A 41-year-old McAllen man pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to an indictment accusing him of kidnapping and murdering his ex-wife, Melissa Banda, last August.
Richard Ford is charged with capital murder by terror threat, assaulting a family member (impeding breath), violation of a protective order (assault/stalk) and stalking.
McAllen police and the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office allege Ford murdered 37-year-old Melissa Banda on Aug. 6, 2020.
According to authorities, Ford forced Banda into the back seat of a Dodge Journey at 3:49 p.m. outside her home in the 7100 block of North Seventh Street.
A nanny inside the home witnessed the abduction and called police, McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said at a news conference after Ford’s arrest.
That alleged incited was caught on home surveillance video, according to a probable cause affidavit.
“The video showed that as soon as Ms. Banda arrived at the home, Mr. Ford approached her from behind and grabbed her and covered her mouth. Ms. Banda began to kick and scream and Mr. Ford continued to wrestle with her until he got to the Dodge Journey. Mr. Ford is seen shoving Ms. Banda into the backseat and then he gets into the driver seat,” the affidavit stated.
She was never seen alive again and less than 36 hours later, sheriff’s investigators discovered her body in a rural area north of Donna.
Authorities believe that is where Ford killed Banda by cutting her throat with a knife less than an hour after she was kidnapped, Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra said at the time.
Police arrested Ford on Aug. 8 at South Padre Island.
Rodriguez, the McAllen chief, said investigators believe Ford went to the Island in an attempt to misdirect authorities.
“I’m going to suggest to you that a lot of the things which will ultimately be revealed in the investigation and prosecution of this case are planning by him. A lot of it involved planning on his part and we think the ultimate trip to South Padre Island was part of that planning process; theoretically, we think to misdirect us,” Rodriguez said.
He remains jailed on $4.5 million in bonds.
