Priscilla Joyce Ford was born on February 10, 1929, in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She grew up in this small town, attending public schools. After completing her education, she became a teacher. Ford taught school in New York for several years.

Throughout her life, Ford married twice and had three children, which included two sons and a daughter. In 1957, she was involved in a serious incident where she shot her second husband. She claimed she acted in self-defense due to abuse. After shooting him, she shot herself but survived that attempt.

Her daughter, Wynter Scott, was born in 1962. When Wynter was eleven years old, Ford faced legal troubles. She was arrested for trespassing and assault. As a result, the state's child welfare office took Wynter away and placed her with relatives in Los Angeles. As the years went on, Ford struggled with her mental health. She developed a heavy smoking habit, which was often linked to her mental illness. 

On November 27, 1980, a crowd gathered in Reno, Nevada, for the annual Thanksgiving Day parade. Priscilla Joyce Ford drove a Lincoln Continental onto the sidewalk near Spring Street and accelerated through the crowd for about 100 feet. This tragic incident resulted in the death of six people and injuries to 23 others.

When police arrived, they ordered Ford out of the vehicle. She complied and was identified as the driver. Ford had recently moved to Reno and, at the time, had a blood-alcohol level of .162, which was above the legal limit. At the scene, she asked the Deputy District Attorney how many people she had killed. When he responded with "five or six," she replied with "good." She also reportedly said, “The more dead, the better,” while in custody.

Following her arrest, law enforcement discovered that Ford had a long history of mental illness. She had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had been treated at various mental health facilities before the incident. A public defender was assigned to her case, and a mental evaluation was requested. On January 29, 1981, Ford was deemed incompetent to stand trial and was sent to a mental health facility for treatment. She reported hearing voices of various public figures during her time there. By August 4, 1981, she was found competent to stand trial.

Ford pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Her trial was lengthy, lasting nearly five months, and it became the longest trial in northern Nevada's history. During her testimony, Ford claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and argued that she could not sin. The jury eventually found her guilty on multiple counts, including six murders and 23 counts of attempted murder, on March 19, 1982. On March 28, 1982, the jury sentenced her to death.

For the next 20 years, Ford was held on death row at the Southern Nevada Women's Correctional Center. During her imprisonment, she struggled with health issues, including emphysema, a condition associated with her heavy smoking. She passed away from emphysema on January 29, 2005, at the age of 75.