On February 13, 2025, the State of Florida executed inmate James Ford for the 1997 murders of a Charlotte County couple, Gregory and Kimberly Malnory. Ford was put to death by lethal injection for the crimes.
Our office prosecuted the case leading to his conviction on two counts of First-Degree Murder, Child Abuse, and Sexual Battery. He was sentenced to the death penalty in June 1999.
Ford, who had worked on a sod farm with Gregory Malnory, killed the couple on April 6, 1997, a day they had planned to all go fishing together on the farm. The three met up, along with the couple’s 22-month-old baby and the family dog.
Soon after, Ford attacked the couple, shooting Greg Malnory, then beat him, and slit his throat. Ford hit Kimberly Malnory, injuring her, but she managed to escape briefly and put her baby in a car seat in the truck, in an effort to protect her. It is believed, due to the evidence, that Greg Malnory survived the initial attack, but was shot again by the defendant. Ford then caught Kimberly and attacked her again. He raped and beat her, and then shot her. He then fled the scene.
The baby was left alone in her car seat, with the doors of the truck open, for more than 18 hours after the murder. Another employee discovered the baby and the victims on April 7, 1997. The baby was dehydrated and covered in mosquito bites but luckily survived. Her clothes and shoes were stained with her mother’s blood.
An investigation by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office led to the arrest of Ford ten days later, after it was determined he was the last to see the couple alive. He gave conflicting statements about what happened, denying involvement, but DNA evidence linked him to the crime, leading to his arrest and conviction.
Following the murder conviction, the defendant’s attorneys filed multiple post-conviction motions to challenge the conviction. Assistant State Attorney Dan Feinberg, of the State Attorney’s Office Homicide Unit, handled several of the post-conviction motions. All were handled successfully, each denied by the court.
Assistant State Attorney Feinberg kept in close contact with Gregory and Kimberly Malnory’s families regarding those proceedings and also attended the execution with their family at Florida State Prison.
“The horrendous facts of this case show why we have the death penalty in Florida. This man’s actions ended two innocent lives and greatly impacted the lives of their families for generations to come. This monster paid the ultimate price for his crimes, with the harshest penalty the judicial system has, the death penalty. We will continue to seek the death penalty in heinous cases when the evidence is there to prove the crime,” said State Attorney Amira Fox.
Samantha Syoen – Communications Director, State Attorney’s Office