An Orange County Superior Court judge has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering his wife in their Anaheim Hills home. Judge Jeffrey Ferguson entered his plea through his lawyers in a Los Angeles courtroom, where Judge Ricardo Ocampo presided over the proceedings. As per the prosecution’s request, Ferguson has been ordered to wear a GPS monitoring device, refrain from alcohol consumption, and consent to searches while out on $1 million bail.
Although prosecutors sought to prohibit Ferguson from having any contact with his 22-year-old son, who reportedly witnessed the killing, Judge Ocampo left the decision up to the son. The incident occurred on August 3 when Ferguson allegedly shot his wife, Sheryl, with a Glock 40-caliber pistol he retrieved from his ankle holster. Earlier that night, the couple had been arguing, and Ferguson had mimicked pointing a gun at her.
Prosecutors claim that just before the shooting, Sheryl confronted Ferguson, saying, “Why don’t you point a real gun at me?” Following the shooting, Ferguson’s adult son attempted CPR on his mother while calling emergency services. Ferguson himself texted his Fullerton court staff, confessing to shooting his wife and indicating that he would be in custody.
During his court appearance, Ferguson appeared subdued and complied when asked if he understood the new bail conditions. He is accused of firing one close-range shot that fatally struck his 65-year-old wife. Police officers found him at the scene wearing an empty ankle holster and reeking of alcohol. Ferguson expressed remorse, repeatedly exclaiming, “What an (expletive) I am, Jesus Christ. I’m sorry. … I (expletive) up.”
Ferguson’s defense attorneys contend that the shooting was accidental, describing the situation as a tragedy for the entire Ferguson family. The relatives of Sheryl Ferguson released a statement expressing their grief and focusing on supporting Sheryl’s son during this challenging time.
After spending one night in jail, Ferguson was released on $1 million bail. Investigators subsequently discovered 47 legal firearms and over 26,000 rounds of ammunition, including the handgun used in the murder, during a search of the couple’s home. A spent .40 casing was found near a couch. Additionally, a blood test revealed that Ferguson had a blood-alcohol level of 0.06 percent several hours after the incident.
Ferguson’s son revealed to investigators that while he had never witnessed domestic violence between his parents, he had observed numerous arguments, with his father becoming more heated when drinking. The son also recounted two prior incidents involving his father and firearms, including one where his mother had talked Ferguson out of suicide after he pointed a gun at his head.
Before becoming a judge, Ferguson had a lengthy career as a prosecutor with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. This story is still developing, and updates will be provided.
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