District Attorney Terrance Farina said Friday he will be named the special prosecutor in the Kenneth H. Botham multiple-murder case in Jefferson County District Court in Golden.
Farina said he already has spoken to District Attorney Nolen Brown of the 1st Judicial District, who has the authority to appoint him. The appointment must be approved by the Jefferson County commissioners.
Farina prosecuted Botham in November and December 1976 in Mesa County, when Botham was found guilty of the first-degree murder of his wife, Patricia, and the second-degree murders of Linda Miracle, and her children Troy and Chad Miracle.
Those convictions were overturned by the Colorado Supreme Court on June 8, and a new trial with a different judge ordered. Botham, who has been incarcerated in the state penitentiary in Canon City since January 1977, returned here Thursday afternoon on the Mesa County plane for the Friday hearing to change trial venue.
In moving the location of the trial to Golden during a Friday morning hearing, Mesa County District Judge James J. Carter said the chief judge of the 1st Judicial District will appoint a judge to hear the case.
Farina said Friday afternoon he plans to check next week to discover who has been named as the trial judge and to set a date for the first court appearance.
Sheriff L.R. Williams said Friday he did not know when Botham would be moved to the Jefferson County Jail, but he said he expected the transfer to take place as quickly as possible.