´óÏó´«Ã½

In the latter hours of 23 September 2021, 29-year-old deputy sheriff Joshua Moyers was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop on a secluded country road. Shockwaves ran through the peaceful rural area of Nassau County, Florida, where Josh had been serving since 2015. He had been shot in the face and twice in his back.

Reports quickly identified the killer as 35-year-old former US marine Patrick McDowell, who promptly fled into the Florida wilderness. McDowell served with distinction in Iraq, but he had subsequently experienced severe PTSD and developed a dependency on drugs.
After a five-day manhunt, officers caught the deputy’s killer and brought him into custody, where he was charged with first degree murder. With clear dashcam footage of the crime, McDowell pled guilty to the charges, and prosecutors declared that they would seek the death penalty.

In April 2024, Patrick McDowell faced what is known as a ‘punishment trial’. Held in front of a jury, evidence was presented to enable them to decide whether he would face the ultimate punishment – to be sent to death row - or receive life in prison without parole. A new law in Florida also meant that McDowell faced a jury that was no longer required to be unanimous in their vote to recommend the death penalty. A majority of 8 out of 12 will be enough.

Nonjudgemental, and told from multiple perspectives, the story of McDowell’s trial includes a host of key players from both legal teams. As the case hangs on a knife edge - each side fighting either to secure the death penalty or desperately avoid it, sympathies and morals are tested as the case builds to a climactic final decision.