Orange County judge convicted of second-degree murder after killing wife in 2023

Following a mistrial in March, jurors have found an Orange County Superior Court judge guilty of killing his wife after an argument nearly two years ago.

Jeffrey Ferguson, 74, fatally shot his wife, Sheryl Ferguson, 65, on Aug. 3, 2023, in their Anaheim Hills home. He claimed her death was a tragic accident, while prosecutors said he intentionally shot her to death after a night of drinking and arguments between the couple.

While Ferguson admitted to arguing with Sheryl Ferguson, 65, that night, he testified that the gun accidentally misfired in their Anaheim Hills home, which led to his wife’s shooting death. After last month’s mistrial, jurors declared Ferguson guilty of second-degree murder.

In his first trial, jurors could not reach a verdict for the 74-year-old. With an 11-1 split, with all except one wanting to convict Ferguson of second-degree murder, a judge declared a mistrial in early March. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer vowed to retry the case following the decision. 

Following the mistrial declaration, Sheryl Ferguson’s brother, Larry Rosen, said he was temporarily happy. He said the family did not believe that Ferguson committed murder. “… In terms of the act that happened, clearly, we are all in agreement that it is involuntary — that it was something that happened accidentally,” he said. 

While the first jurors in the first trial spent nine days in deadlock before the presiding judge declared a mistrial, jurors in the retrial started deliberating on Monday at 2:45 p.m. and delivered their decision a little more than 24 hours later.

He faces 40 years to life in prison. Ferguson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June.