'I just thought he would change': Former OU student Gage Ford found guilty of domestic abuse

A 23-year-old former University of Oklahoma student was found guilty Friday of beating his pregnant then-girlfriend on multiple occasions.

Gage Ford was found guilty of two felony counts of assault and battery by force or means likely to cause death and one misdemeanor count of assault and battery against a pregnant woman.

The charges stemmed from allegations against Ford by his former girlfriend, Allyson “Ally” Stephens, regarding two physical alterations that occurred in October 2020.

Ford and Stephens were students at OU at the time.

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Prosecutors argued Ford had beaten Stephens severely enough to likely cause the death of her and their then-unborn son, Steele Stephens. The baby was later born healthy.

Jurors Friday recommended a cumulative sentence of 76 years in prison for Ford. Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman presided over the trial. Ford's sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 27.

Stephens, who has been outspoken the past two years about her experiences with domestic abuse, expressed relief after the verdict, saying the sentence was longer than she had expected.

"I'm glad it's finally over," she said.

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Stephens was examined at Norman Regional Hospital on Oct. 17, 2020. Stephens said she was knocked unconscious during a assault in Ford's apartment. She said she was unable to remember how many times Ford struck her, but she recalled Ford sitting on top of her, compressing her midsection to the point she was unable to breathe.

Ford surrendered to authorities on Oct. 23, 2020, after authorities could not find him in Norman or Muskogee, his hometown.

The case drew national attention after student organizations at OU condemned the incident, and Stephens' sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, launched a fundraiser in support of her.

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Police said the beating left Stephens’ eyes so swollen that she could not see properly to write her own statement and had to request a friend write the statement, which she also had trouble signing because of impaired vision.

“It looked like somebody had put apples under her skin,” said Norman police officer Aaron Deese. “I initially assumed she had dyed her hair red because of some Halloween party. I later found out she had not dyed her hair, that it was blood in her hair, and it was quite a bit.”

Stephanie Lynn Mars, a nurse who treated Stephens at the Norman hospital, testified Stephens said “her boyfriend had grabbed her hair, took her to the ground, and punched her.” Mars said Stephens told her she was pregnant at the time.

“Her eyes were still so swollen that we had to open them ourselves,” Mars said.

Stephens said Ford had kicked her in the stomach during two October incidents.

Kate McCracken, a domestic violence nurse examiner for OU Health, said Stephens’ case alarmed her immediately while she was interviewing her at a women's resource center on Oct. 21, a few days after the assault.

“It’s the worst case I’ve ever seen, so I will never forget what I saw,” McCracken said. “I just knew this situation was elevated beyond anything I had seen before, so I was worried for her.”

McCracken also said she saw blood had flooded the whites of Stephens' eyes and bruising was still visible on her neck.

Prosecutors said the location of the bruising and swelling was further evidence of what they believed was Ford's intent to kill Stephens and her then-unborn child.

"If (Stephens) dies, Steele dies, and you would have been here for a murder," Cleveland County Assistant District Attorney Abby Nathan told the jury.

Ally Stephens said she inherited Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a disorder of the connective tissue, from her father, who died of complications from the disease the same day Stephens found out she was pregnant.

Stephens’ physician said he was concerned about the extent of Stephens’ injuries and the possibility that internal organs could have been damaged, risking both Stephens’ pregnancy and her own life.

“Her condition means she’s more likely to bleed catastrophically from significant trauma,” said Dr. Donald Brown, of Oklahoma City. “With the condition she has, a lot of the time you don’t see the damage until it’s too late.”

Ford's attorney told jurors he was skeptical if Stephens' injuries were life-threatening, and consistently suggested the appearance of her injuries were exacerbated by her disorder.

"The pictures of Ms. Stephens are horrible," Richard Lerblance said. "They look bad, but looks can be deceiving."

When cross-examined, Stephens admitted to lying to police for Ford regarding earlier alleged assault incidents because he had manipulated her into believing she would be responsible for any consequences he might suffer.

“I just thought he would change,” Stephens said. “I was in love with Gage and I wanted to help him. I thought I could change him.”

Another alleged victim of Ford testified he had also exhibited the same violent behavior with her. Ford has a child with the second victim, as well.

Ford did not testify on his own behalf.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the amended felony charges against Ford for the trial.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jury finds former OU student guilty of beating pregnant girlfriend