Munford Ex-Wife Recounts his Abuse, Sexual Assault

Munford Ex-Wife Recounts his Abuse, Sexual Assault

By

James Scott Trimm

Her voice was filled with anxiety as she spoke to me “I still have fear of him to this day… Its been so long- but see- hear my nervous voice?  I mean I still get scared thinking about him.”

Denia Michelle Mendenhall, who was once Denia Munford has bravely come forward, and tell the world about the her marriage to James Munford and her life of abuse and sexual assault.

Several months ago she posted on the now defunct Gavel Bangers website about her marriage to Munford:

“In the mid 70’s I was married to Jim Munford.  He was a viscous abuser and I wound up divorcing him.  That he ever became a judge is that I failed, out of fear, to report him to the police.”

Afterwards the whole site, which had been online since 2011, mysteriously went down.

More recently she posted similarly on the Robing Room:

“Jim Munford was a horribly abusive spouse.  I was married to him in the mid seventies while we attended the University of Arlington.  This human being would have been in jail if he had not abused me to the point of fear of reporting him to the police.  I did by the luck of God escape from him and our ruse of a marriage. “

Only to have her post mysteriously disappear within hours.

 Denia's diploma from UTA with her name at the time:

Denia Michelle Munford

Most recently Denia posted on her personal Facebook page:

“James Benjamin Munford abused me sexually, physically and mentally when we were married and he should never be a judge in any courtroom.”

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Denia for the better part of an hour, and she bravely shared with me her story, a story of abuse at the hands of her first husband: James Munford, and her escape by the grace of God. 

This is the same James Munford who currently serves and an Associate Court Judge of the 322^nd Family Court in Tarrant County, and who is running for election as District Court Judge of that same court!

Denia compared her marriage to Munford, to the 1991 movie Sleeping with the Enemy:

“…he had so much power over me.  And I can tell you that the life that I had with him in the few years we had together made- what’s that movie that Julia Roberts was in- where she escapes from that man- mine was so bad that it made it look like a joke.  I mean it was like the man was worried and upset because she put the towels in a certain formation.  O my God- I mean- that would have been heaven in my life.  I mean it was that insidious.”

Munford's Ex-Wife compared her marriage

to James Munford to the 1991 movie Sleeping

With the Enemy.

Denia attributes her escape from Munford to the intervention of God, saying:

“It was so insidious, the things he did… it was so insidious that it is incomprehensible to normal people.  Human beings just can’t comprehend what another human being can do to another person, I mean it was just horrendous.  It was quite horrendous and I can’t…. it was by the luck of God, and I believe it was only through God, and I have been everything from an agnostic to an atheist, but as I look back I see there had to be a God who got me out of that.  It was just that bad.  I mean, if I had gone to the police he would have been arrested in a second.  There is no doubt about that, and it is so sad, I mean it makes me sick…”

Denia’s fear of Munford, runs deep to this very day.  She expressed her concern about coming forward publicly saying:

“Munford was so insidious that he had friends that were very wealthy, and had very, very, bad scruples- and just the concept- and you just have to accept this from the words that I speak- he truly could have had someone- in the- I mean once I’ve said it, I’ve said it.”

Denia shared with me that she has come forward about Munford in the past.  Once in the 1990’s Denia shared her story for a Houston Area Women’s Center presentation to a group of cadets at the Houston Police Department. 

In speaking about coming forward again she said:

“You can’t say, my spouse gave me enemas that were unsolicited.  And you can’t say he ripped my pants off and he beat me with a belt so that I passed out.  You can’t say that to the public.  But that is what I should say and did say to the police cadets.  And I really had my day that day.”

Summing up her thoughts on her ex-husband, the former Mrs. Munford said:

“He is messed up, and I think he has a lot of deep rooted psychological problems.”

Now James Munford wants to preside over a Family Court in matters relating to divorce and matters involving abused women.  Ultimately the voters of Tarrant County will decide if this man should ever preside over a Family Court.