Former NFL kicker pleads guilty to shooting Siegfried & Roy house

Yahoo News ^ | 5/11/06 | KEN RITTER

[Libloather]

Former NFL kicker pleads guilty to shooting Siegfried & Roy house
By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer
May 11, 2006

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Former Raiders kicker Cole Ford, who has been hospitalized for mental illness, pleaded guilty Thursday to shooting at the home of entertainers Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn in 2004.

Ford, who last kicked for Oakland in 1997, agreed to a felony plea that could result in a suspended sentence of one to six years in a Nevada prison if he continues mental-health treatment at a center near his family's home in Tucson, Ariz.

"We've come a long way with Mr. Ford, and he's doing terrific," Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass said as she addressed Ford's mother, Amy Ford, in the courtroom gallery. The judge, who last year sent Ford to a state mental-health facility in Sparks, also signed an order allowing a mother-son jail visit.

Outside court, Amy Ford, who turns 61 on Monday, said she didn't exchange words in the courtroom with her son, whom she said she had not seen since 1999.

"But with his eyes, he said, 'Hi Mom,"' she said. "This is a nice Mother's Day and nice birthday present."

Ford, 34, stood before the judge in a blue jail jumpsuit with his wrists shackled at his waist. But his cropped hair and a clean-shaven face were a marked contrast to his appearance during court hearings in late 2004 and early 2005 when he wore his hair past his shoulders and had a full beard that extended to his chest.

A year ago, Glass ruled Ford incompetent for trial and rejected his attempts to plead guilty to charges that could have sent him to prison for 27 years.

"Yes, your honor," Ford responded calmly Thursday after Glass deemed him competent and asked him if he understood the plea agreement, which also requires him to pay restitution and have no contact with Fischbacher or Horn.

Ford pleaded guilty to one charge of shooting at a structure. Several felony charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, were dismissed. Glass set sentencing for June 29, but said Ford could be transferred to Tucson sooner, if a suitable treatment center was found.

A publicist for the entertainers said they were aware of the agreement, but had no comment.

Ford was arrested six weeks after the Sept. 21, 2004, drive-by shooting at Fischbacher and Horn's Las Vegas compound. Police said shotgun pellets shattered windows and left a hole in a wall. No one was injured.

[Libloather]

Siegfried & Roy live together? Who knew?

"Laces out, Dan. Laces out..."

[Revolting cat!]

Siegfried & Roy live together?

Why not? Don't Crosby, Stills and Nash live together? And Young? Hannity and the other guy? The Three Tenors? The Glimmer Twins? Waylon and Willie (aren't those two secretly fond of each other?)

[martin_fierro]

Ford in playing days, and now

[Libloather]

Got any updates on the Captain & Tennille?

[Revolting cat!]

Nothing on the Captain (or Tennille) or the Carpenters either, , but I've heard that the Everly Brothers are not on speaking terms, as are (aren't? ) Simon and Garfunkel. Even when they perform together.

[operation clinton cleanup]

"But with his eyes, he said, 'Hi Mom,"' she said. "This is a nice Mother's Day and nice birthday present."

I guess "crazy" is genetic.

[Revolting cat!]

And Freddie. Doesn't he sleep with the Dreamers?

[gov_bean_ counter]

Looks like the boob needs a bro.

[stylin19a]

shot at the house...didn't say he hit the house...probably was wide-right

[Highway55]

LOL very good!

[Redbob]

"Nothing on the Captain (or Tennille) or the Carpenters either..."

You'd have to be what you call a "medium" to talk to Karen Carpenter, since she died many years ago of an obsession with being thin...

I always thought she deserved better...

[Libloather]

And Freddie. Doesn't he sleep with the Dreamers?

I maybe more worried about Jeter and the Jankees...

[gov_bean_ counter]

It takes a village, people.

[DejaJude]

"We've come a long way with Mr. Ford, and he's doing terrific," Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass said as she addressed Ford's mother, Amy Ford, in the courtroom gallery.

Huh? He's come a long way... now he's only shooting at houses? What the heck did he do before?

[peggybac]

Wow! He was HOT in his playing years. Yum.

[martin_fierro]

Yeah, but the poor guy took too many head hits and is now seriesly nutz.

[martin_fierro]

Shhhhh.

[Revolting cat!]

"Secretly fond of each other?"

[Libloather]

Yeah, but the poor guy took too many head hits and is now seriously nutz.

When my uncle passed on (bless his soul) he topped out at 80 pounds. His testicles weighed 40 pounds. Yep - you guessed it - he was half nuts...

[NonValueAdded]

bwahahaha

[DejaJude]

Ford, 34, stood before the judge in a blue jail jumpsuit with his wrists shackled at his waist. But his cropped hair and a clean-shaven face were a marked contrast to his appearance during court hearings in late 2004 and early 2005 when he wore his hair past his shoulders and had a full beard that extended to his chest.

I'm confused. The shooting took place in 2004 and the plea deal is just now happening? And his "coming a long way" is that he's got a hair cut and is clean-shaven? Is that it?

[Howlin]

*Rolling my eyes*

[Kokojmudd]

Once a Raider, always a Raider.

[rock58seg]

That, and probably being coherent.

[Zeppo]

It is sure puzzling me... What's the best ammo to use when shooting houses? Do you opt for a hollow point bullet, or does a SWC offer better penetration? Should you use a +P load? If you hit it with a .45 ACP, does the house stumble backwards before collapsing, or do you need even more serious firepower? When are houses in season thereabouts? Questions, questions...

[DejaJude]

That, and probably being coherent.

Or, that, and being able to follow your lawyers advice? Does that make you sane?

[DejaJude]

When are houses in season thereabouts? Questions, questions...

LOL. But I do question what was his reason for shooting at the house in the first place. I don't see that addressed here. What was reason that the judge deemed him imcompentent? I have never heard of this incident before. What did he say was his motivation for shooting at the house?

[X-FID]

Whatever happened to Roy? Didn't the big white striped kitty bite his head off?

[F.J. Mitchell]

Waylon is dead; if willie is living with him, he does have problems.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I don't know the specific answers to your questions - but I do know you gotta draw quick before they lunge at ya. They can be crafty, and just when you think they are as still as a house - bam, game over.

[Rte66]

Two different stories have been posted about this and I can't figure out what is wrong with the guy - they never say anything except "mental illness."

[Rte66]

Don't forget, there are also "The Boys" - Waylon and Willie and The Boys ... the successful life they were living had them feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys.

Seriously, I think the OP was mistaking them for Wayland and Madam.

[Petronski]

...wide-right...

Wide right?

Wide right?!?

Wide right!

[Libloather]

Whatever happened to Roy? Didn't the big white striped kitty bite his head off?

I believe Roy ended up being a Canadien - eh?

[Captainpaintball]

What's the best ammo to use when shooting houses?

You want something with stopping power, so when the house runs at you, you can put it down with one or two shots, at the most.

[Captainpaintball]

I bet Al Davis is looking for a loophole...anything that will enable him to re-sign this guy on the cheap.

[sully777]

Neil Sedaka and Elton John sang about BAD LOVE


But Elton never could convince Neil that he wasn't a hungry tiger...

[Northern Yankee]

Why didn't he use a football?

[Northern Yankee]

Outside court, Amy Ford, who turns 61 on Monday, said she didn't exchange words in the courtroom with her son, whom she said she had not seen since 1999.

"But with his eyes, he said, 'Hi Mom,"' she said. "This is a nice Mother's Day and nice birthday present."

And I always thought flowers were a nice gitf!

[F.J. Mitchell]

LOL! Could be.

[F.J. Mitchell]

LOL! Could be.

[verity]

"Former Raiders kicker Cole Ford, who has been hospitalized for mental illness"

Raiders and mental illness is not a new phenomenon.

[Slings and Arrows]

Why didn't he use a football?

The idea was to hit the house.

[Slings and Arrows]

I'll bet that these guys live together:

---

[Liz]

LOL....that crack about your uncle cracked me up (snicker).

BTW, I hear Cheech and Chong are also on the outs.

[sully777]

Serenity Now!

[HiTech RedNeck]

What did he say was his motivation for shooting at the house?

Maybe in his tormented imagination he saw the house shoot at him first?

[Lockbar]

Didn't Freddie Prinz and Jack Albertson live together?

[DejaJude]

Maybe in his tormented imagination he saw the house shoot at him first?

The America's Most Wanted site says that, according to a psychiatric report, he wanted to "warn the world" of the threat posed by the illusionists. What kind of "threat" it was, I don't know. It couldn't have been that he felt threaten by their magic, because if they had been so powerful, they just would have made the house disappear. After all, Copperfield has made bigger things disappear. ;-)