THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 19, 1995 TAG: 9507190531
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CURRITUCK LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
A Powells Point man charged with multiple killings and arson will be extradited to Connecticut this week unless his attorney can halt proceedings by filing for an appeal by 5 p.m. today.
Superior Court Judge William C. Griffin on Tuesday ordered Geoffrey Kent Ferguson, 44, be sent to Redding, Conn., to face charges of killing five men on April 18 at a house that Ferguson owned and allegedly set on fire.
Ferguson had challenged the extradition and asked for a hearing to determine if he had been illegally imprisoned since his arrest April 20 at his Currituck County home.
Ferguson's court-appointed attorney, H.P. Williams Jr. of Elizabeth City, argued during a 30-minute hearing in Currituck County Superior Court that arrest warrants needed to extradite Ferguson were insufficiently prepared by Connecticut authorities.
The documents failed to name the victims or show that Ferguson was in Connecticut at the time of the crimes and, thus, fled the state to take refuge in North Carolina.
``Who did he allegedly murder in count one?'' Williams asked a Connecticut police officer during testimony Tuesday.
``It doesn't specify which person,'' Sgt. Gregory J. Beardsworth answered.
``You don't know which count applies to which person?'' the defense attorney continued.
``No, sir,'' said Beardsworth, who supervises major crime investigations for the Connecticut State Police Department.
But Judge Griffin of Williamston said a sealed affidavit attached to the arrest warrants did provide enough information, including the identities of the five young men - three tenants and their two friends - that Ferguson is accused of shooting in the head and then leaving in a burning house.
``It's not a superficial affidavit. It's very detailed,'' Griffin said.
Ferguson and the three tenants, all in their early 20s, reportedly had been at odds over a bad rent check and slighted home repairs. The two other victims were friends who were visiting at the time of the killings.
Four of the men were dead when police arrived, but a fifth remained alive long enough to identify Ferguson as the assailant, according to previous reports.
The judge on Tuesday also said he found sufficient evidence to indicate Ferguson was in Connecticut at the time of the crime and could be considered a fugitive.
Williams asked that he be given time to file an appeal and ask for a stay from the North Carolina appellate courts.
Griffin gave the attorney until 5 p.m. today to file his motion. After that time, Ferguson could be transported by car back to Connecticut.
He has been incarcerated at Central Prison in Raleigh for safekeeping since shortly after his arrest.
KEYWORDS: MURDER SHOOTING ARSON ARREST
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