Case Files: A Toledo mother is shot and killed while reading a book

Catherine “Katie” Ferguson was inside her house on Atlantic when someone opened fire at the front window
It's been five years since Catherine Ferguson was shot and killed in her own house and police still haven't cracked the case.
Published: Oct. 5, 2022 at 4:17 PM EDT

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - It was the evening of January 3, 2017, Katie Ferguson was sitting in her front room reading. According to Toledo Police, just after 8:30 p.m., someone fired multiple shots into the bay window of Katie’s home on Atlantic Avenue.

The 40-year-old mother was hit multiple times. She was rushed to the hospital and died from her injuries. It was the first murder in Toledo in 2017.

“The way that it happened and the way the bullets traveled it was very intentional. They got out of the vehicle with the intention to kill somebody,” says Jen, Katie’s best friend.

Five years later, the homicide is still unsolved. Katie’s best friend, Jen, says she is frustrated that the case is stalled. It’s been years since she’s heard any new information from detectives.

“We’ve gotten absolutely no answers at all,” says Jen.

Police believe that Katie was not the intended target that night but the reason for the crime remains a mystery. Her two daughters, who were 10 and 16 at the time, along with her older daughter’s boyfriend were inside the home at the time of the shooting. They have spent the past few years juggling grief and trying to heal in a world without their mom. Jen says Katie was someone you could always count on and was a wonderful mother.

“She was the head of the family, she was the person that tied the bonds, grounded and centered. If someone had a problem, they turned to her,” remembers Jen.

With no new information from police and leads that never turned into a path toward a suspect, Katie’s family and friends are making a plea for answers. They want to have the piece of the puzzle that can answer the burning question of why?

“To be on the emotional end of it and have two little girls who had a mother taken away from them and more than anything I want someone to come forward because they need justice,” says Jen.

If you have any information about the murder of Catherine “Katie” Ferguson you can call or text tips to Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111.

You could be eligible for a cash reward. If you have an unsolved case that needs attention email: casefiles@13abc.com

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