The body of an Illinois judge was found fatally shot outside of his residence and the main suspect is perilously close to home.
Judge shot by wife outside of home
Megan Valentine found herself behind bars on charges linked to the fatal shooting of her husband, according to the Illinois State Police.
She was apprehended on Tuesday, following the discovery of Judge Michael J. Valentine’s body outside of their residence in Albion.
Authorities quickly charged her with first-degree murder, as well as several firearm-related offenses, including aggravated discharge, aggravated battery, and aggravated domestic battery.
The Edwards County Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene around lunchtime on Tuesday. On their arrival, a deputy noticed Michael Valentine lying outside, leading to Megan Valentine’s immediate arrest.
The police have kept mum about the reasons behind her alleged actions or the events leading up to the tragic shooting.
The investigation, spearheaded by the Illinois State Police, resulted in presenting findings to the Illinois State’s Attorney Appellate Prosecutor’s Office, which subsequently brought charges against Valentine, who is detained in the White County Jail.
Meanwhile, colleagues of Judge Valentine, who served as a distinguished judge in the Second Judicial Circuit since 2022, shared thier grief and shock over his unexpected death.
“Judge Valentine was a distinguished jurist who was determined in the pursuit of justice and his compassion and conduct earned him the confidence and respect of the people who appeared before him,” Valentine’s colleagues commented. “He will be sorely missed.”
California judge shot wife
In a separate incident in California, Judge Jeffrey Malcolm Ferguson, stands accused of murdering his wife.
Ferguson, aged 73, faces serious charges following the alleged murder of Sheryl Ferguson, his 65-year-old wife.
The horrifying incident reportedly began with an argument at a restaurant on August 3, during which Ferguson mimicked pointing a gun at his wife.
The altercation continued at their Anaheim Hills home, where an allegedly intoxicated Ferguson is said to have shot her using his Glock, which he had in an ankle holster.
After the incident, Ferguson and his son contacted emergency services. Incredibly, Ferguson also texted admissions of the shooting to his court clerk and bailiff, who initially thought he was kidding.
“I just lost it. I just shot my wife,” Ferguson allegedly texted. “I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry.”
Judge was hammered when he allegedly killed wife
Upon arriving, officers discovered him still wearing the gun holster and noted his slurred speech and the smell of alcohol.
Investigations at his home uncovered a cache of firearms and ammunition, including the murder weapon.
Ferguson, captured on bodycam footage, made numerous expletive-laden remarks, at one point even asking officers to shoot him.
During questioning, he was soberingly remorseful. “What did I do? My son will hate me forever. Can you have my son come over … and punch me in the face because I deserve it,” he moaned.
With all the evidence, including his own admissions, Ferguson will face trial, having failed to convince a judge that the shooting was accidental.
“He would never intend to hurt her,” his attorney argued, calling the event a tragic mistake. “The last thing he would try to do is hurt the love of his life.”
Ferguson was initially out on $1 million bail, which was revoked after he was caught breaking the terms of his release by drinking alcohol that was detected by the court mandated ankle monitor he was wearing.
The judge initially threw him back in jail and raised his bail to $2 million, which he managed to scrounge up and secure his release with a the end of October.
Ferguson currently awaits trial, with his next court appearance scheduled for mid-November.
