GRACE FORD - 2 yo - / Charged: Melinda Muniz, fathers fiancee - Plano City, TX

Father's fiancee arrested for murder of his two-year-old daughter after covering her mouth with duct tape and 'then faking her own rape to cover it up'


Grace Ford, 2, was found unconscious in her crib with her mouth taped shut January 9 in Plano, Texas
Melinda Muniz, 25, engaged to Grace's father, was found with her pants pulled down and falsely claimed that a stranger raped her

Medical examiner ruled Grace's death a homicide caused by suffocation

Muniz allegedly confessed to her fiance, Mitch Ford, that she cheated on him and faked amnesia

By Snejana Farberov  PUBLISHED: 21:53 EST, 28 January 2014

A Texas woman has been arrested and charged in the death of her fiance's 2-year-old daughter who had her mouth taped shut earlier this month.

Little Gracie Ford was discovered unconscious in her father's Plano home January 9. She was rushed to Children's Medical Center in Dallas, where she was declared legally dead three days later.

On Tuesday, police arrested Melinda Muniz, 25, on a capital murder charge. The woman was ordered held in the Plano City Jail on $1million bond.


Justice for Gracie: Melinda Muniz (left), 25, was charged Tuesday in the January 9 death of her fiance's 2-year-old daughter, Grace Ford (right)


Innocent toddler: Grace, pictured here with her mother, Emily Ward, was found unconscious in her crib with her mouth covered with duct tape

Plano police officers responded to an apartment in the 1500 block of J Place at around 1.40pm on January 9 to discover 2-year-old Grace Ford unconscious in her crib with duct tape covering her face.

According to a page created by the toddler's family on the fundraising site YouCaring.com, Grace had been deprived of oxygen.

On January 22, Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the child's death a homicide caused by suffocation.  

Grace was reportedly staying in the Plano home of her father, Mitchum Ford, who lived with his fiancee, Melinda Muniz.

Mr Ford reportedly had been locked in a custody battle with his ex-wife, Emily Ward, over Grace’s care, Dallas Morning News reported.


Too young: Gracie was declared legally dead from suffocation three days after she was found unconscious in her father's Plano, Texas, apartment


Caught in the middle: The toddler had been the subject of a heated custody battle between her mother (pictured) and Grace's biological father, Mitch Ford

According to Muniz’s arrest affidavit cited by the station WFAA, it was Ford who called police January 9 asking to perform a welfare check at his apartment.

Officers who arrived at the home on J Place found Grace Ford duct taped in her crib and Muniz lying on the floor of another room with her also mouth taped shut and her pants pulled down.

The affidavit states that the 25-year-old woman told police she had been sexually assaulted by an unknown man, but medical tests showed no signs of rape.

According to a post shared by Emily Ward on her Facebook page Tuesday evening, Muniz had confessed to cheating on Ford and faking amnesia, beating herself up and lying about her rape to cover up the toddler's murder.  

Ward also wrote that the woman was caught on a surveillance camera buying duct tape and scissors at a nearby store shortly before police were called to Ford’s home.



Mother's tirade: Emily Ward posted this message accusing Muniz of killing her innocent daughter and then lying about a rape to cover up the crime
The mother’s claims were corroborated in part by the arrest affidavit, which stated that Muniz and Ford were in the process of breaking up.

'What a monster!!!' Ward wrote on Facebook. ‘I hope she gets everything she has coming to her from the law. God will make sure justice is served to the fullest!!!’

Grace's family decided to donate the child's organs ahead of her funeral held January 18.  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2547822/Grace-Ford-murder-Fathers-fiancee-arrested-murder-two-year-old-daughter-covering-mouth-duct-tape-faking-rape.html

Ducted taped like little Kaylee was.  Poor little angel.  Hope this monster won't get off.  William

Slain Plano toddler's mom speaks out about accused killer

by SHON GABLES, WFAA @shongables
Posted on January 29, 2014 at 10:48 PM
Updated Thursday, Jan 30 at 10:41 PM

PLANO — Mitch Ford, the father of slain two-year-old Grace Ford, went to the Collin County jail Wednesday night to visit his fiancée, Melinda Muniz. She is accused of capital murder in Grace's death.

Speaking to News 8 earlier Wednesday, Ford was emotional, and told us he felt Muniz had been lying to him during their entire relationship. He said it was his fault he had fallen for it.

Ford's ex-wife and Grace's mother, Emily Ward, is talking only to News 8. While she admits she was not the perfect mother, she said there was a bitter custody battle over Grace.

Now Ward is suffering.

"I don't deserve any more heartache," she said, while still managing a smile. She attributes it to her faith in God, and the hope that she can one day forgive the woman accused of killing her daughter.

"I'm going to have to do it — not because she deserves forgiveness, but because I deserve peace," Ward said.

Ward said since 2012, she and ex-husband Mitch Ford fought bitterly over his fiancée, Melinda Muniz. Ward claims Muniz had been abusing Grace. She said Ford refused to listen.

"He has eyes; he can see what was going on," Ward said.

Since 2012, Child Protective Services investigated four allegations of child abuse involving Grace; two were for physical abuse, two for neglect.

Ward claims that in one case, Grace suffered bruises to her ears, arms and legs.

On Halloween night, Ward said CPS was called to another scare after Grace was admitted to the hospital for a Benadryl overdose.

Then in December, Ward said CPS was summoned to investigate bruises on Grace's arms. CPS told News 8 in each case the allegations were either ruled out or agents were unable to substantiate them.

"We have to look at all the facts," said CPS spokeswoman Shari Pulliam. "We need to go back and see what we could have done better; what we did wrong, correct it next time."

Ward said on January 9 — when her daughter was found unconscious inside a Plano apartment with her mouth duct-taped — she instantly suspected Muniz.

"I knew right away it was Melinda that did it, and I was saying that from the beginning," Ward said, adding that she never believed Muniz or her daughter had been assaulted by strangers.

Ward said she is happy to know Muniz has been charged with Grace's murder.

"The death penalty? I don't think we have the right to play God and take someone's life, even though she took my baby's life," Ward said. "I also feel like the death penalty would be too easy."

http://www.wfaa.com/home/Slain-toddlers-mom-speaks-out-about-accused-killer-242693181.html

I can't imagine the heartbreak of this poor mother.  Her ex didn't want her to raise her baby girl prefering to leave her with a cheating monster.  Now his anger and hate, and poor judgment of people has left him with a dead baby daughter. 

Sad, sad, sad.  Especially for Grace who will never fulfill her promise.

Woman charged with Plano tot's murder heads to court

by WFAA
Posted on May 8, 2014 at 9:26 AM

PLANO, Texas -- The woman charged with capital murder in the death of her fiancé's little girl will appear in a Collin County courtroom Thursday for the first time.

Police say last January Melinda Muniz was caring for two-year-old Grace Ford in the Plano apartment she shared with her Mitch Ford, Grace's dad.

Ford found his daughter unconscious in a crib with her mouth covered with duct tape. Muniz was found on the floor of another room with her mouth taped shut and her pants pulled down.

Muniz initially told officers they were both attacked by an intruder. However, investigators say Muniz suffocated the girl, even taking her to the store to buy the duct tape used in the murder.

An affidavit shows Muniz and Mitch Ford were in the process of breaking up.

Grace's mother, Emily Ward, told News 8 she initially suspected Muniz in her daughter's murder because of previous abuse allegations.

Child Protective Services had investigated four allegations of abuse involving Grace since 2012. Two of them were for neglect, the other two for physical abuse. CPS was able to rule out abuse or substantiate bruises found on the toddler.

Grace was also taken to the hospital for a Benadryl overdose one night, Ward said.

http://www.khou.com/news/texas-news/Woman-charged-with-Plano-tots-murder-heads-to-court-258464301.html

Plano child murder trial delayed

6:24AM Friday, May 9, 2014

PLANO (WBAP 24/7 News) - It looks like the start of a trial for a Plano woman accused in the death of her fiance's little girl will be delayed.


Muniz

Melinda Muniz is charged with capital murder in the suffocation death of the two-year-old.

Little Grace Ford was found unconscious in her crib with duct tape across her mouth. Muniz initially told police they both had been attacked by an intruder.

The suspect and the little girls father were in the process of breaking up.

It now appears the trial will not take place until sometime next year.

http://www.wbap.com/common/page.php?pt=Plano+child+murder+trial+delayed&id=29373&is_corp=0