GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The man tried for murder twice in the death of Gwinnett County teen Tori Lang, only for a mistrial to be declared both times, will not be tried a third time. Instead, he will spend 10 years in jail plus another 10 years on probation for lesser convictions in his original April trial.
Prosecutors announced Wednesday in court that they would not seek a third murder trial against Austin Ford after a second hung jury resulted in a second mistrial last week. He had also faced charges of aggravated assault and voluntary manslaughter that will not be re-tried.
“I acknowledge that two mistrials after two jury trials does not provide any closure for the Lang family but honestly I don’t know what could possibly provide closure,” Judge Deborah Fluker said.
After character witness statements from both Ford’s mom and his former pastor, as well as victim impact statements from multiple members of Lang’s family, the judge issued the sentence for the three charges Ford was found guilty of.
Ford was found guilty in April of concealing the death of another and two theft-by-taking charges in connection to Lang's death. For those convictions, he was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in jail for concealing Lang's death and 10 years probation for the theft of a car, which will be served concurrent with 10 years of probation for the theft of a gun.
"This is unfortunate that we live in a time where you could abuse an animal and get more time than you would for, you know, the murder of a young teenager, innocent individual,” said Lang's father Torrey Lang.
In the April trial, Ford was found guilty of the charge of tampering with evidence, having been accused of leaving her body in a Gwinnett County park.
However, the jury could not come to a unanimous verdict on either the murder charge or additional charges of aggravated assault and voluntary manslaughter, which led to the first mistrial.
Those charges were re-tried last week, but a second mistrial was called after a deadlocked jury failed to return a verdict.
Also during Wednesday’s proceedings, Ford’s mother was sentenced to three days behind bars after being found in contempt of court for her taking a picture of the jury during last week’s proceedings.
More on the case
On July 28, 2021, authorities found Lang shot and killed under a tree at Yellow River Park around 6:30 a.m.
Gwinnett County Police Department officers were originally investigating a call about a medical situation.
Her car was found a week later burned and hidden in a wooded area of Hidden Acres Nature Preserve in DeKalb County. The beat-up 2012 Nissan Versa was about five miles from where Lang's body was found. The area is closer to the family's home in Lithonia, not far from Stephenson Middle School.
Lang's friends did not know why she would be in the Gwinnett County park.
Ford, who police believed was her friend, was arrested and accused of the teen's murder.
In the April trial, the verdict was delivered on May 1, Ford's defense put forth the argument that he was innocent because Lang died by suicide. They again asserted this week that "the science cannot tell us whether if it's suicide or homicide."
Lang's mother testified to dispute that.
Body camera video and photos that showed the moments the teen's body was found were also shown to the jury this week. While the graphic videos and photos were shown in court of Lang's lifeless body, all eyes were on Ford in court.
Before the trial, 11Alive spoke to Tori’s family, as they honored her with a balloon release.
“She was the life of the party, she smile everywhere she go. She radiate abundance,” her father previously said.
“She just liked to keep everybody’s spirits up and always motivating people. People are always coming to us about how Tori motivated them to do this or that," her mother added.