THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504210495
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DeGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: POWELLS POINT LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
A 44-year-old handyman was arrested at his Currituck County home Thursday in connection with a fracas this month at a house he owns in Connecticut.
On Tuesday, the bodies of the five young male tenants were found in the ashes of the Connecticut home.
Authorities in Connecticut said all the victims, in their 20s, had been shot in the head before the house was set afire.
Geoff K. Ferguson was arrested in his driveway in Powells Point at 2:45 p.m. by Currituck County Sheriff Glenn Brinkley after authorities received an anonymous tip.
Connecticut authorities have been trying to arrest Ferguson on larceny and criminal lock-out charges growing out of a dispute with his renters. No other charges had been filed late Thursday.
The two-story house in Redding, Conn., burned down Tuesday night, and local authorities have ruled the cause arson.
Newspapers in the state called the killings ``the worst mass murder in Connecticut's modern history.''
Ferguson surrendered peaceably at his Pinewood Acres Drive home, Currituck County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Susan Johnson said.
``The sheriff pulled in the driveway, asked him to step outside, and he did,'' Johnson said. ``We served him with a fugitive warrant we received Wednesday from Connecticut. The Connecticut State Police will be here Friday to question him and pick him up. So far, he's not talking at all.''
According to family members of the victims, Ferguson was trying to evict the tenants from his Connecticut home because of late rent payments. Earlier this month, two of the renters filed charges against Ferguson in small claims court. The suit came after Ferguson allegedly ripped out the toilet and telephone from his Connecticut house and took $3,000 worth of the tenants' property - including 300 compact discs, a compact disc player, a video cassette recorder and a tool box.
On Monday, Ferguson was notified that his attempts to evict the tenants were illegal - and that the tenants should be allowed to remain in the house until the landlord-tenant dispute had been settled by the legal system, said Jack Froehlich, father of one of the victims.
``This landlord has proven himself a lunatic,'' said Joanne Trusewicz, mother of Jason Trusewicz - another of the victims. Jason Trusewicz had been living in the home about three months.
Two other tenants who also were killed - Scott Auerbach, 21, and David Froehlich, 22, - had rented from Ferguson since August. The other victims, David Gartrell, 26, and Sean Hiltunen, age unknown, are believed to have been visiting the house or staying there temporarily. Neighbors said all of the victims were friendly young men from good families.
Currituck County officials say Ferguson does not have a criminal record. As of late Thursday night, they had not been able to contact his wife, Kerie, who is believed to be an employee of the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County school system. Local schools are in recess for spring break this week.
Neighbors said the Fergusons also have a toddler daughter.
``I know him to a degree,'' said Jay Wickens, who lives across the street from the Fergusons in the rural community of Powells Point, with a population of about 1,000. ``He's actually a pretty good neighbor.
``He's always been quiet. I've only talked to him three times. But he's a nice guy,'' Wickens said.
Wickens said Ferguson did yard work and did a good job keeping up his beige, one-story, A-frame house. Wickens said he was stunned to learn of his neighbor's arrest Thursday.
``I'm shocked. I'm stunned to see anyone get in that situation, or accused of anything like that,'' Wickens said.
According to Currituck County tax records, Geoff Ferguson purchased his Pinewood Acres drive home in December 1993. The house has 1,155 square feet of living space. In 1990, it was valued at about $69,000.
``We'll hold Mr. Ferguson until the Connecticut authorities get here,'' Johnson said. ``That could take 15 hours or more.'' MEMO: The Associated Press contributed to this story.
KEYWORDS: MURDER ARREST SHOOTING by CNB