Jeffrey Ferguson, an Orange County Superior Court Judge, will stand trial for the alleged murder of his wife, Sheryl Ferguson.
According to the Associated Press, the ruling was reached following a preliminary hearing before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Eleanor J. Hunter on Thursday, June 20. Hunter ruled that there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
Ferguson was previously charged with one felony count of murder, one count of felony enhancement of personal use of a firearm, and one count of felony enhancement of discharge of a firearm causing great bodily harm and death after police discovered his 65-year-old wife dead at their home on August 3, 2023, according to a press release. According to court records previously examined by PEOPLE, on the night of Sheryl’s murder, the two had an alcohol-fueled quarrel at a restaurant that lasted more than an hour when the pair came home.
After allegedly raising his fingers “in a manner mimicking a firearm,” Sheryl allegedly responded, “Why don’t you point a real gun at me.”
According to court documents, he then took out a loaded.40-caliber revolver from his ankle holster and shot her “at close range” through “the center chest.” Their adult son witnessed the alleged incident, and he contacted 911 just after 8 p.m.
According to The Los Angeles Times, at Thursday’s hearing, Anaheim Police Officer Joshua Juntilla said that while authorities attempted to revive Sheryl, Ferguson “let off a string of expletives” before screaming, “What did I do?” My son will always loathe me. Can you have my son come over and punch me in the face? I deserved it. “I’ve got everything coming.”
Ferguson’s attorney, T. Edward Welbourn, told PEOPLE that “this was a terribly tragic event for the whole Ferguson family, including Judge Ferguson.”
“Sheryl is and was the love of his life, and he would never intentionally damage or harm her. What occurred that evening was a tragic accident, not a murder. “Judge Ferguson maintains his innocence and looks forward to the truth being revealed,” the statement continued.
Jeffrey is now free on a $1 million bond and is set to be arraigned on July 5, according to the Associated Press.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week in over 170 languages.