GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A family is hoping their nearly two-year wait for justice in their teenage daughter's death will soon come to an end.
Jury selection began Monday in Austin Ford's trial. He's accused of killing 18-year-old Tori Lang and leaving her body in a Gwinnett County park. Lang's family said the trial can't come soon enough.
“It’s just been a long, long, ride and you know, just can't wait for all this to be over,” said Torrey Lang, the father of Tori.
Her body was found under a tree in Yellow River Park on July 28, 2021. Her friend - Austin Ford - was arrested nearly nine months later, accused of murdering her and allegedly hiding and burning her car.
“We never figured we would be living like this without our baby and every day I wake up I just pinch myself just to see if it’s real but you just have to ask God for strength to keep moving forward you know,” Tori's father said.
The defense and prosecution worked to narrow the jury pool from 56 to 14 on Monday. The case is expected to run for about a week, with opening arguments anticipated to begin Tuesday.
Death of Tori Lang | What to know about the teen found dead in a Gwinnett County park
“I’m just happy that this day is finally here, we prayed for this we wanted this,” added Tori’s mother Teresa Lang.
The Langs said they are ready for this chapter to be over. And while they are hoping for a guilty verdict, they said their bigger goal is keeping a foundation they created in Tori's honor going.
“A lot of times parents don't know what their kids are going through and you know, situations like this emerge that could have been avoided had they known their friends, your kids' friends, so we want to help bridge that gap,” added Torrey Lang.
Ford is accused of felony murder, aggravated assault, voluntary manslaughter, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of theft by taking and tampering with evidence.