An Orange County judge charged with murder in the shooting death of his 65-year-old wife at their Anaheim Hills home pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles courtroom Tuesday.
Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, was charged with felony murder and felony personal use of a firearm and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and death.
Ferguson faces a maximum sentence of 40 years to life in prison if convicted on all counts.
The Orange County superior court judge accused of killing his wife has been charged with murder.
Ferguson is due in court on October 30, when a date will be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial.
“I won’t show up tomorrow”
Police responded on August 3, around 8 p.m., to the couple’s home following a report of a shooting at the residence. Officers found Sheryl Ferguson, 65, with at least one gunshot wound inside the home, police said.
She died on the spot.
The couple’s adult son called 911 to report the shooting. A court filing by prosecutors said Ferguson texted his court clerk and bailiff minutes after the murder: “I just lost control. I just shot my wife. I won’t show up tomorrow. I will be in custody. Very sorry”.
Ferguson was arrested at his residence, located in the 8500 block of East Canyon Vista Drive. He posted bail and he was released the next day.
County prosecutors filed a bond motion seeking non-monetary bail conditions, including requiring Ferguson to surrender his passport.
An Orange County judge has been arrested in the shooting death of his wife at their Anaheim Hills home Thursday night.
“Among people’s concerns is the fact that a .22 rifle legally registered to Ferguson remains unfound despite police recovering 47 other weapons, including rifles, shotguns and pistols, and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition, from his home during the execution of a search warrant,” according to a statement from the Orange County District Attorney’s office.
“Another rifle, initially overlooked by police, was later located in the house and turned over to police by defense attorney, but the whereabouts of the .22 rifle remain unknown.”
Neighbors said the couple had lived in the house for years.
“I can’t believe I did this”
The shooting occurred after Ferguson and his wife got into an argument at a restaurant on Aug. 3, the Orange County district attorney’s office said in the court filing.
The argument continued when they returned home, where his wife said something to the effect of “why don’t you point a real gun at me?” and she pulled a handgun of hers from her ankle holster and shot him in the chest, according to the court document.
When officers arrived, Ferguson smelled alcohol and told them, “Oh man, I can’t believe I did this,” according to the document.
Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, was arrested at his home in the shooting death of his wife.
Ferguson has been a judge in Orange County Superior Court since 2015. He began his legal career in 1983 as an Orange County Assistant District Attorney.
He was named prosecutor of the year four times by the Orange County Association of Narcotics Officers.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine and his law degree from Western State College of Law in Irvine.
Ferguson’s attorneys, Paul Meyer and John Barnett, issued a brief statement.
“This is a tragedy for the entire Ferguson family. It was an accident and nothing more,” they said.
This story first appeared on Telemundo 52’s sister station, NBCLA. Click here to read this story in English.
