On Monday, Patric Ferguson, a former Memphis Police officer, was handed a 38-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to a heinous crime committed while on duty. Ferguson, aged 33, admitted to the federal charges of kidnapping, murder, and tampering with evidence related to the death of 30-year-old Robert Howard in January 2021, according to Action News 5.
Court documents and Local Memphis report that while on duty, Ferguson kidnapped Howard, his ex-girlfriend’s new partner, by putting him in the back of his squad car. He then shot Howard and, with an accomplice, moved and dumped the body near a bridge on the Wolf River.
Former Memphis officer Ferguson purchased cinderblocks, chains, and padlocks before shooting Howard in the back of his police car, as mentioned by FOX13 Memphis. Ferguson confessed to the murder and said he enlisted Joshua Rogers to help move Howard’s body. Rogers pleaded guilty to aiding in the cover-up and will be sentenced on December 17. Ferguson received a 38-year prison term with five years of supervised release after plea negotiations and still faces state charges, including first-degree murder, with a court date on March 30, 2026. Former Memphis Police Director Mike Rallings called Ferguson a "rogue cop" and worked with the FBI on the case, as per Action News 5.
