Author Description

In January 1997, one of Sacramento's most gruesome and brutal murders occurred. A pregnant mother and her three-year-old son were found bludgeoned to death and their bodies doused with gasoline and burned in their own home. The surviving husband and father was Mariet T. Ford, a former University of California at Berkeley college football star who once gained national notoriety for his role in "The Play." "The Play" has been described as one of the most amazing and incredible college football plays of all time. It occurred during the 1982 "Big Game" between the Cal Bears and Stanford Cardinal. Stanford was under the leadership of quarterback John Elway. Ford was Cal's wide-receiver and return-man and the 1982 MVP. In the final four seconds of the game, Cal players received the ball on a kick off and lateraled the ball five times and ran through the Stanford band to score a touchdown and win the game. After his graduation from Cal, Ford played three seasons of professional football. Ford claimed to have an alibi and denied any involvement in the killing of his family. He told investigators that when he left his home that morning, his wife and son were alive and well. He was looking forward to the birth of their new baby in less than a month. He kissed his wife and son goodbye and told them that he loved them. Following a six-month murder investigation, however, Ford was arrested and charged with the murders. The prosecution's case was circumstantial based upon crime scene evidence and a tangled web of lies told by Ford. At his trial, Ford's main defense was the lack of a motive and he was a peaceful family man, incapable of murder.The Final Play is the true account of the investigation and murder trial of Ford. It is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at a murder prosecution from the perspective of the prosecutor, including descriptions of the evidence, trial strategies, and the courtroom testimony that resulted in Ford's conviction. The book raises the question of