Loyd’s niece seeks bond relief

The niece of Markeith Loyd, the man accused of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend and an Orlando Police officer, is asking for a bond reduction after she was booked into jail on a charge of aiding and abetting.

Lakensha Smith-Loyd, 27, of Orlando, is accused of helping Loyd evade police while knowing he had a warrant for his arrest in the shooting death of 24-year-old Sade Dixon on Dec. 13.

Loyd is also accused of killing Lt. Debra Clayton, 42, on Jan. 9. Another law enforcement officer, Orange County Sheriff’s deputy Norman Lewis, 35, died in a crash while pursuing Loyd.

Smith-Loyd was given a $750,000 bond for the charge of aiding and abetting first-degree murder after the fact following her Jan. 11 arrest. At that time, Loyd was still on the run and authorities claimed they had reason to believe Smith-Loyd knew where he had been hiding.

Now, days after Loyd’s Tuesday arrest, Smith-Loyd’s lawyer is asking for a dramatic drop of her bond — from $750,000 to $5,000, according to court documents.

Smith-Loyd’s attorney, Carrie Rentz, plans to argue at a court date Jan. 26 that her client’s bond should be reduced because she has no prior criminal convictions, is the primary caretaker to her three children and had been caring for her ailing grandmother and greatgrandmother prior to her arrest and has no finances to post bail, according to court documents.

“Smith-Loyd does not own a home, in fact, she is currently living in subsidized housing paying no rent,” Rentz said in court documents. “Currently, Ms. SmithLoyd’s only source of income comes from food stamps and the small amount of earnings she makes on a part-time, as needed, basis.”

Further, Rentz will argue the weight of the evidence against her client is not strong enough to warrant such a stiff bond.

It was not until speaking with Loyd’s former employer at Texas Fried Chicken, Zarghee Mayan, that investigators drew up further cause to arrest Smith-Loyd. In an interrogation on Jan. 9, Mayan told officers he gave Smith-Loyd about $200 for her to deliver to Loyd after Dixon’s death.

“According to the one-page arrest affidavit filed in Ms. SmithLoyd’s case, the State of Florida’s case relies, in part, on the testimony of Zarghee Mayan,” Rentz said in court documents. “Mr. Mayan has made inconsistent statements as it relates to Ms. Smith-Loyd and her alleged involvement.”

Smith-Loyd reportedly told the Sheriff’s Office sometime after Dixon was killed and before Clayton’s death that she knew where Loyd was residing, according to an arrest report. She told officers she thought Loyd was defending himself and would encourage him to turn himself in.

Loyd never did, and Smith-Loyd allegedly became “uncooperative” with investigators, according to an arrest report.

Mayan was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail Jan. 10 for the same charge as Smith-Loyd. A third person, Loyd’s ex-girlfriend Jameis Slaughter, 25, is also in jail on charge of an aiding and abetting first-degree murder after the fact.