Patric J. Ferguson
Patric J. Ferguson, a former Memphis Police Officer, faced federal civil rights, kidnapping, and weapons charges after a federal grand jury in Memphis, Tennessee, returned an eight-count indictment against him. The charges were in connection with the fatal shooting of Robert Howard (referred to as R.H.), an incident that occurred on January 5, 2021. Ferguson allegedly kidnapped and fatally shot Howard while on duty, then conspired with a civilian, Joshua M. Rogers, to cover up the crime by disposing of Howard's body in the Wolf River in Memphis. Rogers was charged with accessory after the fact for assisting Ferguson in covering up the crime, including selling the car used to transport Howard's body to a scrap metal dealership.
Legal Proceedings
The indictment against Ferguson and Rogers was announced by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. The FBI Memphis Field Office's Tarnished Badge Task Force and the Memphis Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Pritchard for the Western District of Tennessee, along with Trial Attorneys Maura White and Tenette Smith of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section, are prosecuting the case.
Ferguson, who no longer worked for the Memphis Police Department at the time of the indictment, was accused of killing Howard, who was 30 years old at the time of his death. The indictment revealed that Ferguson and Howard knew each other. Following Howard's death, Rogers was alleged to have aided Ferguson in hiding evidence of the crime, including selling the car used in the incident to a scrap metal dealership.
Legal Action and Investigations
Howard was reported missing by his girlfriend on January 6, 2021. The Memphis Police Department initiated an investigation, revealing that Howard had been taken from a home by Ferguson and subsequently killed. Ferguson was arrested on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and other related offenses before Howard's body was found near the Wolf River bridge on January 10, 2021. Ferguson was relieved of duty immediately following his arrest. Rogers, described as an acquaintance of Ferguson, was also arrested on charges related to the incident.
Subsequent Legal Action
In December 2021, Martha Garth, the administrator of Howard's estate, filed a federal lawsuit against Ferguson, alleging that Howard was shot while restrained inside Ferguson’s police squad car. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages totalling no more than $60,000.
Ongoing Proceedings
Prosecutors and police have not disclosed a motive for the killing. The federal charges against Ferguson and Rogers were the result of an investigation involving the FBI’s Memphis field office and the Memphis Police Department. The state cases against Ferguson and Rogers are still active, with attorneys representing them yet to comment on the matter.
An indictment is an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
