Ponca City woman's death marks first homicide in 2001

Monday, November 5th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PONCA CITY, Okla. (AP) _ The death of a 52-year-old woman whose blood-soaked body was discovered on the floor of an apartment that her daughter shared with a 27-year-old man has been ruled Ponca City's first homicide of the year.

The body of Jody Stanford was discovered on Sunday. Authorities said she had suffered multiple stab wounds to the abdomen. Her body was transported to the state medical examiner in Oklahoma City for an autopsy.

While police geared up a murder investigation, fire and ambulance crews worked to save the life of the man who lived with the victim's daughter, Brian Davis. Police said Davis was seriously injured early Sunday in a single-vehicle crash while driving the victim's car.

``We believe Davis to be a suspect in the case,'' said Sherry Bowers, public information officer for the police department.

Davis suffered head and internal injuries in the crash on Oklahoma 156, north of the Salt Fork River. Bowers said the time of the crash, which occurred in Kay County outside the Ponca City limits, has not been determined.

Davis was taken to a Ponca City hospital and later flown to a hospital in Wichita, Kan., where he was listed in fair condition.

The Ponca City Fire Department responded to the crash about 8:45 a.m., a little more than 30 minutes before police received a call from the murder victim's daughter, Stacey Sanford, who reported finding her mother's body.

Ponca City police said Jody Sanford went to the apartment that her daughter shared with Davis after receiving a call from Davis at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Her daughter reportedly was having problems with Davis.

Police said Stacey spent the night in a Ponca City motel. When she returned to the apartment about 9:23 a.m., she found her mother on the floor, covered in blood.

Bowers said police executed a search warrant on the apartment and retrieved a variety of evidence that will be delivered to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation for analysis.

No charges have been filed in the case.