Loyd described incidents and how police documented them.

“The police officers that took the statement from the young man and wrote them down, do not agree with the story that Mr. Loyd told me,” said Campbell.

Several of Loyd’s childhood friends testified, including one who said that after being kidnapped, Loyd was never the same.

“He just, after that, from what I noticed he just wasn’t scared of anybody,” said Odell Jones.

And the jury heard from Loyd’s younger cousin, now a pastor, who said Loyd was a fierce protector of his family in a neighborhood where fights were frequent.

“I knew I was safe, I always knew that I was safe — I always knew he would protect me,” said Jesse McCree, Loyd’s cousin.

McCree is expected back on the stand Friday along with several other defense witnesses.

It will likely be next Monday or Tuesday before the jury will get the case to deliberate Loyd’s fate.

Loyd's defense hopes jurors will weigh that with his murder convictions and choose life in prison and not death.

A death sentence needs to be a unanimous decision from the jury. It could be early next week before it is learned what they decide.