Search of US Judge's Home in 'Wife Murder' Case Uncovers Large Cache of Guns and Ammunition

A Sitting Judge Who Served as Prosecutor and Judge for 40 Years
Shoots Wife During Drunken Argument

A large quantity of firearms and ammunition was found in the home of a 70-year-old judge in California who shot and killed his wife.

On the 11th (local time), the Orange County District Attorney's Office in southern Los Angeles (LA), California, announced that it had charged Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson (72) with serious crimes related to firearm use for killing his wife. The prosecution also stated that during a search of Ferguson's residence, the police discovered and seized 47 firearms, including rifles, shotguns, and handguns, along with more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition. However, the prosecution could not find the .22 caliber rifle that Ferguson had registered as his possession.

On the 4th, investigators in California, USA, seized a large quantity of firearms and ammunition found at Judge Ferguson's residence.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Ferguson was arrested at the scene on the 3rd for shooting and killing his wife, Cheryl Ferguson (65), at their home in the upscale Anaheim Hills neighborhood of Orange County. Police responded to a report of a shooting at Ferguson's home in Anaheim and found his wife collapsed with more than one gunshot wound. The caller was Ferguson's adult son, who called 911 around 8 p.m. that day, reporting, "My father drank too much and shot my mother."

According to the prosecution's investigation, Ferguson and his wife had an argument at a restaurant that evening and continued to quarrel after returning home. The wife said, "Why don't you really point the gun at me?" Ferguson then took a gun from the holster on his ankle and shot his wife in the chest. When the police arrived, Ferguson, smelling of alcohol, reportedly said, "Oh, I can't believe I did this."

On the 10th (local time), Judge Jeffrey Ferguson (72), who has been charged with the murder of his wife [Photo by AP Yonhap News].

Ferguson attended college and law school in California and had been married to his wife since 1996, living together for 27 years. He worked as a prosecutor at the Orange County District Attorney's Office from 1983 and had served as a judge at the Orange County Superior Court since 2015.

Ferguson was released on bail of $1 million (approximately 1.33 billion KRW) the day after his arrest and is scheduled to undergo an arraignment on September 1. If convicted on all charges, he could face up to 40 years in prison.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.