South Otselic residents react to Ford murder charges
SOUTH OTSELIC – The remote and relatively quiet town of South Otselic has been pulled into the spotlight as the scene of a horrific crime.
George Ford Jr., 42, of Piscataway, N.J., stands accused of second degree murder for allegedly causing the death of Shyanne A. Somers, 12, South Otselic, on July 8.
“Honestly it doesn’t surprise me. Anyone reading the news should be getting used to these sort of sick turns in our local affairs, and his story never made any sense,” said Mark Higner, a South Otselic resident.
“I’ve lived here for over 30 years, and it’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen happen so close to home. With everything else going on, it makes you wonder what’s going on,” said Vicky, another South Otselic resident who asked that her last name not be used.
Ford is only a seasonal resident of the town. He works for a construction company in New Jersey and owns properties in at least three different states. He was arrested in 1993 in the state of Arizona on drug-related charges.
“The defendant has some element of criminal history in his past and will be appearing in court Monday. We expect to ask that he be remanded without bail pending the resolution of this matter,” said District Attorney Joseph A. McBride.
The crime took place in the early hours of the morning between midnight and 3 a.m. along Will Warner Road. After the incident, Ford did not call for any help or notify anyone for assistance, even though he was less than a mile from his residence and the victim’s home.
“As we developed the case, new evidence came to light and it became clear in our minds he lied about her death,” said Chenango County Sheriff Thomas J. Loughren.
Ford eventually appeared at Chenango Memorial Hospital in Norwich at 5 a.m. with the girl’s remains in his pick-up truck, claiming her death was the result of an accident. Police launched their own investigation, later discovering a Global Positioning System (GPS) device in the vehicle. Police said Ford did not understand the capability of the device at the time he made his statement. His wife had placed it there, she said, because the couple was having marital difficulty.
After unlocking the GPS, police discovered a litany of discrepancies in Ford’s story.
“The GPS located in his truck allows us to track the speed, time and location of the vehicle. It was key in sinking his story because we know every route the truck took that night and where, and for how long it was parked,” said Loughren. "Ford did not drive the 12-year-old to see the horses, but instead drove around other roads and spent more than three hours behind an abandoned house, about a half mile from where she was killed.”
Police also said Ford’s vehicle did not arrive at the location of the accident until 3:20 a.m., and that it remained at the scene of the incident for several minutes before leaving.
"We believe Shyanne got away from Ford on foot and proceeded down Will Warner Road toward her house. Ford pursued her in his truck, eventually caught up to her, he drove over her and killed her instantly," said Loughren.
The Sheriff reported that after the incident Ford’s truck traveled to Georgetown, turned around, came back down to Otselic Valley, then traveled on state Rt. 80 to Sherburne. The vehicle then traveled on state Rt. 12 to Norwich, went past Chenango Memorial, and then drove around the city of Norwich for several minutes before returning to the hospital.
New York State Troopers and the New York State Forest Rangers aided in the investigation. Police also said they interviewed a number of people from Otselic Valley and New Jersey.
No clear motive has yet been established, but investigators are still looking at the scene behind the abandoned house and waiting for further results from the rape kit and other forensic evidence. The Sheriff said he could not answer questions about sexual abuse until more tests had been completed.
Police said Ford tested positive for traces of cocaine in his blood and that he admitted to drinking some beers and shots at a party the day of the murder. After arriving at the hospital, police also found a bag of marijuana in his truck.
Ford is now being held in the Chenango County Correctional facility on $100,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in Chenango County Court Monday for a bail review and arraignment.
e-mail: tmurphy@evesun.com
George Ford Jr., 42, of Piscataway, N.J., stands accused of second degree murder for allegedly causing the death of Shyanne A. Somers, 12, South Otselic, on July 8.
“Honestly it doesn’t surprise me. Anyone reading the news should be getting used to these sort of sick turns in our local affairs, and his story never made any sense,” said Mark Higner, a South Otselic resident.
“I’ve lived here for over 30 years, and it’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen happen so close to home. With everything else going on, it makes you wonder what’s going on,” said Vicky, another South Otselic resident who asked that her last name not be used.
Ford is only a seasonal resident of the town. He works for a construction company in New Jersey and owns properties in at least three different states. He was arrested in 1993 in the state of Arizona on drug-related charges.
“The defendant has some element of criminal history in his past and will be appearing in court Monday. We expect to ask that he be remanded without bail pending the resolution of this matter,” said District Attorney Joseph A. McBride.
The crime took place in the early hours of the morning between midnight and 3 a.m. along Will Warner Road. After the incident, Ford did not call for any help or notify anyone for assistance, even though he was less than a mile from his residence and the victim’s home.
“As we developed the case, new evidence came to light and it became clear in our minds he lied about her death,” said Chenango County Sheriff Thomas J. Loughren.
Ford eventually appeared at Chenango Memorial Hospital in Norwich at 5 a.m. with the girl’s remains in his pick-up truck, claiming her death was the result of an accident. Police launched their own investigation, later discovering a Global Positioning System (GPS) device in the vehicle. Police said Ford did not understand the capability of the device at the time he made his statement. His wife had placed it there, she said, because the couple was having marital difficulty.
After unlocking the GPS, police discovered a litany of discrepancies in Ford’s story.
“The GPS located in his truck allows us to track the speed, time and location of the vehicle. It was key in sinking his story because we know every route the truck took that night and where, and for how long it was parked,” said Loughren. "Ford did not drive the 12-year-old to see the horses, but instead drove around other roads and spent more than three hours behind an abandoned house, about a half mile from where she was killed.”
Police also said Ford’s vehicle did not arrive at the location of the accident until 3:20 a.m., and that it remained at the scene of the incident for several minutes before leaving.
"We believe Shyanne got away from Ford on foot and proceeded down Will Warner Road toward her house. Ford pursued her in his truck, eventually caught up to her, he drove over her and killed her instantly," said Loughren.
The Sheriff reported that after the incident Ford’s truck traveled to Georgetown, turned around, came back down to Otselic Valley, then traveled on state Rt. 80 to Sherburne. The vehicle then traveled on state Rt. 12 to Norwich, went past Chenango Memorial, and then drove around the city of Norwich for several minutes before returning to the hospital.
New York State Troopers and the New York State Forest Rangers aided in the investigation. Police also said they interviewed a number of people from Otselic Valley and New Jersey.
No clear motive has yet been established, but investigators are still looking at the scene behind the abandoned house and waiting for further results from the rape kit and other forensic evidence. The Sheriff said he could not answer questions about sexual abuse until more tests had been completed.
Police said Ford tested positive for traces of cocaine in his blood and that he admitted to drinking some beers and shots at a party the day of the murder. After arriving at the hospital, police also found a bag of marijuana in his truck.
Ford is now being held in the Chenango County Correctional facility on $100,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in Chenango County Court Monday for a bail review and arraignment.
e-mail: tmurphy@evesun.com
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