COSTA MESA - A 62-year-old Downey resident and his 32-year-old daughter were shot and killed in an apparent domestic dispute Tuesday night in Costa Mesa.According to Costa Mesa police, Emily Ford and her father, Russell Ford, had driven to the home of Emily Ford's ex-husband, Robert Allan Lehmann, to pick up their 7-year-old daughter. According to media reports, Lehmann had recently lost custody of the girl. Lehmann allegedly used a semi-automatic handgun to shoot the two after they arrived at Lehmann's home on the 3400 block of Santa Clara Circle at about 6 p.m. Authorities said the shootings were premeditated. "Shortly before the victims' arrival to pick up the 7-year-old girl, Lehmann is accused of sending the child out of the home with his current wife for ice cream and arming himself with a firearm to wait for the victims," Orange County prosecutors said in a statement Thursday. When the victims arrived, Lehmann allegedly shot at them, hitting two parked cars. Lehmann chased after them and shot the pair "several times" in the back, prosecutors said. Lehmann then reloaded and shot the pair in the back and head in an "execution" style killing, according to prosecutors. Emily Ford was the daughter of Theresa Ford, a principal at Rio Hondo Elementary. Russell Ford was Theresa's husband.

********** Published: May 5, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 3