On August 3, 2023, Sheryl Ferguson, 65, was fatally shot in her Anaheim Hills home. Her husband, Jeffrey Ferguson, a 72-year-old Orange County Superior Court Judge, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. Police responded to reports of a shooting at the couple's residence on East Canyon Vista Drive around 8 p.m., where they found Sheryl Ferguson with at least one gunshot wound; she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident reportedly followed a heated argument between the Fergusons earlier that evening at a local restaurant. Upon returning home, the dispute escalated, culminating in Jeffrey Ferguson allegedly retrieving a .40-caliber pistol from his ankle holster and shooting his wife at close range in the chest. Their adult son was present during the incident and called 911 to report the shooting.
Following his arrest, Jeffrey Ferguson was booked into the Anaheim Police Department’s Detention Facility with bail set at $1 million. He was later released on bond. During the investigation, authorities recovered 47 weapons and over 26,000 rounds of ammunition from the Ferguson residence. Ferguson was charged with murder, along with sentencing enhancements for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death and the personal use of a firearm. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In the months following the incident, Ferguson's bail conditions became a point of contention. In late August, his alcohol monitoring device detected alcohol consumption, which he attributed to the use of hand sanitizer and medication. A judge found these explanations implausible, leading to Ferguson's bail being revoked and subsequently increased to $2 million. He was ordered to abstain from alcohol and avoid establishments that primarily serve alcohol as part of his release conditions.
The case has garnered significant public attention, given Ferguson's position within the judicial system. As of December 2024, he remains free on bond, with pretrial proceedings ongoing. The legal community and the public continue to follow the developments closely, awaiting further proceedings to shed light on the circumstances surrounding Sheryl Ferguson's tragic death.
