TRENTON,N.J. – A former olympic boxer was convicted Wednesday of murdering his three-year-old daughter โฃand illegally dumping โher body in Bloomingdale Park, New York, โin october 2019. Mark “The Truth” Ford,39,of Trenton,was found guiltyโ of aggravated manslaughter and unlawful disposal of โhumanโ remains following a trial in Mercer County Superior Court.
The case gained national attention โafter the discovery of little Zara ford’s remains and revealed a tragic โintersection of domestic disputes,parental rights,andโ the devastating consequences of violence. Ford, who competed in the 2012 London Olympics, now faces โขa critically important prison sentance for โคthe death of his daughter, a case that underscores the โvulnerability of children in fraught family situations.
Prosecutors presented evidence showing Ford killed Zara during a period of escalating conflict withโข the child’s mother. While the exact circumstances of Zara’s deathโข remainโฃ contested, the jury found Ford responsible for herโฃ death and subsequent concealment of โคher body, โคwhich was โขfound in a โwooded area of Bloomingdale Park on October 20, 2019.โ
according to SILive.com,Zara’s mother,Ola Salem,was a โขdedicated โadvocate for women experiencing domestic violence,volunteering at the Asiyah Women’s Center. She was described by friends asโข “headstrong” and “emotionally clever.” “She could look atโ someone and know exactly what they’re feelingโค and knowโค exactly what to say to makeโ that person โฃsmile,”โ said Dania Darwish, the co-founder and executive director of theโฃ Muslim womenโข and family’s shelter.Salem herself was found dead inโ Bloomingdale Park in 2019, though her death was ruled a suicide and notโ connected to Ford’s actions.
Ford had previously been involved in a custody dispute withโข Salem. Evidence presented at trial included โคtext messages and witness testimony detailing a volatile relationship โขand concerns about Ford’s behavior.โ
Sentencing is scheduledโค forโค February 28, 2024. Ford faces โa potential sentence โฃof upโข to 20 yearsโ in prison for the manslaughter conviction and an additional term for the improper disposal ofโ remains.