Man charged in shootings to appear in court

A Costa Mesa man charged with fatally shooting his ex-wife and her father is to appear in a Newport Beach courtroom Friday, according to court records.

Robert Lehmann, 36, is accused of killing Emily Ford, 32, a Paularino Elementary School teacher’s aide, and her father, Russell Ford, when they went to Lehmann’s home to pick up Emily Ford’s daughter on May 3.

Prosecutors allege that Lehmann waited for the Fords with a loaded gun after Emily Ford earlier that day was awarded full custody over their 7-year-old, following a custody battle with Lehmann.

The D.A.’s office described the slaying as an “execution-style murder.”

If convicted, Lehmann faces a maximum sentence of two life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole.

—Lauren Williams