Tennessee cop hit with murder and kidnapping charges after he admits to forcing a man into his squad car and shooting him dead - while still on-duty

A Tennessee police officer was charged with kidnapping a man, fatally shooting him in a squad car and dumping his body while on duty, authorities said.

Patric Ferguson, 29, a Memphis police officer since 2018, was charged in the death of Robert Howard, 30, of Memphis. Joshua Rogers, 28, also faces accessory charges in connection with the incident. 

Ferguson and Howard were known to each other, police said, but it's unclear if Rogers and Howard were familiar with each other and no official motive for the killing has been released yet. 

Fox 13 reported Monday that three law enforcement sources said that the kidnapping and murder occurred because Howard had been dating Ferguson's ex-girlfriend, who is also a Memphis Police Department officer. 

 'No one is above the law,' Memphis Police Director Mike Rallings said in a statement. 'Knowing that a Memphis Police Officer, someone who took an oath to protect and serve, made the decision to commit this horrific crime is devastating. His actions were not that of a law enforcement officer and should not reflect on fellow officers.' 

Memphis Police Department officer Patric Ferguson was charged with kidnapping and killing Memphis man Robert Howard while he was on duty. Joshua Rogers was also charged in connection with the crime

 Howard was reported missing by his girlfriend on January 6, Memphis police said in a statement Sunday on Twitter. 

Police said that the woman tracked Howard’s cell phone to the intersection of Lamar Avenue and Shelby Drive, where she found the phone, but not her boyfriend, leading to a City Watch Alert being issued for Howard on January 8.

Police said a body, believed to be Howard, was recovered Sunday near the Wolf River bridge. 

An investigation determined that Howard had been taken from outside his home and then been shot by Ferguson, who knew Howard and was on duty at the time.  

According to authorities, Ferguson had acted 'on his own accord' and armed himself with his personal handgun, before forcing Howard into the back of a patrol car and driving to Frayser Boulevard and Denver Street - about 20miles from where his phone was found - where Ferguson shot and killed Howard.

Ferguson allegedly left Howard's body at an unspecified location and then returned later to move it.

Robert Howard was reported missing by his girlfriend on January 6. Ferguson allegedly kidnapped and then killed him while he was on duty  

The intersection where Ferguson allegedly shot Howard in the back of a squad car

Police said Ferguson (left in grey) admitted that he had kidnapped and killed Howard, while his friend Rogers , was said to have helped move Howard's body

Police said that Ferguson’s cell phone search history had included multiple queries regarding crime scene cleanup and how to destroy DNA evidence, WMC Action News 5 reported.

Additional evidence police found included Ferguson buying cinderblocks, chains and padlocks at a local hardware store, and surveillance video capturing the actual shooting. 

Police said that Ferguson admitted to having kidnapped and killed Howard, and asking his friend, Rogers, to help him move the body on January 7. 

While executing search warrants, police said they found bloody towels in Ferguson's car that had been used to clean up the crime scene and also found the gun used in the slaying at a home.    

Rogers allegedly admitted to police that he helped Ferguson move Howard's body to Rogers' home.  

Ferguson faces several charges, including first-degree murder, first-degree murder in perpetration of aggravated kidnapping, especially aggravated kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with and fabricating evidence, according to the Memphis Police Department.  

Rogers is being charged with accessory after the fact, abuse of a corpse and tampering with and fabricating evidence.      

Ferguson was fired following his arrest, police said, according to Fox 13. 

Ferguson is being held without bond, while Rogers was released on Sunday on a $25,000 bond, Fox 13 reported.   

A GoFundMe apparently set up by Howard's mother to help raise money for his funeral noted that he was a father of three children.