Ferguson formally charged with manslaughter; hearing Feb. 22

    Tristan Ferguson of Imperial will face two felony charges later this month in Chase County Court at a first appearance hearing.
    Chase County Attorney Joel Burke filed a formal complaint last week, charging him with manslaughter and  possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony related to the November shooting death of Jesse Krausnick, 19, at 126 West 12th Street in Imperial.
    Ferguson’s Feb. 22 hearing before County Judge Edward Steenburg is set for 2 p.m.
    On Monday, Judge Steenburg named attorney Ryan Wilcox of McCook as Ferguson’s court-appointed counsel.
    Steenburg’s Feb. 6 order  stated Ferguson was eligible for the court-appointed attorney due to “conflict of interest or unavailability” for appointment of a member of the Chase County Public Defender’s Office.
    Ferguson’s first appearance hearing was originally set for this Friday, but moved to Feb. 22 at Wilcox’s request.
    If convicted of the two felony charges, Ferguson faces up to 20 years on the manslaughter charge and 1 to 50 years for the firearm possession charge.
    Four other charges, including unlawful discharge of a firearm, misrepresenting age to purchase alcohol and procuring alcohol for a minor, which he faced at the time of his arrest last November were not included in Burke’s Feb. 1 complaint filing.
    Burke said Monday he can amend the charges down the road if anything new comes to his attention.
    Krausnick died Nov. 25 at Chase County Community Hospital after the Thanksgiving night shooting that occurred at the rental home on West 12th Ferguson lived in.
    Ferguson, a 2021 Chase County Schools graduate, was taken into custody during the early morning hours Friday, Nov. 25 by Imperial police at the scene.
    He bonded out of the Chase County Jail later that day after posting the 10% of the $100,000 bond, or $10,000.
    According to a Nov. 25 probable cause affidavit, State Patrol Investigator J.J. Connelly stated, “Ferguson later confessed to shooting Krausnick with a shotgun in the residence. Ferguson pointed the shotgun at Krausnick and pulled the trigger one time, believing the gun to be unloaded.”
    Connelly’s affidavit adds that after processing the scene and a review of witness statements, he concluded the “evidence supports the statements and actions by Ferguson.”
    The affidavit also states Ferguson used a fake ID to purchase “a large amount of alcohol” at Kwik Stop in Imperial.
    “The alcohol was distributed to and consumed by minors at the residence of 126 West 12th Street,” the affidavit concludes.
    Phones belonging to Ferguson and Krausnick were among the items seized by the State Patrol in a Dec. 7 search warrant.