The trial against a McAllen man accused of kidnapping and murdering his ex-wife over two years ago was set to begin mid-March, but has now been pushed back into June due to his defense counsel announcing they weren’t ready.
Richard Ford, 43, is facing a capital murder charge, assault, violation of a protective order and stalking after allegedly forcing 37-year-old Melissa Banda in broad daylight and cutting her throat on Aug. 6, 2020.
He had been scheduled for a Friday jury selection.
According to police, Ford forced Banda into the backseat of a Dodge Journey at 3:49 p.m. outside her home in the 7100 block of North Seventh Street where a nanny inside the home witnessed the abduction.
The probable cause affidavit states that the abduction was caught on a home surveillance video.
“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,” the affidavit said. “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.”
Her body was discovered by sheriff’s investigators in a rural area north of Donna less than 36 hours later.
Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra said that police believe that’s where Ford killed Banda by cutting her throat with a knife less than an hour after she was kidnapped.
Ford was found and arrested at South Padre Island on Aug. 8, 2020.
“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,” McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said.
According to court records, prosecutors had extended a plea recommendation early last year where if Ford plead guilty to capital murder, he would be sentenced to life in prison and the remaining charges would be dropped, but Ford refused.
Ford remains in custody at the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center where he’ll await his trial that may go mid-June.
Ford had his bond reduced in early November from $2,020,000 to $1,295,000. His initial total bond amount was $4.5 million on charges of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
