A mistrial was declared Monday for Austin Tybre Ford in the case of 18-year-old Tori Lang, whose remains were found in July 2021 in a Gwinnett County park.
Ford was convicted of theft by taking a firearm, theft by taking a motor vehicle and concealing the death of another. The jury was unable to unanimously agree on the more serious charges of murder, aggravated assault and voluntary manslaughter.
Lang had often visited Yellow River Park near Stone Mountain with her family. They reported her missing July 28, 2021. By then, her body had been found.
At about 6:30 a.m. that day, police responded after park visitors discovered the teen’s body during their morning walk and dialed 911, Gwinnett police previously said. Lang, a 2020 Stephenson High School graduate, was found in a grassy field with an apparent gunshot wound.
To help identify her, Gwinnett police posted photos of her tattoos on social media. Lang’s devastated family confirmed it was her.
Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office
Days later, Lang’s burned-out Nissan Versa was discovered at DeKalb County’s Hidden Acres Nature Preserve, less than five miles from where she was killed, police said. A park ranger found the compact sedan, which authorities said had been set on fire and then rolled or pushed into the woods.
“It’s just hard every day thinking of this moment,” the teen’s aunt, Tamara Lang, said after her death. “What would you do if this was your child? If you know something, if you saw something, we just implore somebody to say something.”
In April 2022, police charged Ford, then 20, of Lithonia with murder and other charges. At the time, Ford was in the Clayton County jail on unrelated charges. He was booked into the Gwinnett jail on June 9, 2021, booking records showed.
Ford was indicted in September on charges of murder, aggravated assault, voluntary manslaughter, two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony, two counts of theft by taking, and tampering with evidence.
The trial began April 24 and jury began deliberations Thursday afternoon, the Gwinnett district attorney said.
Ford remains in custody although his attorney can request a bond hearing. He was not sentenced Monday because prosecutors must decide whether to retry the case. Judge Deborah Fluker said a hearing would be scheduled within 30 days to determine whether prosecutors will retry the case.
“The state appreciates the investigative efforts of the Gwinnett County Police Department and the support the victim’s family demonstrated for their loved one, Tori Lang, during the trial,” the DA’s office said in an emailed statement. “In the coming days, the state will meet with its law enforcement partners and the victim’s family and make a decision as to the resolution of the mistried counts.”
Ford was returned Monday to the Gwinnett jail, where he had previously been held without bond.
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