A 30-year-old man, Robert Howard, was reported missing by his girlfriend on January 6, 2021, in Memphis, TN. She had become concerned after being unable to contact him and discovered his phone, but he was nowhere to be found. The investigation into his disappearance would soon uncover a sinister plot involving a man who was sworn to protect the public.
Howard, who was a father to three children under the age of ten, was described by his family as a good person who was always willing to help others.
Investigators quickly zeroed in on an on-duty Memphis Police officer, Patric Ferguson, as a suspect in Howard's disappearance. The investigation revealed that Ferguson and Howard's girlfriend had been in a romantic relationship while she and Howard were temporarily separated. On January 5, 2021, Ferguson confronted Howard outside a home, forced him into the back of his patrol car, and drove him to another location. There, Ferguson shot and killed Howard.
Following the murder, Ferguson enlisted the help of an accomplice, Joshua Rogers, to conceal the crime. Rogers picked up Ferguson and Howard's body, and the two men devised a plan to dispose of the remains. They went to a home improvement store and purchased chains, padlocks, and cinder blocks. They then used these items to weigh down Howard's body, which they dumped into the Wolf River. In a further attempt to cover their tracks, Ferguson and Rogers drove to Mississippi to sell Rogers' car at a scrap metal yard.
Despite their efforts to hide their crime, investigators made swift progress. Ferguson was arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping even before Howard's body was recovered from the Wolf River. The evidence against him was substantial, and he was relieved of his duties as a police officer.
In August 2025, Patric Ferguson, then 33, pleaded guilty to federal charges, including deprivation of rights under the color of law and kidnapping, in connection with the fatal shooting of Robert Howard. His accomplice, Joshua Rogers, had pleaded guilty to his role in the crime in May of the same year. Ferguson was awaiting sentencing for his crimes, scheduled for November 13, 2025.
