In the cold of late February 2005, a deadly scheme unfolded in Omaha, Nebraska, claiming the life of 25-year-old Victor Ford, a Black/African American man. Ford became the second victim in a plot orchestrated by Terry Sellers and his girlfriend, Taiana Matheny. Their grim enterprise involved Matheny luring unsuspecting men to secluded locations under the guise of a romantic encounter, only for Sellers to rob and kill them.
On the evening of February 23, 2005, this fatal trap was set for Victor Ford.
Matheny successfully enticed Ford to an apartment complex in Omaha. Upon his arrival, Sellers ambushed him. After robbing Ford, Sellers shot him in the head, leaving him for dead between two apartment buildings where his body would be discovered the next day. This senseless act of violence was a chilling echo of a murder committed just a day prior, where Sellers and Matheny had similarly lured and killed 26-year-old Kevin Pierce Sr.
The crime spree of Sellers and Matheny, along with an accomplice named Terrell Thorpe, came to an end when a third intended victim managed to escape and alert the authorities. The subsequent investigation led to the swift arrests of all three individuals. Faced with the gravity of the charges against her, Taiana Matheny accepted a plea deal. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy, agreeing to testify against her former boyfriend and his accomplice. Her testimony proved crucial in securing convictions against both Sellers and Thorpe. Matheny was sentenced to 35 to 70 years in prison for her role in the murders. Terry Sellers was convicted of first-degree murder and received two life sentences. Terrell Thorpe was also found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison, bringing a measure of justice to the families of Victor Ford and Kevin Pierce Sr.
