A California Superior Court judge has been charged with killing his wife in front of their adult son at their home while he was intoxicated. Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, allegedly shot his wife, Sheryl, through the chest in the living room of their Anaheim home using a .40-caliber pistol he pulled from his ankle holster amid an argument. Ferguson has been charged with one felony count of murder, one felony enhancement of personal use of a firearm, and one felony enhancement of discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury and death, ABC News reports. The shooting stemmed from an argument while the couple ate at a restaurant near their home. At dinner, the judge allegedly pointed a finger at his wife "in a manner mimicking a firearm ... Upon returning to their residence, the couple, still in the company of son, resumed arguing periodically over the course of more than an hour. Moments prior to the shooting and in reference to the hand gesture made at dinner, [the] victim uttered words to the effect of: 'why don't you point a real gun at me?'" said court records. Ferguson then allegedly "retrieved his pistol from his ankle holster and shot, prosecutors alleged.
Within minutes of the murder, Ferguson allegedly sent a text to his court clerk and bailiff that said: "I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won't be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I'm so sorry." According to prosecutors, Ferguson asked patrol officers to shoot him and was slurring words while smelling of alcohol. He made spontaneous statements and remarks "acknowledging culpability."" A search of his home found 47 legally owned firearms, including rifles, shotguns, and handguns, and over 26,000 rounds of ammunition. An additional .22-caliber rifle is registered to Ferguson, but its whereabouts are unknown. The alleged murder weapon was a Glock .40 pistol that was recovered from the scene. A single bullet went through Sheryl Ferguson's chest and exited through the middle of her back and into a wall behind her.
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