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Lester Ford

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Lester Ford
Born (1963-02-11) February 11, 1963 (age 61)
St. Albans, Queens, New York, U.S.
Other names"Justice"
Criminal statusIncarcerated
Conviction(s)Second degree murder (3 counts)
First degree rape
Criminal penalty40 years to life in prison
Details
Victims3
Span of crimes
January 6 – July 25, 1991
CountryUnited States
State(s)New York
Date apprehended
July 26, 1991
Imprisoned atElmira Correctional Facility

Lester Ford (born February 11, 1963) is an American convicted serial killer and serial rapist who strangled three women in Queens, New York, between January and July 1991.[1] He was arrested and pled guilty to three counts of second degree murder, receiving life in prison with a minimum of 40 years served. He has been incarcerated at the Elmira Correctional Facility ever since.

Early life

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Ford was born on February 11, 1963, in the neighborhood of St. Albans in Queens, among five other siblings.[2] In 1979, he was arrested after a botched drug deal, a crime for which he was later sent to prison and served ten years.[2] Released in 1989, he began living a quiet life in his native neighborhood. He was nicknamed by neighbors as "Justice".[1]

Murders

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On January 6, 1991, Sheilda Dixon, a 36-year-old mother of two, dropped off her friend off at Gethsemane Baptist Church in Hollis Park.[3] While on her way home, she encountered Ford, who attacked her. He taped her mouth shut and strangled her to death, then dumped her body at Peters Park baseball field, where it was found on January 24.[1] Over a month later, on February 23, Ford strangled to death 28-year-old Tracy Covington, a former social worker, outside her home.[3] In March, police in Queens began investigating the killing after noticing similarities. This began speculation about a possible serial killer active in the city.[3]

Ford struck again on July 4, when he raped a 16-year-old girl in St. Albans, but did not kill her. On July 24, Ford attacked 20-year-old Sabrina Fost, who was eight months pregnant, as she was walking to a bus stop.[4] Ford raped and shot Fost in the face. She did not die immediately and was rushed to the hospital, where she successfully delivered her baby Brian. Hours later, however, Dixon died of her injuries.[4] The day after attacking Dixon, Ford raped a 29-year-old woman, but did not kill her.[5]

Arrest and conviction

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On July 26, 1991, Ford was arrested after being positively identified by one of the rape victims.[6][7] He was charged with the rape, and was additionally charged with the three murders.[8] After his arrest, Ford's girlfriend confronted and beat one of Ford's surviving victims, threatening her if she testified.[9] She was arrested. In March 1992, Ford accepted a plea agreement, confessing to his crimes, and was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.[1] He is serving his sentence at Elmira Correctional Facility.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Jack Leahy (March 30, 1992). "40 years for murderer-rapist". Daily News.
  2. ^ a b James Dao (July 29, 1991). "Queens kill spree over?". Daily News.
  3. ^ a b c Gary Raynaldo & Toula Vlahou (March 2, 1991). "A Queens strangler?". Daily News.
  4. ^ a b Ruth Landa (September 8, 1991). "Baby beats odds". Daily News.
  5. ^ "Cloaking the Truth In Nighttime Rides". New York Newsday. July 29, 1991. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  6. ^ "A nightmare ends in Queens". Daily News. July 30, 1991. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  7. ^ Russell Ben-Ali & Beth Holland (July 29, 1991). "Murder Suspect Found". Daily News.
  8. ^ Russell Ben-Ali & Beth Holland (July 29, 1991). "Charged in 3 Murders". Daily News.
  9. ^ Patrice O'Shaughnessy (July 31, 1991). "Rape case witness threatened: cops". Daily News.
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