Defense attorneys for Patrick McDowell make one final plea to keep him off death row

NASSAU COUNTY Fla. — We still have to wait to find out if the man who killed a Nassau County deputy in 2021 will live the rest of his life in prison or be sentenced to death.

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McDowell admitted to killing Deputy Joshua Moyers during a traffic stop in 2021.

Monday morning, Patrick McDowell’s defense team made their last plea to the judge to try and keep McDowell alive.

They’re hoping the judge will not uphold a jury’s death sentence recommendation for McDowell.

At the end of the penalty phase for his case in April, a jury recommended the death penalty for McDowell by an 11-1 vote. Florida law only requires 8 to recommend death.

Jury recommends death for Patrick McDowell, man who killed Nassau deputy in 2021 – Action News Jax

At the time, McDowell told the jury he did not deserve to live.

“For that, I shot him, and I left him there to die. I do not deserve to live a long life in a place full of people who praise and revere me as a cop killer,” said McDowell.

This testimony is something his defense team told the judge Monday they believe could have impacted the jury’s decision.

“In this case we believe that there are dangers that have arisen from the jury sentencing and in this case the jurors’ emotions could have been inflamed by aspects of this case,” said McDowell’s defense attorney.

While McDowell’s defense emphasized that he is a different person today than the night he killed Deputy Moyers, the state believes McDowell had no respect for law enforcement when he made that decision in of 2021.

“There is no doubt that based on the evidence in this case that this was a cold, calculated, premeditated murder,” said prosecutors.

Now the judge will have to review the entire case before making a decision. That includes everything from the case’s nearly 2 week-long penalty phase, the jury’s death sentence recommendation for Patrick McDowell, and Monday’s Spencer hearing.

The judge has yet to schedule a date to announce his decision for McDowell’s sentence.

As soon as Action News Jax learns when that will be, we will let you know.

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