THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 22, 1995 TAG: 9504220298
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CURRITUCK LENGTH: Long : 111 lines
As Connecticut police continued investigating a torched house where five young men were killed, local law enforcement officers Friday searched the Powells Point home of the victims' landlord.
Geoffrey Kent Ferguson, a 44-year-old handyman who moved to Currituck County in December 1993, is being held on Connecticut larceny and illegal lock-out charges at the Currituck jail. His bond is set at $500,000. An arraignment is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday in Pasquotank County.
Ferguson owns the Redding, Conn., house where the men - all in their 20s - were found shot to death Tuesday night. Connecticut officers plan to question Ferguson about the deaths and the fire. As of late Friday, he had not been charged with anything other than property crimes.
``He's a fugitive from justice,'' Connecticut State Police Sgt. Dale Hourigan said Friday afternoon, explaining why the bond was set so high. ``We're fighting for his extradition.''
Currituck County Sheriff Glenn Brinkley arrested Ferguson at his Pinewood Acres Drive house Thursday afternoon on a warrant from Connecticut. Ferguson has not been charged with anything in North Carolina. He has no criminal record.
Shortly after midnight Friday, Connecticut State Police arrived at the Currituck jail to talk to Ferguson.
Meanwhile, local sheriff's officials searched the one-story home, in a residential hamlet of about 1,000 residents, just off Route 158. Ferguson shared the home with his wife and 2-year-old daughter.
Sheriff's department spokesperson Susan Johnson said Friday afternoon that Ferguson's wife, Kerie, an employee in the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County school system, had contacted a neighbor. ``She and his daughter are OK,'' Johnson said. ``They asked a neighbor to look after their dog.''
Ferguson listed his marital status as ``separated'' on papers he filed Friday to obtain a court-appointed attorney. Neighbors expressed surprise at that statement, saying the couple was living together last weekend.
According to a search warrant issued Friday in Currituck, a fire was reported at Ferguson's Connecticut house about 6 p.m. Tuesday night. A badly burned man neighbors pulled from the house later died. Investigators found the burned remains of four other men inside a second-story apartment.
Officials said the fire was started in several places. They ruled the cause arson.
Autopsies on the five victims showed that each died from gunshot wounds to the head from .22 caliber bullets before the fire started.
``Connecticut Police investigators located a witness who stated the Geoff Ferguson . . . was seen at the residence on Tuesday at approximately 4:30 p.m. The witness reported that Ferguson was wearing a black hat, beige shirt and brown work gloves. Ferguson was seen near the heating oil tank,'' says the search warrant.
At Ferguson's Currituck house Friday, police found ``several brown work gloves and a .22 caliber rifle with ammunition in plain view,'' the search warrant says. Police also ``observed insurance documents and other written material'' concerning the Connecticut home.
Connecticut State Police dispatcher Paul Egan said he did ``not know of'' any other suspects police might have been searching for in connection with the killings and arson.
He described the young men's deaths as ``execution-style,'' but would not elaborate. Officials in the coroner's office refused to reveal whether the victims were shot in the front or back of the heads - or if they had been tied up.
Ferguson had not talked with police as of late Friday, Johnson said. ``He's been refusing to answer any questions at all,'' she said. ``He won't even give them his name or Social Security number.''
According to the victims' families, a landlord-tenant dispute erupted about a month ago after the men's March rent check bounced. Three weeks ago, Ferguson pulled out the apartment's toilet and threw many of the boys' belongings into the driveway in an attempt to evict them, said the father of one of the victims.
A week later, two of the tenants filed suit against their landlord for allegedly stealing $3,000 worth of property from their apartment - including 300 compact discs, a compact disc player, a video cassette recorder and a tool box.
On Monday, Connecticut police told Ferguson that he could not evict his renters until the dispute was settled legally. Ferguson was scheduled to appear before town conservation officials on Tuesday about alleged wetlands violations on his property.
On April 10, town officials cited Ferguson for numerous health, zoning, conservation and fire code violations at his Connecticut house, including the use of an outhouse near an illegally constructed pond, lack of heat, a leaky roof and the illegal conversion of a single-family home into three apartments. MEMO: Related story also on page B1. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by CHRISTOPHER REDDICK, Staff
Currituck County man questioned in slayings
Geoffrey K. Ferguson, a suspect in the deaths of five residents of
Redding, Conn., was arrested Thursday at his home in Powells Point.
Ferguson owns the Connecticut house where the men were killed. The
house burned; police have ruled it as arson.
Currituck County Sheriff Glenn Brinkley takes Geoffrey Ferguson into
custody Thursday. Connecticut authorities have been looking for
Ferguson since Tuesday, when a home he owns burned.
by CNB