TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The man accused of killing two women in Tallahassee about a year ago will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Philip Ford pleaded no contest to two first degree murder charges Friday morning.
Alexanderia Reshard and Shawnez Williams were murdered in December of 2018 and January 2019.
Between the tears, many stood up to tell Ford just how much he took from them, and the world. They say it's one step toward healing.
Cherity Reshard, victim Alexanderia Reshard's mother, sat in that courtroom seeking justice for her daughter. She said she walked away feeling numb after hearing the words that she waited more than a year for.
"It's time to move forward and go on to take care of business," Reshard said.
Tallahassee Police say Ford he admitted to having sex with the victim and was known to pay for sex.
He also has a long history of violent crimes.
Ford previously served prison sentences for two violent sexual offenses involving a child under 12, and was arrested for hitting his girlfriend and attempting to strangle her.
Meg Baldwin, the Refuge House executive director, says women involved in sex work are the most likely to be killed because they're typically not looked at as a worthy.
"When someone is a sex buyer, what they expect in that interaction is that they're free to do whatever they want without consequences to the humanity of that person," Baldwin said.
But Reshard's mother says her daughter was the most loving person she knows.
"She loved her kids," said Reshard. "She made sure that they were in places where they could receive that love."
Now, her mission is to remind her grandchildren of the type of person their mother was.
The Refuge House has a 24-hour hotline reachable at 850-681-2111, and offers services for women going through any type of violence.
Ford will be DNA tested to see if he matches any other unsolved crimes.
