NASSAU COUNTY, Fla — First Coast News takes you inside the deliberation room to learn how a group of people decided one man should die.
Patrick McDowell faces possible execution for the 2021 murder of Nassau County Deputy Joshua Moyers. In a surprising twist in the case, McDowell asked the jury for death.
The jury recommended a death sentence last week. Only one of 12 jurors recommended McDowell get life in prison and not the death penalty. That juror was Delaney Ashe, an elementary school teacher who moved to Nassau County less than a year ago.
“As a Christian, I just felt that it wasn't my place to judge someone on that and kill someone because of that," Ashe said. "I agree 100 percent that everything that he did was horrible, horrendous, the worst thing taking someone's life. I don't feel sorry for him in any way on that, I totally get it. But does he deserve to die when he's obviously been having some mental health issues and drug addiction issues? There are so many other factors that went into it and not just him really planning to kill someone eventually, like no. I thought that there was evidence that was shown that, over time, it was he didn't deserve to die, ultimately. And he's going to die no matter what in prison. So it just made the most sense to me."
McDowell was in the Marines and served overseas in Iraqi war zones twice. He also told the jury about his problems using meth when he returned from overseas.
Jurors were shown video of the moment McDowell killed Moyers, shooting him in the face during a traffic stop.
“That was traumatizing and just that whole experience and the weight of it all was just a lot,” Ashe said.
Ashe said she thinks about McDowell's case all the time and dreams about it.
Both Ashe and former juror Sierra McClintock, a mother of two who works in the healthcare industry, said McDowell's request to receive the death penalty did not influence their decisions. McClintock explained they were told to keep emotions out of their decision-making and she felt his statement was emotional.
"I was able to completely lay aside all those emotions and follow the law,” she said.
McClintock voted for the death penalty. She explained the laws are laid out and the jurors just had to follow them.
“It was incredibly difficult," she said. "It hurt my heart. It hurt my heart for everybody. Obviously the victim’s number one. Officer Moyers and his family are number one. And then also, you think about Patrick McDowell's family, his friends and him himself. He’s a person no matter what he's done and it really hurt my heart.”
Though McDowell's life may end, these former jurors will remember this decision the rest of their lives.
“This will probably be the hardest thing, hardest decision anybody would have to make in their life, like, as a juror,” said Ashe.
McDowell now awaits sentencing by a judge. These former jurors said all jurors were respectful during deliberations and seemed to go in with their minds already made up.