A Texas man unanimously convicted for the 2016 killing of a San Antonio police detective has been sentenced to death for carrying out the deadly ambush-style attack.
Jurors deliberated for nearly eight hours before handing Otis McKane his punishment on Friday, marking the first time the death penalty has been issued in Bexar County in five years. He was found guilty in July of capital murder for the slaying of 50-year-old Detective Benjamin Marconi.
Overwhelmed upon hearing the verdict, McKane elbowed a bailiff in the jaw, who had been attempting to detain him at the time, KENS5 reported. Prosecutors later argued that McKane was a delusional narcissist who continued to pose a threat to the community, citing his recent attack on the bailiff.
Marconi, a 20-year veteran of the department, was sitting in a squad car parked outside police headquarters and writing a parking ticket when he was twice shot in the head on Nov. 20, 2016.
After the shooting, McKane said that he was angry with the court system because he was banned from seeing his son amid a custody battle and that that he “lashed out at someone who didn’t deserve it,” according to the San Antonio report.
The slain officers’ family was joined by many members of the community, including some Marconi’s uniformed comrades, for the sentencing hearing on Friday.
“Thank you to the many friends and family who attended the trial, we are deeply humbled for the amount of love, prayer, and grace we felt through each and every one of you,” his loved ones said in a statement.
“And finally, to Detective Benjamin Edward Marconi—THANK YOU for making our lives better, and the lives of everyone you touched. You are eternally missed and we will NEVER forget you—rest easy sweet Ben.”
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