ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA: Shocking new documents reportedly alleged that a California judge confessed to murdering his wife in a text message. She was fatally shot during a drunken argument inside their $1.4M home.
According to authorities, Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, allegedly texted his court clerk, stating that he had shot his wife and would be taken into custody.
Did Jeffrey Ferguson confess to his crime?
Ferguson's text reportedly read, "I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won't be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I'm so sorry."
Ferguson, who had been released on $1M bail on Friday, August 4, was charged with murder for shooting his 65-year-old wife, Sheryl. According to court documents, Ferguson used a Glock.40. Police discovered 47 weapons inside the couple's Anaheim Hills home.
Prosecutors alleged that earlier in the evening, he had also threatened Sheryl "by making a hand gesture indicative of pointing a gun at her." Attorneys claimed in court documents that Ferguson texted his court clerk and bailiff, and admitted to the shooting.
The shooting was reported around 8pm on Thursday, August 3, in their home in the 8500 block of E Canyon Vista Drive, southeast of Los Angeles.
The couple's son, Phillip, called the police to report the shooting and to tell them that his father had been drinking, the prosecution claimed.
When did Jeffrey Ferguson report his wife's shooting?
Ferguson called 911 to report the shooting, but he only said that his wife needed paramedics and refused to discuss whether or not he had shot her. According to court documents, Ferguson smelled of alcohol when the police arrived and said, "Oh man, I can't believe I did this."
Police said that Sheryl was found inside the house with at least one gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
How many years in prison is Jeffrey Ferguson facing?
In a press release, the district attorney's office said that they wanted Ferguson to avoid contact with his son, except under certain circumstances. He was taken into custody and charged with one count of felony murder, and booked on $1M bail before being released.
The DA's office stated they wanted Ferguson to surrender his passport and wear an ankle monitor as part of his release, adding that if found guilty on all counts, he could receive a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
Ferguson presided over criminal cases in a court in the Fullerton, California. According to the North Orange County Bar Association, he previously worked for the Orange County District Attorney's office where he prosecuted drug cases.
As police discovered 47 weapons and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition in his home after a search, the prosecution has sought additional bail conditions, per the Daily Mail. The district attorney's office said that a rifle registered in his name has not been located.
What did Jeffrey Ferguson's attorneys say?
Ferguson's attorneys argued the incident was an accident but have tried not to deny that he shot Sheryl. Ferguson's attorneys Paul Meyer and Josh Barnett said in a statement, "This is a tragedy for the entire Ferguson family. It was an accident and nothing more."
In 2015, Ferguson joined the bench. He received a reprimand from the Commission on Judicial Performance two years later for making a statement about a judicial candidate on Facebook. According to a copy of the agency's findings, he was also Facebook friends with lawyers representing him in court.
Ferguson claimed on his Facebook page to have been raised in a military family and to have grown up travelling extensively in Asia. He then continued on to California for college and law school. In 1996, he and his wife got married.
He had a son from a previous marriage to another woman. According to Juli Mitchell, his ex-wife's sister, he has a second child with Sheryl Ferguson.
