Texas court denies Otis McKane’s appeal, upholds death sentence for SAPD detective’s murder

BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has denied Otis McKane’s direct appeal of his death sentence.

McKane is convicted of shooting and killing San Antonio police detective Benjamin Marconi as he sat in his patrol car outside police headquarters on Nov. 20, 2016.

Prosecutors described the attack as a calculated ambush. Jurors deliberated just 25 minutes before finding him guilty in 2021.

McKane’s attorneys argued he was denied a fair trial; however, the court has upheld both his conviction and death sentence.

They found his statements to police were voluntary and that there was no racial discrimination in jury selection.

A date for his execution has not been set.

Defense attorney Sarah Brandon previously said the original trial team failed to fully represent McKane and alleged prosecutors presented false evidence.

“His trial team had a full obligation to present a full portrayal of Mr. McKane’s life, and they did not,” Brandon said in court in July.

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