OC judge who killed his wife convicted of murder
An Orange County Superior Court judge who shot and killed his wife during an argument in 2023 at their Anaheim Hills home was convicted on Tuesday, April 22, of murder.
Jurors deliberated for around eight hours before finding Jeffrey Ferguson guilty of second-degree murder for gunning down his wife, Sheryl, with a Glock .40-caliber pistol he constantly carried in an ankle holster.
The conviction marks a shocking downfall for Ferguson, now 74, who spent decades in the Orange County law enforcement community as both a prosecutor and a judge.
The prosecution alleged that an inebriated Ferguson intentionally shot his 65-year-old wife after she mocked him while the couple and their adult son were watching the television show “Breaking Bad” in their family room. The prosecution also told jurors they could convict Ferguson if they believe that by handling a loaded gun while drunk he acted with reckless disregard for his wife’s safety, even if he didn’t mean to shoot her.
Ferguson testified that he was trying to place the firearm on a coffee table when his shoulder gave out and he fumbled the firearm, inadvertently firing the fatal gunshot. His attorney argued that an “accidental discharge” of the firearm means Ferguson committed no crime.
Jurors were tasked with deciding whether Ferguson committed second-degree murder, a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, or if he should be acquitted of all criminal charges.
A different jury in an earlier trial last month deadlocked 11 to 1 in favor of a second-degree murder conviction. A mistrial was declared, paving the way for the current retrial.