mechanicsville - Offical Contest Rules

DUMPED
Continued from pg. 1
Deborah “had been holding
thousands of dollars for a drug
dealer,” attributing the information
to police sources and
acquaintances.
Sources also told the News
Leader that “the drug dealer,
Mark Miller, has acknowledged
to police that Miss Ferguson
was keeping money for him
early this year.”
Miller told police “a few
thousand dollars was not
returned, but friends of Miss
Ferguson have said the amount
was greater.”
The News Leader also
reported that some of Deborah’s
friends said she told them all
the money had been stolen
from her apartment.
On June 21, the News Leader
reported that Deborah “had
been holding at least $60,000
Live On Stage!
November 26 -
February 6
for a drug dealer.”
The newspaper also said
“she made large bank deposits
and ran up her American
Express bill.”
Deborah and James were
identified through dental
records, the article reported.
James’ driver’s license was found
with his body, but no identification
was found with Deborah.
At the time, Lt. Howard L.
Wray Jr. of the Sheriff’s Office
said reports of drug deals had
been made in the area where
the bodies were found. He also
said “there is no concrete evidence
to link the slayings to
drugs.”
The victims “and their
circle of friends,” according to
the News Leader, were said to
frequently use marijuana and
cocaine.
Deborah’s Ford Escort was
located on Edgewood Avenue
in Richmond on May 27. There
Don’t miss this “wacky and outrageous”
musical comedy!
16 The Mechanicsville Local November 24, 2010
were no signs of foul play or
anything suspicious. Her keys
were not with the vehicle,
which, the News Leader reported,
was not locked. James’ blue
Jeep, which police and friends
told the News Leader did not
run, “remained parked in front
of the house.”
James Ferguson came
to Richmond from Fairfax
County, where his daughter was
raised, to file a missing person’s
report. He went to her apartment,
located her address book,
and started calling friends.
In taking a new look at
the cold case, Trice said, “We
believe somebody knew both
Sherrin and Ferguson and their
killer(s), and that’s why we
believe the public can provide
more information on this case.”
“We don’t believe it involved
a stranger. We don’t believe it
was a random crime. We believe
they were targeted by some-
282.2620
BarksdaleRichmond.org
body they knew and killed and
dumped in Hanover County,”
he said.
He also said the case “has
a lot of the same type of circumstances
we have in other
unsolved murders, where
somebody goes missing in
one jurisdiction and there is a
period of time between when
they were reported missing,
the family gets involved, and
they get identified in another
jurisdiction. This case involved
multiple agencies assembling a
body of work.”
“And while we do have leads,
while we have assembled a lot of
information, unfortunately, this
case has gone unsolved for 20
years,” Trice said.
When asked “Why them?,”
Trice said, “Well, it’s part of the
investigation. Motive is one of
those things we’re looking over
again.” Their associates and
interests also are being investigated
again.
Trice said the Sheriff’s Office
hopes to receive information
from those involved at that time
in order “to bridge the investigative
gap to where we are
now,” with a goal of prosecuting
the case.
Deborah and James had a
history: They had dated. Her
appearance at his home took
place after their break-up.
Dover said the couple’s contact
had been “very sporadic
from the time they broke up
until this date in May.” Deborah
had just returned from a week’s
vacation and her roommates
were, the investigator added,
“unfamiliar with what she was
doing or where she was going.”
According to the News
Leader reports, Deborah “and
a male friend, who also was an
acquaintance of Miller, made
a ‘spur-of-the-moment’ trip to
Florida.”
Over the course of the investigation,
“probably 100 people
were interviewed,” Dover said.
“I personally believe that this
is a solvable case, just based on
what I’ve discovered so far.”
An art major and dean’s
list student at Virginia
Commonwealth University, the
5-foot-5 red-haired Deborah
was a rising senior. She was
preparing for an opening at the
Pope Gallery.
She lived in the Chesterfield
Apartments at 900 W. Franklin
St. and was a part-time employee
of The Tobacco Company in
downtown Richmond.
A native of Midwest City,
Okla., James – standing at 6foot-6
and weighing 240 pounds
— had been a standout football
player and also had All-State
honors in basketball. He was a
part-time student at VCU and
had sporadic jobs.
The News Leader said James
came to Virginia when his
mother and stepfather, Mr. and
Mrs. Bradley P. Coats, moved
to western Henrico from
Houston.
“Since January,” the newspaper
reported, “he had worked
a variety of construction and
other odd jobs and frequently
had been low on money.
Friends said he also owed small
amounts of money – usually
$15 or $20 – to many people.”
As he continues with the
investigation, Dover said he
welcomes input “from those
who were around at the time
this occurred.” He can be contacted
at 365-6281. Information
also can be provided through
Crime Stoppers at 780-1000.
For more information on
cold cases being investigated by
the Hanover County Sheriff’s
Office, visit www.hanoversheriff.com.
GardenFest of Lights opens Friday
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has
announced that the popular GardenFest of Lights
annual show has been renamed the Dominion
GardenFest of Lights to recognize its title sponsor
for the past 12 years.
This year’s event begins on Friday, Nov. 26,
and ends on Monday, Jan. 10.
“GardenFest of Lights has become a family
tradition for many and our ongoing partnership
with Dominion helps keep it fresh and exciting
each year,” Frank Robinson, executive director
of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. said. “It’s a
natural fit for Dominion to be title sponsor of an
event powered by electricity while at the same
time focused on energy savings.”
The annual event will be made possible through
2013 by a grant from the Dominion Foundation,
the philanthropic arm of Dominion.
“Each year during the holiday season
Richmonders and out-of-towners alike enjoy
going to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for
the spectacular GardenFest of Lights display,”
William C. Hall Jr., a vice president of Dominion
and president of The Dominion Foundation, said.
“With this grant, The Dominion Foundation is
pleased to continue this Richmond holiday tradition.”
The light show has become one of Central
Virginia’s favorite holiday events, with attendance
growing from 8,500 in 1998 to more than 44,000
in 2009. This year it will begin with a special
guest turning on a giant “light switch” at 5:30
p.m. Nov. 26, the night after Thanksgiving.
Opening night will include hundreds of candle
luminaries, ice sculpting demonstrations and,
new this year, a “Fire & Ice” theme incorporating
Glorious Glass in the Garden sculptures, with
more lights than ever bringing illumination.
More than 40 miles of light strands with
approximately 700,000 bulbs are used this year.
About half are LEDs (light emitting diodes)
see LIGHTS, pg. 17