Orange County judge arrested after wife found dead in Anaheim Hills home

by: Tony Kurzweil, Cindy Von Quednow

Posted: Aug 4, 2023 / 05:13 AM PDT

Updated: Aug 4, 2023 / 05:05 PM PDT

An Orange County Superior Court judge was released on bail Friday after being arrested in connection with the death of his wife at their Anaheim Hills home.

Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, was arrested following a report of gunfire in the 8500 block of East Canyon Vista Drive shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday.

Officers arrived to find Ferguson’s wife, 65-year-old Sheryl Ferguson, suffering from at least one gunshot wound.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, police confirmed.

Authorities took Jeffrey Ferguson into custody on suspicion of killing his wife and then sought search warrants to gather evidence.

The Fergusons’ son, who is in his 20s and was at the home at the time of the shooting, was questioned by police.

A neighbor who did not want to be identified told KTLA the judge had lived in the home with his wife for more than 20 years. The neighbor also said that he saw Jeffrey Ferguson being taken away in handcuffs.

Police later released a booking photo confirming Ferguson had been arrested in connection with the killing.

Angela Herrmann, who lives in the neighborhood, said she heard a commotion outside.

“I heard a man scream ‘don’t shoot me’ and then I heard a primal yell, and so my only assumption was the son screaming ‘don’t shoot me,’” she said. “It was a devastated yell, and that’s how I knew something crazy was happening outside.”

Another neighbor said he saw “a bunch” of guns and ammunition being taken from the home as evidence.

Ferguson has served as a Superior Court judge in Orange County since 2015.

According to his own campaign biography, Sheryl had previously worked for both the Orange County and Santa Barbara probation departments.

In a statement, Orange County Superior Court officials said the incident is still under investigation and they can’t provide any further information.

“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 in a statement through the court. “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.”

At around 2 p.m. Wednesday, KTLA received confirmation Ferguson was released after posting bail. Any potential conditions surrounding his release were not immediately available.

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