ORLANDO, Fla. — Taking the stand in his own defense, Markeith Loyd told jurors he supported his slain ex-girlfriend financially and that he's vegetarian because he doesn't believe in ending a life.

In several court appearances before this trial, Loyd had been argumentative, debating legal matters to the judge. But on Monday afternoon, Loyd was subdued, talking about his childhood, his beliefs, and his relationship with Sade Dixon, the woman he's accused of killing.

Testimony at the Orange County Courthouse focused primarily on his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, who was three months pregnant when she was slain in December 2016. Prosecutors say Loyd is responsible.

Medical Examiner Dr. Sara Zydowicz testified that Dixon was shot in the heart and that her unborn child was a boy who was about 12 to 13 weeks along in the pregnancy.

For his testimony, Loyd's shackles were removed during his testimony. He wore a device called a "stun cuff" as deputies kept close watch.

Loyd recounted his relationship with Dixon to jurors, including one time when they were joking around, and he said Dixon pulled a gun on him.

"She pulled out the pistol, and I was like, 'You are trippin.' ... We were live (on Facebook)," Loyd said.

Loyd talked about his background, beliefs, and lifestyle, including that he doesn’t eat meat because he values life.

"I don’t eat meat. I don’t believe in death, so I don’t believe in killing God’s creations. So meat, God made animals, just like he makes us.  We’re all the same flesh and blood, so I don’t eat flesh and blood."

Jurors heard about the beginning of the relationship between Loyd and Dixon. Loyd said he supported her financially, including paying for her classes when she began studying to become a real-estate agent.

Loyd said he was a convicted felon and had spent years in a federal penitentiary, but he began carrying two guns because he was on the defense after he was robbed twice at gunpoint while working as a fast-food delivery driver.

"So they run up to the car and put the gun to the door and they’re like, 'Give us the money,' so I parked the car," he told jurors.

Loyd said he's experienced racism since he was a young child — something his defense team plans to urge jurors to consider when they decided his fate. If he's convicted, jurors will decide whether Loyd faces life in prison or the death penalty.

Jurors could begin deliberating as early as Tuesday. After Loyd’s testimony wraps up, his defense attorneys are expected to call a firearms expert to the stand before attorneys present closing arguments.

Loyd is accused of gunning down both Dixon and Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton, who was shot dead several weeks after Dixon.

Loyd will face a separate trial for Clayton's death next year. However, Judge Leticia Marques has ruled that testimony related to the Clayton case can be heard during the trial over Dixon. Prosecutors are using testimony to link Loyd to both murder scenes, where bullets from the same gun were found.

The judge has instructed the jury that Clayton's death will have no bearing on this case. But the defense team is concerned the jury will not be able to separate the two deaths, which could influence their decision.

Timeline: Major Moments in the Markeith Loyd Investigation

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