Chris Young Foundation

Tony Egbuna Ford was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Armando Murillo, Jr. in his family's house December 18, 1991 in El Paso, Texas. Mr. Ford testified at trial that he was not the shooter, was not in the house when the shots were fired, and had no idea that there would be a shooting. He accompanied the two me who broke into the Murillo's house and waited for them in a vehicle nearby. He was mistakenly identified as the shooter by two Murillo family members. In the time since his trial, much evidence had been discovered that corroborates the truthfulness of his testimony at trial.

For the greater part of my life, I have been fighting to correct what I believe - and what I believe the facts show - is a great injustice. I have waged this fight, not with the intent in any way to bring harm to or to antagonize the Murillo family, who have suffered unimaginably because of what happened to them on the night of December 18, 1991. 

At every turn, when evidence was discovered that supported what I have always said, which is that I never went into the Murillo house with or without a gun nor did I instruct anyone to harm them - I tried to make these facts known to them, as well as the state, through my attorney, and with various postings I've made over the years. I've also made it known and have always been open to meeting with the Murillo family to hear them out, and to express my sincere apologies to them for their tragedy. In doing so, my hope was to bring about reconciliation, healing and forgiveness. 

However, all of my efforts have either been seen as me trying to avoid a fate deserved or a prolonging of the pain and suffering of the Murillo family. While I can and do feel great sympathy for their pain. I cannot apologise for fighting for my life against something I've maintained from the start I just did not do. The facts developed over the years bear this out. 

When I first came back down here to El Paso from Detroit, it was simply to go back to school, enroll in college, and continue my education. After being convicted of this crime, I've done so in various ways. Now, here on death row, we have Faith Based program courses, some of which I took independently and gained certificates for. And in the Faith Based program, I've graduated more classes and gained certificates for them. In doing these classes and programs, I believe I am just being true to myself and further continuing what I have said from the beginning. All I wanted when I came back down to El Paso was to go to school and continue my education. 

So, my question now is, what have I done either through the investigation and development of facts which supports what I've said, or through continuing to develop myself by education or other programs available to me, that should cause the District Attorney to give in to the cries to execute me now? If anyone starts with the facts, not things stretched to fit a predetermined scenario, but which are straight forward, this is what you find: People have given three affidavits saying my co-defendant's brother bragged about getting away with this crime a few weeks after I had been arrested. That should've been a wake up moment.

Looking at DNA evidence, I readily gave my blood to be tested while my co-defendant's brother fought tooth and nail and refused to give his to this day. When the DNA results came back, nothing showed I had anything to do with the murder of Armando Murillo, Jr. Nothing taken from the Murillo's house was ever found with me. They were found in the Belton brother's house.  I've never fought arrest or been uncooperative. People which I have no ties to have given affidavits which supports what I've always said. I cannot speak to the states reasoning to continue to seek my execution for something I didn't do. I will never try and minimize the pain and suffering and anger of the Murillo family. But I hope that in trying to right the wrongs of my conviction, it is not in any way taken as me trying to antagonize the Murillo family. That is the last thing I want to do.

Tony Egbuna Ford

Death Row, Polunsky Unit

Livingston, Texas 

To contact Tony go to securustech.net and register to be on his contact list or write him at:

Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Tony Egbuna Ford 999075

PO Box 660400

Dallas, TX 75266-0400