What happens when just before being released from duty at Camp Pendleton for the weekend, you allegedly: participate in a mandatory safety briefing that covers the dangers of drunken driving, including the tidbit that should you get behind the wheel while drunk, you'll likely kill someone; go on to chug alcohol for two hours; tell everyone you're going to drive home to Santa Ana; pass out in your barracks; have your car keys removed from your pocket as you're passed out by a lance corporal; wake up, demand your keys, become belligerent, throw trash and break your cell phone against a wall; ask a lower-rank Marine to fetch your keys; pull rank on the same Marine, forcing him to give you your keys; drive your Dodge Caliber 75 mph in a 50 mph zone on MacArthur Boulevard in Newport Beach; fail to stop of slow down near the intersection of Jamboree Road; hit an Aston Martin waiting at the red light with a radiologist in the driver's seat and his wife is in the passenger seat; cause the car to spin out before coming to a stop, resulting in the doctor's life being taken a half hour later and the woman suffering from bleeding in her
brain and back injuries; break your ankle in the same wreck; omit an odor of alcohol, slur your speech, rock red, watery eyes and have a blood
alcohol level of .12 percent three hours after the crash?
If you're 22-year-old Lance Corporal Elijah Leigh
Ferguson, you face trial today GET CONVICTED in your hometown of Santa Ana on SECOND DEGREE murder AND OTHER charges.
The Orange County District Attorney's office release follows . . .
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December 9, 2009
MARINE CONVICTED OF MURDER FOR KILLING DOCTOR IN HIGH-SPEED DRUNKEN DRIVING CRASH
SANTA ANA – A driver under the influence of alcohol was convicted today of killing a radiologist and injuring the doctor's wife in a high-speed crash after leaving Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (Camp Pendleton), where he was stationed. Lance Corporal Elijah Leigh Ferguson, 22, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of second degree murder, one felony count of driving under the influence causing injury, and one felony count of driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or more causing injury. He faces a maximum sentence of 21 years to life in state prison at his sentencing on Jan. 22, 2010, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-52, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Prior to being released from duty for the weekend on Feb. 22, 2008, Ferguson participated in a mandatory standard safety briefing at camp Pendleton. The briefing covered the dangers of drinking alcohol and driving, and the instructors told the attending Marines that they would likely kill another person if they were to crash while driving intoxicated.
Some time between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., Ferguson drank alcoholic beverages at Camp Pendleton after being released for the weekend. The defendant consumed alcohol for several hours and insisted that he was going to drive home to Santa Ana before passing out at approximately 7:00 p.m. in the barracks of another Marine due to intoxication. Fellow Marines, who recognized that Ferguson was intoxicated, went to get another lance corporal for fear that the defendant would attempt to drive when he woke up. While the defendant was passed out, the other lance corporal removed the car keys from the defendant's pants pocket.
When Ferguson woke up, he demanded his keys and became belligerent including throwing trash on the ground from outside trash cans and breaking his cell phone against a wall. Several other Marines planned to drive Ferguson home to Santa Ana, but later arranged for the defendant to stay in the Camp Pendleton barracks.
At approximately 11:00 p.m., Ferguson asked a lower ranking Marine, a private first class, to get his keys and drive him home. When the private first class returned with Ferguson's keys, the defendant pulled rank and ordered the lower ranking Marine to give him the car keys.
At 11:53 p.m., Ferguson was driving approximately 75 mph in a 50 mph zone heading eastbound on MacArthur Boulevard in Newport Beach. As he approached the intersection at Jamboree Road, Ferguson failed to hit his breaks or slow down and crashed his Dodge Caliber into the back of an Aston Martin, driven by 63-year-old Michael Sein, who was waiting at a red light. The victim's car spun out before coming to a stop. Michael Sein, a radiologist who lived with his wife, Grace Sein, in Newport Coast, was transported to Hoag Hospital, where he died approximately 30 minutes later due to severe blunt trauma to the head. Grace Sein, who was riding in the passenger seat, was transported to Western Medical Center and treated for bleeding in her brain and back injuries.
Ferguson was also transported to Western Medical Center to be treated for a broken ankle. Approximately one hour after being admitted into the hospital, Ferguson was contacted by officers from the Newport Beach Police Department, who observed objective signs of intoxication. The defendant omitted an odor of alcoholic beverage, slurred his speech, and had red and watery eyes. Approximately three hours after the crash, Ferguson had a blood alcohol level of .12 percent.
Deputy District Attorney Susan Price of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.
Previous:
November 19, 2009
INDICTED MARINE FACES MURDER TRIAL FOR KILLING DOCTOR IN HIGH-SPEED DRUNKEN DRIVING CRASH
SANTA ANA – A driver under the influence of alcohol faces trial today
for killing a radiologist and injuring the doctor's wife in a
high-speed crash after leaving Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (Camp
Pendleton), where he was stationed. Lance Corporal Elijah Leigh
Ferguson, 22, Santa Ana, was indicted March 18, 2009, on one felony
count of murder, one felony count of driving under the influence
causing injury, and one felony count of driving with a blood alcohol
level of .08 percent or more causing injury. He faces a maximum
sentence of 18 years to life in state prison if convicted. Opening
statements are expected to begin this morning, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009,
at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-52, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Prior to being released from duty for the weekend on Feb. 22, 2008,
Ferguson is accused of participating in a mandatory standard safety
briefing at camp Pendleton. The briefing covered the dangers of
drinking alcohol and driving, and the instructors told the attending
Marines that they would likely kill another person if they were to
crash while driving intoxicated.
Sometime between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., Ferguson is accused of
drinking alcoholic beverages at Camp Pendleton after being released for
the weekend. The defendant is accused of drinking for several hours and
insisting that he was going to drive home to Santa Ana before passing
out at approximately 7:00 p.m. in the barracks of another Marine due to
intoxication. Fellow Marines, who recognized that Ferguson was
intoxicated, went to get another lance corporal for fear that the
defendant would attempt to drive when he woke up. While the defendant
was passed out, the other lance corporal removed the car keys from the
defendant's pants pocket.
When Ferguson woke up, he is accused of demanding his keys and becoming
belligerent including throwing trash on the ground from outside trash
cans and breaking his cell phone against a wall. Several other Marines
planned to drive Ferguson home to Santa Ana, but later arranged for the
defendant to stay in the Camp Pendleton barracks.
At approximately 11:00 p.m., Ferguson is accused of asking a lower
ranking Marine, a private first class, to get his keys and drive him
home. When the private first class returned with Ferguson's keys, the
defendant is accused of pulling rank and ordering the lower ranking
Marine to give him the car keys.
At 11:53 p.m., Ferguson is accused of driving approximately 75 mph in a
50 mph zone heading eastbound on MacArthur Boulevard in Newport Beach.
As he approached the intersection at Jamboree Road, Ferguson is accused
of failing to hit his breaks or slow down and crashing his Dodge
Caliber into the back of an Aston Martin, driven by 63-year-old Michael
Sein, who was waiting at a red light. The victim's car spun out before
coming to a stop. Michael Sein, a radiologist who lived with his wife,
Grace Sein, in Newport Coast, was transported to Hoag Hospital, where
he died approximately 30 minutes later due to severe blunt trauma to
the head. Grace Sein, who was riding in the passenger seat, was
transported to Western Medical Center and treated for bleeding in her
brain and back injuries.
Ferguson was also transported to Western Medical Center to be treated
for a broken ankle. Approximately one hour after being admitted into
the hospital, Ferguson was contacted by officers from the Newport Beach
Police Department, who observed objective signs of intoxication. The
defendant is accused of omitting an odor of alcoholic beverage,
slurring his speech, and having red and watery eyes. Approximately
three hours after the crash, Ferguson is accused of having a blood
alcohol level of .12 percent.
Deputy District Attorney Susan Price of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.