NORWICH – The fate of accused murderer George Ford Jr. rests in the hands of the bench trial’s sole juror, Broome County Judge Joseph Cawley, who told the court he’ll render his decision at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Ford, 44, of Piscataway, N.J., is charged with second degree murder in the July 2007 death of his babysitter, 12-year-old Shyanne Somers of Otselic. Ford claims he accidentally ran her over while turning his truck around on Will Warner Road in the Town of Otselic. The prosecution says Ford murdered her in an effort to silence her over an unknown incident that happened between the two in the hours before her death.
Ford said he accidentally ran over Shyanne at around midnight on July 7, 2007 while District Attorney Joseph A. McBride asserts that a GPS tracker, placed in the defendant’s truck by his estranged wife, proves he killed Somers at around 3 a.m. after the two spent over two hours behind a vacant seasonal residence.
On the witness stand in Chenango County Court Tuesday, Ford said he retreated to the residence after the accident, not before, because he was in shock over the girl’s death and didn’t know what to do.
McBride said the GPS unit shows Ford’s truck detouring to Will Warner Road at around midnight and that it was in the area of an unoccupied seasonal residence from midnight to 3 a.m. During this time, the DA says Ford and the victim were together and that something inappropriate happened between the two.
Ford said he was traveling to see if a friend was home on a nearby road but didn’t see his car there, so he kept driving about half a mile to Will Warner Road. Once there, Ford said he pulled over at the seasonal residence to throw the GPS in a pond, but when he was unable to locate the body of water in the dark, he simply “tossed it into the grass.” Ford said he was familiar with the area and that he and his wife had considered buying the property.
Ford said that he and Somers then left the residence a few minutes later at around midnight and drove down the road to see horses he kept in a pasture. When Shyanne got out to look at the horses, Ford said he attempted to turn his truck around on the narrow seasonal road and hit her.
“You’re telling the court you were trying to turn around?” asked McBride.
“Yes sir, to get the GPS unit,” said Ford.
“You left the child dead on the side of the road?”
“Yes, sir.”
“To go get the GPS?” asked McBride.
“That was part of it, sir,” said Ford.
Ford began to explain his other reasons for retreating back to the seasonal residence, but was interrupted by Cawley, who instructed him to answer the DA’s questions and not volunteer information unless asked. McBride did not follow up with any questions related to the topic and neither did defense attorney Randel Scharf on his re-direct.
“So there is no dispute that you killed that little girl?” asked McBride.
“Yes, sir,” replied Ford.
“You ran her over?”
“Yes, sir.”
More than 60 people filled the Chenango County Courthouse Tuesday morning to watch the prosecution question the accused for the first time since his arrest July 8, 2007.
McBride asked Ford if he was supposed to care for Somers while she was with him. “You failed miserably, didn’t you?” asked McBride
“Yes sir, I failed miserably. But not on purpose,” replied Ford.
McBride spent nearly an hour and a half in his cross-examination.
“You killed that little girl for something inappropriate that took place, didn’t you?” said the DA.
