THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 22, 1995 TAG: 9506220491
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CURRITUCK LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Powell's Point resident Geoffrey Kent Ferguson has decided to challenge his extradition to Connecticut, where he faces charges of murdering five people, then setting fire to the home they rented from him.
A hearing to determine the legality of Ferguson's imprisonment since April is scheduled for July 17 at Criminal Superior Court in Currituck County.
An application for a writ of habeas corpus was filed late Tuesday afternoon in Currituck County, asking for an inquiry into Ferguson's imprisonment and whether he is being held legally.
Ferguson, 44, is wanted in Connecticut for the April 18 slayings of three tenants, whom he allegedly had tried earlier to evict from his Redding, Conn., house.
The men and two friends, all in their 20s, were shot and then left inside the blazing house. Four of the five victims were burned beyond recognition.
The fifth victim found at the scene reportedly named Ferguson as the killer before he died on his way to a hospital.
Shortly after the killings, Ferguson was arrested at his home in Powells Point. He has been jailed since. He was moved to Central Prison in Raleigh in late April for safekeeping.
According to papers filed by court-appointed defense attorney H.P. Williams, extradition documents were not properly prepared by Connecticut authorities who want Ferguson transferred to their state facilities.
The court papers also state that no victims are named in Connecticut officials' extradition request, which includes arrest warrants and a 25-page affidavit. The affidavit is sealed to the public.
The arrest warrants also lack information needed to determine whether Ferguson has been charged with a crime in Connecticut and if he can be called a fugitive, court papers indicate.
"The papers accompanying the demand of the Governor of the State of Connecticut do not provide a sufficient basis to the Court to determine whether Geoffrey Kent Ferguson is the person named in the request for extradition," the document states.
Ferguson next will appear before a Currituck County Superior Court judge.
Ferguson could, however, remain in North Carolina - even if he loses the next round in court. A judge's decision could be appealed to the North Carolina appellate courts.
KEYWORDS: MURDER ARREST SHOOTING by CNB