Police arrested an Orange County Superior Court judge for the alleged murder of his wife Thursday night, the Anaheim Police Department said in a statement online.
Officers brought 72-year-old Jeffery Ferguson into custody after responding to reports of a shooting near the 8500 block of East Canton Vista Drive in Anaheim, according to the statement. There, police found Ferguson’s wife, 65-year-old Sheryl, with “at least one gunshot wound.” She was pronounced dead on the scene.
View this post on Instagram
Officers arrested Ferguson for murder at the scene and booked him into the Anaheim Police Department’s Detention Facility “without incident,” according to the statement. He was released Friday afternoon after posting bond, ABC7 reported. (RELATED: New State Judge Accused Of Scrolling Social Media, Texting During Murder Trial)
Those who knew Ferguson through his role as a judge expressed shock as they came to terms with the news. “There’s gotta be more to this story, because this is a man who’s dedicated his entire life to the law,” Terri Garrett, a self-admitted addict who says Ferguson helped her stay clean for over a decade, told ABC7.
Ferguson’s colleague, Lloyd Freeberg, said he was in “shock” and called Ferguson a “phenomenal person,” according to the outlet. “He wanted to help people in his role as a judge and he did that for an awful lot of people, and frankly this is pretty devastating news,” Freeberg added.
“I can’t believe this is happening because he was just a good soul, a good man who actually cared about people,” Blondie’s Bail Bonds owner Cindee Proctor told the outlet. Proctor said she’s worked with Ferguson several times over the past years.
“Our thoughts go to the family. We all pray for their comfort during this trying time,” Orange County Superior Court Presiding Judge Maria Hernandez said, according to ABC7. “Although no case has been filed with our Court, when appropriate we will take all necessary steps to ensure full compliance with our legal and ethical obligations.”
The investigation is ongoing, according to Anaheim Police.