A California judge, 74-year-old Jeffrey Ferguson, will most likely spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2023 murder of his wife, Sheryl. Ferguson killed her during a drunken argument over money, while they both watched Breaking Bad.
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As reported by PEOPLE, Ferguson was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison. Back in April, he was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder with gun enhancements.
The incident occurred back on August 3, 2023. At the time, Jeffrey and Sheryl Ferguson were having dinner at a Mexican restaurant. The couple argued over family finances, which led to Ferguson making a gun-like hand gesture to his wife, prosecutors said.
Leaving the restaurant, the couple continued their argument at their home in Anaheim Hills. While the couple watched Breaking Bad, Ferguson took out a pistol from an ankle holster and shot Sheryl once in the chest. The close-range shot killed the 65-year-old woman.
While Ferguson’s son called 911 to report the shooting, the elderly man, a former Orange County Superior Court Judge, texted his court clerk and bailiff, as per PEOPLE. He told them that he had “lost it,” admitting to the shooting, and saying that he “won’t be in tomorrow.”
Upon arrival, responding officers found Ferguson smelling of alcohol and with an empty ankle holster.
Accident Vs. Cold Blooded Murder
As per the New York Times, Ferguson’s son, Phillip, spoke in court, revealing that he and his mother were worried about his drinking. However, he believed the shooting was accidental, supporting his father even after he was convicted.
“I cannot draw any other conclusion than that my mother’s death had been accidental,” Phillip said. “If I harbored any doubts of this in my mind, I could not stand to look my father in the eye, nor to hug him, nor to even call him my father.”
Ferguson echoed his son’s remarks, labeling the incident a horrible accident.
“I have enormous grief not for myself alone but for my son, Phillip, and Sheryl’s brothers. For me, Sheryl didn’t die just once,” Ferguson, who claimed the shooting was accidental, said in court, as per the New York Times. “She dies again and again every morning I wake up. I wish God had taken me instead.”
However, District Attorney Todd Spitzer called the shooting “cold-blooded murder,” as reported by The Associated Press.
Jeffrey and Sheryl Ferguson were married for 27 years.