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Written by: K. Bishop
Published May 19, 2023 @ 3:40 PM ET
Lawrenceville, Ga. – A hung jury on May 1 led Gwinnett County Judge Deborah Fluke to declare a mistrial in a murder case against a man accused of the 2021 murder of 18-year-old Tori Lang. Lang was found shot to death in Yellow River Park that summer. Her car was found burned out in a nature preserve days later.
A friend of Lang’s, Austin Ford, now 21, was charged in her death several months after the young woman’s body was discovered. Ford was also charged with aggravated assault, theft of a gun, theft of a car, evidence tampering, and concealing the death of his friend. He was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail on June 9, 2022.
On May 1, a Gwinnett County jury announced that they failed to come to a decision on several serious charges against Ford, including one count of felony murder. The same jury found Ford guilty of the theft and concealed death charges. The jury deliberated for three days before telling the court they were deadlocked, saying they were “split down the middle.” Ford could still face charges of murder if prosecutors decide to retry the case.
Judge Deborah Fluke declared a mistrial because of the deadlock. The Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said they will be meeting with Lang’s family before deciding on whether to re-try the case on murder.
Ford currently awaits sentencing for the lesser charges and faces up to thirty years in prison. He remains in the Gwinnett County jail. His bond amount is listed at $220,800.
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