Murder in Colorado: It's a family affair

NEW YORK – One of the pivotal prosecution witnesses against Shawna Nelson during her first-degree murder trial, featured this week on In Session, was Nelson’s husband, Ken.

Kenneth Nelson testifies at his wife's murder trial.

A sheriff’s deputy assigned to the Weld County Drug Task Force, Ken Nelson knew of his wife’s long-term affair with Ignacio Garraus, but agreed to raise the child the affair produced as his own.

Several months after the murder of Heather Garraus, Ken Nelson was himself arrested, charged with tampering with evidence.

Authorities believed that Nelson had tried to help his wife by removing evidence from the Ford F-250 truck Shawna Nelson was driving when she was stopped shortly after the shooting.

In particular, prosecutors suspected that Ken Nelson may have disposed of the gun used in the murder, as well as the black robe or cloak witnesses described the shooter as wearing.

From the time of his arrest, Ken Nelson denied that he had removed or destroyed any evidence relating to the Heather Garraus shooting. When he testified at his wife’s trial, Nelson was given use immunity, which meant that nothing he said during Shawna Nelson’s trial could later be used against him in his own case.

Finally, on March 13 – ten days after his wife’s trial ended – prosecutors dropped all charges against Ken Nelson. A statement issued by the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office explained, “The People believe the status of the admissible evidence currently available against Mr. Nelson has changed from what had existed at the time the charges were filed . . . therefore, the People are ethically bound to seek the dismissal of the charges against Kenneth D. Nelson.”

– Michael Christian, In Session senior field producer