‘He said he didn’t want to do it anymore;” ex-wife and son testify in McDowell death penalty case

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — Testimony continued in the death penalty case of a Jacksonville man who pleaded guilty to murdering a Nassau County Sheriff’s deputy.

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Patrick McDowell took the stand in his own defense, on Thursday. He apologized to the family of the late Deputy Joshua Moyers’ family, and admitted to the murder, saying he was a coward and selfish.

RELATED: ‘Nightmare:’ Deputy Joshua Moyers’ family gives victim impact statements at Patrick McDowell hearing

On Friday, McDowell’s defense team continued to call witnesses to testify on his behalf.

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His childhood friend, Ross Duncan, appeared via Zoom and said Patrick’s stepfather and his uncle served on the police force together. He said he didn’t know him to ever have issues with alcohol or drugs, and he said he never got into any trouble.

Following that testimony, the jury heard from Shauna McDowell, Patrick’s ex-wife.

“He was kind,” Shauna said, describing her first impression of Patrick McDowell. He was in the Marine Corp when they met and later married. She said he was a great husband, and later, became a great father.

Shauna testified that McDowell had a good relationship with his step-father, who was a deputy. She added that McDowell told her about his mother’s mental health issues, saying she would cut herself sometimes. She believed that behavior had an impact on Patrick.

RELATED: ‘Facts in this case are inescapable:’ Patrick McDowell’s penalty phase starts with opening statement

She also detailed McDowell’s change in behavior after returning from Iraq.

“He said he didn’t want to do it anymore,” Shauna said. “He wanted to come home.”

Shauna said once during a road trip from California to Jacksonville, McDowell was hallucinating and seeing things

“He nudged me and woke me up, and he said babe wake up,” Shauna said. “[He said] I just need you to talk to me because I’m seeing things.”

She said he had night terrors and would sometimes chew on his tongue in his sleep.

“He would have blood all over his mouth when he woke up,” Shauna said.

McDowell went to the VA to get help for his PTSD, but Shauna said the medication made him feel sick.

In 2010, Shauna gave birth to their son. She said McDowell went to work for a military contractor, Triple Canopy, in Iraq. Shauna said she didn’t want him to go, but they needed the money.

RELATED: McDowell has pleaded guilty in the deputy murder case

Once he returned from this deployment, Shauna said their relationship got worse. She said he was staying out late and they were arguing a lot. The two ended up getting a divorce and she moved to California.

In 2019, Shauna said McDowell’s current girlfriend’s mother reached out to her about the couple doing drugs. Shortly after this, she started asking for supervised visits with her son.

“I think bad influences and drugs,” Shauna said, when asked about the change in McDowell’s behavior.

Weeks before Deputy Moyers’ murder, Shauna and McDowell’s mother spoke with him via Facebook video messenger. Shauna said McDowell appeared to be on drugs.

“He looked sick, like he had been up all night,” Shauna said. “He hadn’t eaten in days. He had marks on his face, like scabs.”

RELATED: Judge denies motion to move trial of Patrick McDowell, man who killed deputy, out of Nassau County

At the time, he had a warrant out for his arrest for failing to appear in court for drug charges. Shauna said she and his mother were urging McDowell to turn himself in to police, saying this wasn’t a life to live. She said he refused.

Shauna and Patrick McDowell’s son also took the witness stand. He is now thirteen years old. We are not naming him due to his age.

McDowell’s son said he was aware that his father was charged with some very serious crimes. He said he has been in constant communication with his father since his imprisonment, and he enjoys talking with his father. The defense attorney asked McDowell’s son, if his father were to serve a life sentence, would he continue to have a relationship with him. His son responded ‘yes,’ and said he would even visit him in person.

Prosecutors did not ask McDowell’s son any questions.

McDowell’s defense team brought in two more witnesses before the lunch break. In total, between Thursday and Friday morning, they had twelve witnesses with more on the way in the afternoon.

RELATED: Jury selection to begin in penalty phase for man who killed Nassau County deputy

Kenneth Mayhall testified via Zoom on Friday. He was McDowell’s childhood friend and they attended high school together.

“He was a good-hearted person,” Mayhall said. “He was never in trouble. He paid attention in school.”

The jury also heard from a retired U.S. Colonel who McDowell worked under. In a 2009 employee evaluation, he described McDowell as a “confident leader” with a “rock solid character.” He also touched on the high-risk, traumatic environment they were in while in Iraq.

More witnesses are set to be called into the afternoon Friday. We’ll have updated on Action News Jax at 5 and 6.

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