CLEVELAND — A Cleveland jury has returned guilty verdicts for 19-year-old Tamara McCloyd, who was on trial for the shooting death of off-duty Cleveland Police Officer Shane Bartek, 25, during a carjacking on New Year’s Day last year, as well as a robbery on Christmas Day.
You can watch the reading of the verdicts in the player below:
She was found guilty of the following charges: Aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, aggravated robbery, grand theft, having weapons under disability, theft. She was found not guilty of a second aggravated murder charge.
The courtroom overflow room was packed with Cleveland police officers and some of Bartek’s family for the reading of the verdict.
Bartek’s relatives broke into tears when the judge said McLoyd was guilty of purposely killing Bartek during an aggravated robbery.
“My hope is that it begins the slow process of healing for the Bartek family,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley.
Seconds after the first guilty verdict for a Christmas Day robbery, a sheriff’s deputy put McLoyd in handcuffs. She stood before the judge with no reaction.
Prosecutor O’Malley called this a tremendous effort by police to quickly arrest McLoyd and loss for both police and Bartek’s family.
O’Malley said justice will be hard to serve in this case.
“The tragedy is this individual who committed this crime — these crimes — was on a spree of violence through our community. We see it every day in our county and it’s reaching these individuals and getting them on the right track, and she had opportunities to get on track, and every crossroad she could have turned her life around. She declined that opportunity,” O’Malley said.
When asked about McLoyd’s reaction, her attorney Jaye Schlachet said, “What would you think after being found guilty of aggravated murder?"
“Quite frankly she was a terrorist on our street, and for our community’s sake she is going to face the music for all the crime she committed over those several months,” said O’Malley.
McLoyd turned 19 years old on day four of her trial.
McLoyd faces a life sentence and prosecutors say it’s up to the judge on whether there’s parole after 20, 25 or 30 years, or life without parole.
McLoyd is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 27 at 10 a.m.
Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond, police union chief Jeff Follmer, a number of police officers and members of Bartek's family were in attendance as the verdict was read.
Follmer issued the following statement regarding the trial's outcome.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to the Bartek family while they had to relive that horrible night. We thank the judge and the jury for the conviction of McLoyd.
I want to commend our homicide unit and everyone that helped on the apprehension and conviction of McLoyd
We are quite confident that the only thing she will see for the rest of her life are bars."
McLoyd was indicted on Jan. 7 on charges in connection with Bartek’s shooting.
According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, On Dec. 31, 2021, McLoyd approached Bartek at an apartment building near Rocky River and Fairway drives in Cleveland. She walked up behind him, robbed him at gunpoint and then fatally shot him. After the shooting, McLoyd stole Bartek’s vehicle and fled the scene.
Bartek was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.
She was indicted on April 12 on charges in connection with a Christmas Day robbery.
Prosecutors said that on Dec. 25, she approached a 27-year-old man at the same apartment complex Bartek was shot at. As with Bartek, she allegedly took the man’s keys and fled in his vehicle.
She was arrested the day after Bartek’s death after she was linked to the Dec. 25 robbery through evidence.
Below is a look back at some of the evidence and testimony introduced during McLoyd’s trial:
Shooting video introduced
During the trial, jurors viewed surveillance video of the moment Bartek was shot.
Prosecutors showed jurors a minute and a half surveillance video from the Cross Creek apartment complex. The video shows someone running up behind Bartek as he walks in the parking lot.
It appears Bartek tussled with the person, and then the two ran in opposite directions.
Another clip, during medical examiner testimony, shows a closer shot of a gun going off.
Watch more about the video shown to jurors in the player below:
McLoyd confesses to shooting Bartek
A video of McLoyd’s interrogation was played for the jury during the trial.
For the first time, jurors heard the body camera recording from when homicide detectives interviewed McLoyd after her arrest.
A homicide detective told jurors McLoyd admitted on the video she robbed Bartek in the parking lot on New Year’s Eve and shot him, stating she didn’t mean to. When asked why, the detective believes she said she was afraid.
At the beginning of the video, the detective said McLoyd initially admitted to firing a revolver twice to celebrate the New Year.
Watch more about her confession in the player below:
The weapon
DNA linking McLoyd to the revolver found during her arrest was presented as evidence, but a forensic expert couldn't say when or how her DNA got on the weapon.
The prosecutor asked a forensic DNA analyst about the test results. The analyst said that based on the results, McLoyd was a “contributor” on that handgun.
The defense countered, pointing out the forensic analyst isn’t an investigating detective or in law enforcement but a scientist.
The analyst was unable to say when McLoyd’s DNA was left on the weapon.
Watch more about the weapon used in the shooting in the player below:
RELATED: Tamara McLoyd DNA on handgun marked as evidence in police officer killing
Closing arguments
McLoyd’s defense team said the state didn’t prove who the killer was. The prosecution said McLoyd admitted in her interrogation that she robbed and shot Bartek.
The prosecution said the case is about choices and the consequences of choices made by McLoyd that resulted in Bartek’s death.
During closing arguments, the prosecutor said Bartek gave what he had to McLoyd; his car keys, cell phone and his life trying to defend himself, calling what happened on New Year’s Eve at the Cross Creek Apartment parking lot purposeful and cold-blooded.
The defense said the question remains of who actually killed Bartek, citing a lack of witnesses and evidence. Her attorneys also cast doubt on her confession, stating she was drunk and high at the time she spoke to police investigators.
Watch more of what happened in closing arguments in the player below:
RELATED: Jury begins deliberations in Tamara McLoyd trial
CLICK HERE to read News 5's continuing coverage of Shane Bartek.
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