Attempted Murder in Wolfeboro

[mcdude]

WMUR

POSTED: 11:06 pm EDT April 25, 2012
UPDATED: 12:24 am EDT April 26, 2012

Police: Man Hit Woman With Rock, Shoved Face Into Fire

Man Charged With Attempted Murder In Wolfeboro

WOLFEBORO, N.H. -- A man was charged with attempted murder Wednesday after he hit his girlfriend in the head with a rock several times and pushed her into a fire in Wolfeboro, police said.
"This is a bad case. In my 16 years in law enforcement here in New Hampshire, I've never seen anything like this before," Wolfeboro Police Lt. Dean Rondeau said.
Investigators said David Ford, 31, hit his girlfriend in the head as many as 10 times before pushing her down into a burning fire pit Tuesday morning.
"He picked up a rock and then began to assault her with the rock, beating her several times about the face and head, and then attempted to take her head and push it into an open fire pit," Rondeau said.
Rondeau said the victim struggled to avoid the flames, but Ford forced her down into it.
The woman suffered severe injuries, including first and second-degree burns to her hands and face, police said.
Rondeau said Ford ran from the scene and the victim went home and told her father.
Police said the victim was so badly injured and scared that she did not call 911 right away. Her father called police after he heard what happened.
"We were very concerned about the victim. We wanted to get the victim to the hospital immediately, so we got the basic amount of information, so we're still sorting out what happened and how it all transpired," Rondeau said.
The woman was receiving treatment at Huggins Hospital.
Ford was found and arrested without incident on South Main Street on Wednesday morning. He faces charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, reckless conduct and criminal trespass.
Ford was being held without bail at the Carroll County House of Corrections. He was expected to appear in Ossipee District Court on Thursday.

[AC2717]

Yeah he was lucky the police found him before the father did!

[jeffk]

It surprises and terrifies me how vicious some people can be.

Hopefully this animal gets locked up for a long, long time.

Prayers for the woman's recovery.

[Heading4thelake]

I feel sorry for this woman , but Lt. Rondo said in 16 years this is the worst,
what about Stacy Burns? I was told that was just awful .........

Just Sayin !

[Lakesrider]

Both acts were cowardly. As mentioned it is a good thing he was caught by the police. Had that been my daughter....
Yep one heck of a "Man" right there. Karma will get him back once he is in prison though.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

Both acts were cowardly. As mentioned it is a good thing he was caught by the police. Had that been my daughter....
Yep one heck of a "Man" right there. Karma will get him back once he is in prison though.

To beat up a woman.
Although I have met a few of the oposite sex who could use a good ass kicking, I instilled in my two boys that no matter what you never hit a female.
Except when it is your sister

[donnamatrix]

What kind of low-life does this to anyone, male or female? It must be difficult for the police to refrain from smacking him. Serious anger management issues, and I bet alcohol or something-was involved. I hope this young woman survives without permanent brain damage.

[kchadw]

I think Karma's first name is " Bubba "

[mcdude]

Union Leader

OSSIPEE — A Wolfeboro man accused of trying to kill his girlfriend after a night of heavy drinking is being held without bail at the Carroll County jail pending his probable cause hearing next month.

Citing safety concerns for both the victim and defendant in the case, Judge Robert Varney approved Wolfeboro Police Department Prosecutor Tom Morgan's request that the suspect, David Connor Ford, 31, of Center Street, Wolfeboro, be held without bail during a hearing held Thursday afternoon at Third Circuit District Court in Ossipee.

“I find that the release at this time would endanger the safety of both the defendant and the other persons involved, given the role that alcohol and alcohol abuse played in these allegations,” said Varney, adding that Ford faces pending and prior alcohol-related charges.

“Taking all that under consideration, I don't think bail would be appropriate at this time,” he said.

Attorney Eric Wolpin said the topic of bail could be revisited at the probable cause hearing, which is scheduled for May 9 at 1:30 p.m.

Ford, accompanied by Wolpin, of the New Hampshire Public Defender's office, waived arraignment on the four felony counts: attempt to commit murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and reckless conduct. Ford entered not guilty pleas on two misdemeanor counts: criminal threatening and criminal trespass.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed by Wolfeboro Detective Guy Maloney in the case, Ford assaulted his girlfriend, Krystal Durkee, 28, at Durkee's home on Middleton Road in Wolfeboro after both of them had been drinking.

Durkee's father first reported the assault to Tuftonboro police, believing the assaults had taken place in that town. After further investigation, police learned the incident took place in Wolfeboro, and Detective Maloney went to Durkee's home to check on her. And when he did, he saw that she had serious injuries to her face and head — both eyes were blackened and she had numerous cuts and abrasions. She then told police that Ford assaulted her two days prior behind her house. Maloney then took Durkee to Huggins Hospital, where she was treated for second and first degree burns as well as fractures to her face.

According to the affidavit, Ford struck her repeatedly in the head with a rock and threw her in an active fire pit, causing burns to her hands, arms and face. Ford told Durkee “it would be easier to just kill her, because he could get away with it. Ms. Durkee stated she feared for her life and thought Mr. Ford was going to kill her.”

She told police that she had been dating Ford since October 2011, and that the two were drinking the night of the 23rd, when she told Ford she had cheated on him. He allegedly attacked her, punched her to the ground, and hit her with a rock in the temple area of her head.

She told police she was hit in the head about 10 times. Ford also told her he was going to throw her in the fire and cut off some of her body parts.

She said Ford put her hands over hot coals for about 10 seconds as she fought him off, and got away.

“Ms. Durkee stated she feared for her life and believed she was going to die,” according to the document. This was the third time Ford assaulted her, she told police. Once before, in Rochester, she said Ford strangled her with panty hose.

As Durkee was being treated in the emergency room, police launched a search for Ford and found him at Wolfeboro Baptist Church at 10:48 a.m. on April 25. He was arrested without incident. He told police he was drinking heavily over the last several days, and remembered being with Durkee in the woods, but nothing about the assault. He said he blacked out from alcohol consumption.

Wolfeboro Lt. Dean Rondeau, a 16-year police veteran and military veteran who has served in numerous war zones, including Iraq, described Durkee's injuries as the worst he's ever seen.

“I'm a lieutenant colonel with 31 years in the military … and the violence involved in this case shocked even me,” he said after Thursday's hearing.

He confirmed that Durkee checked herself out of the hospital on Wednesday after being treated at Huggins.

“I can't imagine how she survived,” said Rondeau. “It amazes me she was even on her feet when the officer arrived.”