Judge James H. Daniel sentenced to death on Wednesday a man who killed a Nassau County deputy.
Action News Jax told you in March 2023 when Patrick McDowell pleaded guilty.
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McDowell shot and killed Deputy Joshua Moyers during a traffic stop in 2021.
The shooting led to a manhunt where McDowell was seen crawling from a concession stand bathroom after hiding for five days.
RELATED: Jury recommends death for Patrick McDowell, man who killed Nassau deputy in 2021
In April, McDowell said he doesn’t deserve to live.
“I killed a hero of a deputy who was doing his job,” he said at the time. “This is not a plea for my life, this is a plea for justice for Deputy Moyers and his family.”
On Wednesday, Daniel said he didn’t consider McDowell’s previous words.
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“I have not considered the defendant’s request in arriving at my decision,” Daniel said.
Daniel also said he assigned only moderate weight to McDowell’s post-traumatic stress disorder from his military service, as he had a great support system and was offered plenty of resources.
The “defendant had resources that many did not have,” Daniel said.
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Daniel said McDowell’s decision to kill Moyers and “pull the trigger three times” was not a result of his PTSD but an effort to avoid going back to jail.
In April, the jury agreed McDowell deserved death by an 11-1 vote.
Daniel said Wednesday he agreed with the jury. Daniel told McDowell that the sentence would go under automatic review.
We caught up with McDowell’s attorney, Alan Chipperfield, who said the defense team was fighting for life in prison.
“I don’t think there’s any question that we wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for PTSD,” Chipperfield said. “The PTSD wouldn’t exist if it hadn’t been for Iraq. So, it’s a sad day.”
Back in April, McDowell took the witness stand, shocking even his own attorneys. He told jurors he deserved death.
“It’s Patrick’s case. Patrick has a very strong conscious. He feels really bad about what he did,” Chipperfield said. “Lawyers and clients don’t always see eye to eye.”
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