Suspect in a 20-year-old kidnapping and rape case arrested in Idaho
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The following is a news release from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office:
Kootenai County, Idaho – On May 16th, 2024 at approximately 4:50 PM, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested Eric J. Ferguson, a 49-year-old male from Rathdrum, Idaho. Ferguson was wanted by the Oakley Police Department in Oakley, California on charges stemming from a 2002 kidnap and rape of a child under 18 years of age. Ferguson was 29-years-old at that time and allegedly used a dangerous or deadly weapon during the commission of the crimes.
On May 16, 2024, the Superior Court of California in the County of Contra Costa issued an arrest warrant for Ferguson, charging him with the following: Count 1 – Rape of an Incompetent Person; Count 2 – Forcible Oral Copulation; Count 3 – Kidnapping for Rape. The joint agency Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office/Coeur d’ Alene Police Department SWAT team assisted the U.S. Marshal’s Service in the arrest without any further incident. Ferguson is being held at the Kootenai County Jail awaiting extradition.
Sheriff Robert “Bob” Norris said, “Kootenai County is a safer place because Ferguson is now in jail. A firearm was used in this alleged violent sexual attack and the suspect needs to be held accountable for his actions.”
United States Marshal for the District of Idaho, Brent Bunn, expressed his gratitude for the interstate collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies in order to get one step closer to bringing justice to the victim in this case. U.S. Marshal Bunn noted, “The persistence of the Oakley Police Department detectives throughout this investigation was exceptional.” U.S. Marshal Bunn also commends the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and the Idaho Department of Corrections for their partnership and strong commitment to increasing public safety in North Idaho.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the USMS, Coeur d’ Alene Police Department and the Oakley Police Department for their assistance and collaboration in the investigation and apprehension of Ferguson.