Memphis cop charged with kidnapping, murder of missing man
(The AEGIS Alliance) – MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – An on-duty Memphis police officer allegedly used his own personal gun to force a man into the back of a police car, drove off, and then fatally shot the man.
29-year-old Patric Ferguson is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree murder in perpetration of aggravated kidnapping, especially aggravated kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, and tampering and fabricating with evidence in the death of Robert Howard, aged30, the Memphis Police Department stated on Saturday night.
Howard’s girlfriend reported him missing on January 6 after she couldn’t locate him for 24 hours. police said. She told authorities that she tracked his smartphone to a location, where she found the phone but did not find Howard.
Police opened a Missing Person investigation, which was aided by the homicide bureau “due to the circumstances surrounding the victim’s disappearance,” officials said.
The Memphis Police department did not get into details about how they tied Ferguson to Howard’s disappearance, but said they located the officer after “a thorough investigation.”
The relationship between the two men isn’t known but officials said Ferguson “was known” to Howard.
“No one is above the law. Knowing that a Memphis Police Officer, someone who took an oath to protect and serve, made the decision to commit this horrific crime is devastating. His actions were not that of a law enforcement officer and should not reflect on fellow officers,” Director Michael Rallings stated.
“Our investigators responded swiftly and did an outstanding job by identifying the suspect responsible. This is an example of the professionalism and dedication that is displayed daily. Regardless of who you are, our investigators will conduct a thorough investigation and will seek justice for all victims.”
Ferguson, who’d worked for the Memphis Police Department since October 2018, was immediately fired from his position.
28-year-old Joshua Rogers has been charged with accessory after he allegedly helped Ferguson move Howard’s dead body.
Joshua Rogers (Shelby County Jail)
Kyle James Lee – The AEGIS Alliance – This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
