Judy Gough: Who was charged in Lloyd Ford's murder? Charges explored ahead of Dateline: Secrets Unco

May 2024 ยท 5 minute read

Nearly 30 years after the disappearance of long-haul truck driver Lloyd Ford in 1980 and the subsequent discovery of his skeletal remains in his property, his second wife was charged with first-degree murder.

Judy Gough was arrested on September 28, 2007, after her daughter Kimeberly Wright confessed to having witnessed her mother drug and fatally shoot her stepfather before placing his body in a chest and burying it in their backyard all those years ago. Kimberly then cooperated with authorities to get her mother to confess on record which led to an arrest.

According to reports, Judy pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2009 shortly before her trial, and was handed a 10-year sentence as part of the plea deal. She has since completed her time in prison and has been released.

Lloyd Ford's case is set to feature on Oxygen's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered in an upcoming episode titled The Family Secret. The synopsis says:

"It is common for long-haul truck driver Lloyd Ford to be gone for stretches, and when he disappears, it doesn't raise many flags; at least two people know where he is, and they guard the secret for 27 years, but the truth is about to be revealed."

The episode airs on the channel this Wednesday, June 21, at 8:00 pm ET.

Judy Goug alleged that Lloyd Ford's abusive behavior prompted her to drug him and then shoot him before burying the body in their backyard

Lloyd Ford's wife Judy Gough was charged with his 1980 murder nearly three decades later (Image via Bonnie's Blog of Crime)

Nearly three decades after Judy Gough drugged and fatally shot her husband Lloyd Ford before burying his body in the backyard of their Boise, Idaho, home, she admitted to the crime. She alleged that her husband, a long-haul truck driver, was abusive and she murdered him to protect her family.

Judy was initially charged with first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon to commit a crime in the shooting death of Lloyd but later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder in 2009, shortly before she was scheduled to stand trial. As part of the plea deal, the weapon charge was dismissed and she was handed a 10-year prison sentence.

According to KTVB7, prosecutors alleged that Judy drugged her husband, a father-of-three before shooting him with a deer rifle in front of her 12-year-old daughter Kimberly, then placed his body in a chest and burying it in their backyard with the assistance of her children from previous marriages. Judy Gough reportedly said:

"I had a rifle. I really don't know where it came from. I mean we had a rifle. I just don't remember getting it. I was sitting on the edge of the bed and I had the gun on my lap."

The same report mentions that Judy was arrested on September 28, 2007, after her daughter Kimberly tipped off authorities about the shooting death of her step-father she had witnessed as a kid all those years ago. Her confession came after she was pressurized into spilling the truth by one of her brothers, who threatened to expose their family's horrifying secret.

Explaining her motive for the murder, Judy Gough alleged that Lloyd Ford, who was her third husband, was abusive and occasionally threatened her with a gun. She revealed that she mixed crushed sleeping pills in his food before fatally shooting him to protect her family.

The case feature on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered this Wednesday at 8 pm ET.

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