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By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ and XAVIER ALVAREZ | Staff Writers
The trial for 44-year-old Richard Ford, who is accused of kidnapping and murdering his 37-year-old ex-wife Melissa Banda in 2020, continued Thursday with testimony from an investigator who responded to the scene where her body was discovered.
State prosecutors called Oscar Gonzalez to the stand Thursday afternoon. Gonzalez had previously served as a crime scene specialist for the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office at the time of the crime.
He recalled being called to the area in rural Donna at around 11:45 p.m. on Aug. 6, 2020. He shared details of the drainage ditches, canals and muddy terrain from recent rain when he arrived.
Prosecutors shared images taken by Gonzalez when he arrived on scene. The photos showed a pile of mud in the drainage ditch where Banda’s body was discovered.
The pictures, which were presented to the court, showed the process of Banda’s body being removed. The photos showed a pair of blue jeans and a fingernail. As more dirt was removed, the photos revealed hair and the back part of the woman’s body.
Gonzalez said that investigators turned her body over to check for injuries, at which point they observed a laceration to her neck from “ear to ear.”
A search of the surrounding area revealed a “fairly new” bottle of water as well as a “fresh” surgical mask.
He also recalled responding to an apartment complex located behind Zamora’s Restaurant in McAllen on Aug. 8, 2020 where investigators found a box of latex gloves and a notepad on a kitchen table.
Gonzalez also detailed searching the white Dodge Journey that had been rented by Ford. He said that he did not see any visible signs of blood inside the vehicle, but he did find a copper coated BB on the floor.
Prior to Gonzalez’s testimony, the court heard testimony from Luis Hinojosa, a former crime scene investigator with the McAllen Police Department.
Hinojosa recalled executing a search warrant on a silver Ford F-150 belonging to Ford on Aug. 10, 2020. Prosecutors presented photos from the search to the court.
In one photo, a red bottle could be seen in a cup holder. The bottle, which was submitted as evidence to the court, was determined to be a container for copper coated BBs intended for Airsoft pistols and rifles. Another photo showed a box of CO2 cartridges for Airsoft pistols and rifles inside of the F-150 center console. In another photo, a large blue duffel bag was seen in the rear seat of the truck.
Hinojosa said that investigators also recovered SD cards, an Apple Watch, and a key fob with a Gold’s Gym membership tag on the key ring.
That morning, jurors were presented with surveillance footage taken from La Plaza Mall and Avis Car Rental at the McAllen International Airport. The footage allegedly shows Ford driving his silver Ford F-150 through the mall’s parking lot followed by footage of him walking to the airport.
Additional footage showed a man, allegedly Ford, renting a vehicle. The person in the video wore a baseball cap, blue shirt, jeans and sandals.
Defense Attorney Jaime Aleman objected to the footage, arguing that the witness testifying regarding the footage didn’t have knowledge about whether the surveillance system was operating properly.
State District Judge Rose Guerra Reyna overruled Aleman’s objection.
The trial is scheduled continue on Monday at 9:30 a.m.
