GUILTY TX - Grace Lillian Ford, 2, murdered in Plano, 9 Jan 2014

[alwaysonmymind]

Public defender...hmmmm....I wonder if an attorney will sign onto this case pro-bono. Maybe not though. There's been other child murder cases, like Samantha Runnion and Jessica Ridgeway, where the defendant had a public defender, and no lawyer signed on to defend them.

She's not from the public defenders office. She has a private practice located in Highland Park and has defending the worst of the worst.

IMO, for starters, she'll do everything she can to get MM declared incompetent to stand trial.


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[ArianeEmory]

Public defender...hmmmm....I wonder if an attorney will sign onto this case pro-bono. Maybe not though. There's been other child murder cases, like Samantha Runnion and Jessica Ridgeway, where the defendant had a public defender, and no lawyer signed on to defend them.

But this one MAY have the Nancy-Grace factor, meaning national MSM coverage, meaning free advertising for the lawyer. Plus there was really not much defense to be made for the two you mention, but we've already seen the setup for either an accidental or insanity defense.

Did JA get a pro-bono/celeb lawyer? (I usually don't follow the super-high-profile cases.)

 

[Flutterby80]

Public defender...hmmmm....I wonder if an attorney will sign onto this case pro-bono. Maybe not though. There's been other child murder cases, like Samantha Runnion and Jessica Ridgeway, where the defendant had a public defender, and no lawyer signed on to defend them.

Those killers aren't "hot" females. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone pick this up. The media exposure could be big.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

I could also see the trial being high-profile. Like how Jodi Arias or Martin MacNeil were; I don't remember hearing about those cases when they happened, but HLN decided to air them. They both got a lot more media coverage during the trial. It will of course also depend on what else is going on at the time, whether HLN is still airing trials by the time this one starts, etc.

I really hope not though. Melinda would love the attention. I hope the trial stays a local story.

 

[TexasChica7]

Just saw a news story alert that another child (10 year old boy) was found dead at home in Collin County (Frisco) and the Mother was taken in for questioning. What is going on in this world?

 

[eileenhawkeye]

Just saw a news story alert that another child (10 year old boy) was found dead at home in Collin County (Frisco) and the Mother was taken in for questioning. What is going on in this world?

The same thing that's always gone on, unfortunately. Parents killing their children is not new. :/

 

[analytical]

Breaking news - death of 10-year old boy at hands of mother in Frisco (Collin County)

(don't know where to begin a new thread - breaking news link below)

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/24588629/frisco-mom-questioned-about-10-year-olds-death

 

[JesseP]

This is getting national attention tonight on Jane Velez Mitchell 7 eastern this story

 

[sonicfanaticsmommy]

I am so tired of people murdering children, let alone their own. I can't imagine being such a monster that I wouldn't have the heart NOT to do something like that. It's so sad.

I am definitely not going to defend Dad, but I am leaning towards she didn't mean to kill her. She was playing the sympathy card ("someone attacked us! Now you'll remember that I'm important to you and you'll never want to leave me!") that does not mean I don't think she should be charged with murder. She should. At the very least she was reckless with this little girl's life and she died because of it. She deserves to be in prison until she dies. I don't think she is crazy or will be found incompetent, I think she knew exactly what she was doing but didn't realize the consequences of her actions.

Of course, I could be wrong, but it's easier for me to want to believe that than to believe she murdered Grace in cold blood to win back her father or to exact revenge on him for dumping her.

 

[JesseP]

Also I think Jane Velez repeats later in the evening

 

[lonetraveler]

It bothers me, too. If you haven't already, read the affidavit charging her with Capital murder.

The timeline is so tight. If MM returned from the Dollar Store at 1:03 (key fob marker) then actively threw all of the evidence away at 1:18 (key fob marker), that gives her only 15 minutes to kill Grace. Someone up thread posited that maybe Grace was smothered first then the duct tape was applied. But, maybe, the duct tape was wide enough to have easily been placed over both Grace's mouth and nose. Awful, awful, awful!

It would be no surprise to me if she watched the Casey Anthony trial and got the idea from it.:banghead:

 

[lonetraveler]

Agreed. However, dad is not doing anything to help his image by saying things like this....



....and yet we know from the arrest record that AFTER police told him they suspected her of murdering his baby, he not only got his drink on with this woman, but had sex with her in his car. Maybe there are different levels of being a victim.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Plano-dad-says-daughters-murder-is-completely-insane-242651821.html

IMO if it was the mother's boyfriend or husband who had done this, there would be no shortage of people jumping on her case for allowing it to happen. I see it with case after case. And I usually agree. Is this somehow different?

I totally agree with you. How does someone have sex with the murderer of your child after you know about it? Also, this child had been abused prior to her death. Don't tell me he didn't know anything about this either. I'm aware of the "victim" policy but these facts are just that, facts. I do not see him as a victim. Delete if you need too.

 

[Frigga]

There is no way this was meant as a "scare" and Grace accidentally died. Grace would have ID'd her in a heartbeat! She was a bright, talkative two year old- she would have been able to tell what happened to her. MOO and all that

 

[lonetraveler]

I am so tired of people murdering children, let alone their own. I can't imagine being such a monster that I wouldn't have the heart NOT to do something like that. It's so sad.

I am definitely not going to defend Dad, but I am leaning towards she didn't mean to kill her. She was playing the sympathy card ("someone attacked us! Now you'll remember that I'm important to you and you'll never want to leave me!") that does not mean I don't think she should be charged with murder. She should. At the very least she was reckless with this little girl's life and she died because of it. She deserves to be in prison until she dies. I don't think she is crazy or will be found incompetent, I think she knew exactly what she was doing but didn't realize the consequences of her actions.

Of course, I could be wrong, but it's easier for me to want to believe that than to believe she murdered Grace in cold blood to win back her father or to exact revenge on him for dumping her.

JMO here but I have to disagree, IMO she definitely knew exactly what she was doing. She planned this out and even took the little girl to the store to buy the very supplies she used to kill her. Cold blooded murder. She deserves the needle.

 

[Frigga]

I don't want to say what I truly think of Mitch Ford for fear of being banned permanently!

 

[lonetraveler]

I believe both Mitch and Emily are victims, because this murdered their child, but I also have the feeling-- some of it based on what we have seen in msm, some of it based on assumptions on my part--that there were significant red flags that were overlooked in Mitch's relationship with this female.

One cannot overlook red flags, even small ones, and still protect their child. This was a two year old baby girl. If her parents don't look out for her, who is going to? According to Mitch's interview, Muniz faked some kind of mugging or something previous to this incident. That's enough for me.

I'm also guessing we will find that the CPS calls line up with times that poor Gracie was in Muniz's care.

And the whole sex in the car thing? Bizarre. Self-centered. And just wrong.

We are hard as hell on women who choose losers who hurt their children. Based on the arrest affadaivit and Mitch's recent interview, I see him continuing to make excuses for Muniz, and that's just a tiny glimpse, IMO, into what's been going on for as long as they've been together.

He has been victimized by a female who murdered his child, but I'll save my tears for the baby.

As far as the mother goes, I really don't know. I think most of what we "know" about mom is based on conjecture and extrapolation. She was in recovery and didn't have custody of her daughter. That's about all I really know.

I'll save my tears for the baby.

BBM: absolutely!

 

[Frigga]

I am very interested to hear about MM from classmates, neighbors, friends and ex boyfriends. Should be interesting. Has anyone from her family said anything in defense of her?

 

[kdgdid]

I am so tired of people murdering children, let alone their own. I can't imagine being such a monster that I wouldn't have the heart NOT to do something like that. It's so sad.

I am definitely not going to defend Dad, but I am leaning towards she didn't mean to kill her. She was playing the sympathy card ("someone attacked us! Now you'll remember that I'm important to you and you'll never want to leave me!") that does not mean I don't think she should be charged with murder. She should. At the very least she was reckless with this little girl's life and she died because of it. She deserves to be in prison until she dies. I don't think she is crazy or will be found incompetent, I think she knew exactly what she was doing but didn't realize the consequences of her actions.

Of course, I could be wrong, but it's easier for me to want to believe that than to believe she murdered Grace in cold blood to win back her father or to exact revenge on him for dumping her.

I agree I also do not think she deliberately set out to kill. It was going to stage an attack and it went to far.
Regardless she should never ever see the outside of a jail cell.

I feel very sad and angry for this little one for all the chaos and drama in both her life and death.

 

[seattlechiquita]

Just found this news story - sorry if this has been shared previously:

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/video?clipId=9783398&autoStart=true

 

[ArianeEmory]

This is getting national attention tonight on Jane Velez Mitchell 7 eastern this story

I don't normally watch CNN (I just got cable turned on recently) so I don't know if this may change, but so far it looks like JVM is doing Amanda Knox for now.