SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood confirmed Friday that he will seek the death penalty in the murder trial of the man accused of killing a veteran San Antonio Police Department detective outside of public safety headquarters in late 2016.
As recently as last November, which marked the one year anniversary of Detective Ben Marconi's death, LaHood said he was reviewing the case to determine whether or not to pursue the death penalty against Otis McKane, 32.
"What I didn't want to do is react to any highly emotional situation, obviously this impacted our community, and respond appropriately. We handle every potential death penalty case the same way. I set up a process and wanted to go through that process and not rush to judgment," LaHood said Friday afternoon.
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McKane is accused of shooting Marconi twice in the head on Nov. 20, 2016, as the detective worked on paperwork inside a patrol cruiser downtown.
Surveillance video showed a car driven by McKane circle Marconi's patrol unit twice before the ambush killing, investigators previously said.
McKane was arrested in East Bexar County the following day after a massive manhunt.
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He was indicted for capital murder of a police officer in February 2017, and remains in custody at the Bexar County Jail.
McKane is tentatively scheduled to go to trial Feb. 28.
However, that date in all likelihood will be pushed back since it is now a death penalty case.
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LaHood said Friday that he intends to be on the team of prosecutors that tries the case.
Marconi, 50, from Floresville, was a 20-year veteran of SAPD and a father of two.