people

The People

Perry Argabright	Testified that shreds of wire in cutters did not match wire on the bodies. Argabright, a chemist for Marathon Oil Co., helped pioneer gas chromatography, a testing technique.
David Allen Tony Olivas	Police Department Officers, found first boy's body in river while searching, the day after Linda Miracle's body was discovered by the railroad worker.
Roger Billotte	Defense Investigator.
Ken Botham	Convicted of murdering his wife, Pat, as well as a neighbor woman, Linda Miracle, and her two sons, Chad and Troy.
Cordell Brown	CBI examiner who testified that the wire on two women victims matched the wire cutters found in Botham's truck.
Dr Thomas Canfield	Forensic Pathologist for the prosecution. Originally recorded the the autopsies and documented the time of death around 2 hours after the Miracle's last meal. After the arrival of the Ouray witness, Canfield changed all earlier reports and statements concerning time of death to around 4 hours after eating.
Gloria Carpenter	Witness who accompanied Steven Norris at a bar in Ouray, Colorado. Read Ken Botham's advertisement in the Ouray newspaper and notified the ad recipient about the ad, to which the "sidewalk witness", Steven Norris responded to.
Albert Cesario	Foreman for the railroad who discovered Linda Miracle's body on September 26th.
Glen Cunningham	Linda Miracle's brother, and coincidentally, Norman Wilhelm's roommate who arrived home at 2:00 a.m. the night of the murders (Saturday the 23rd of August), and testified that Wilhelm was home when he arrived home from work.
Claude Cook	Firearms and Markings expert. Tested Botham's wire cutters and the wire used on the bodies, worked with and was the immediate superior to Cordell Brown.
Ned Crawford	Neighbor to Linda Miracle. Testified that when he came home from work that night, he saw Norman Wilhelm's car still at Linda's house at 11:30 p.m. the night of the murders, Linda's car mysteriously not there.
Kenneth DeWeese	Grand Junction resident, owner of an electrical shop, who testified that the Grand Junction police leaked the fact that there was wire, and what kind it was all over town. DeWeese said Milo Vig asked him to identify the wire and said it was from the bodies recovered from the river.
William Ela	Presided over the 1st trial in Grand Junction, Colorado, 1976.
Justice Erickson	Colorado Supreme Court Justice, ruled a new trial was necessary due to the blunders committed in the first trial.
Terry Farina	District Attorney, Prosecutor for both trials.
Bob Grigger	Owner of the motel/campground Ken Botham stayed in the night of the murders, Polly's Motel, Ouray, Colorado, 105 miles away from Grand Junction.
Lee Forman	Court appointed State Deputy Public Defender for Ken Botham, 1st and 2nd trials.
James Fromm	Grand Junction Police Department Investigator, possibly partners with Doug Rushing, submitted report about CBI's unethical acts while conducting the polygraph tests to superiors, apologized to Ken Botham.
Richard Green	Judge Green reported, then testified that presiding Judge William Ela made derogatory remarks about Ken Botham before the trial had even begun, while at a conference. Rollie Rogers substantiated.
Lorna Greene	Vacationer at Ouray, Colorado at the time Ken Botham was there. Testified that the weather was very bad that night and following day at Ouray.
Truman Haley	Admitted having an affair with Linda Miracle but claimed he was working the night of her murder. Sold his .22 caliber revolver, along with some other guns, in October, 1975. Stole Linda's diary and admitted to stealing, destroying evidence; burned and threw the diary in the Colorado River.
Victor Hawthorne	Member of the 1st jury. Quoted as saying there was no need for a 2nd trial, in direct contradiction to the Colorado Supreme Court after the appeal was upheld.
Thelma Hayes	Member of the 1st jury. "I felt he was guilty without a doubt."
Burt Hayes	Co-worker with Botham, testified that Botham had said that someone had stolen a pistol from Botham and damaged his car, the Land Cruiser.
Cora Heiner	Next door neighbor to Ken Botham of three years. Testified in court, at both trials, as to what she saw and heard, changed her story multiple times on the stand, identified an officer present in the courtroom as the perpetrator she saw that night. Rode on the elevator to the courtroom with Ken Botham the day of her testimony, spoke with him, and never recognized him. Medical records show she was legally blind, and deaf. As a kid I (Thayer Botham) remember hearing her television volume being very loud, so loud that we could hear the afternoon soaps and the morning game shows from our house and yard.
Joseph Earl Hicks	An officer of the Mesa County Sheriff's department whom Cora Heiner immediately pointed to in the courtroom when asked if she could identify the perpetrator she had seen on the night of the murders, having just ridden on the elevator to the courtroom and speaking with Ken Botham, her neighbor of three years.
O. J. Holler	Minister of the Baptist Church the Botham's attended. Same minister who Patricia Botham confided in about the attempted strangulation attack on Linda in June, 1975, when Ken Botham resuscitated and then carried Linda back over to the Botham house for care. Holler's statement was recorded in department and D.A. files contradicting Farina when the DA attempted to establish Botham as Linda's attacker that night.
Dwain Jackson	Acquaintance, Barber Shop Quartet singer, personal friend of Botham's. Testified about a tongue-in-cheek conversation that occurred between Botham and others about "the perfect murder".
Nelson Jeanett	2nd trial, hair and fiber expert.
Vince Jones	The retired FBI investigator, hired by the Miracle family. Special advisor to the Sheriff's Office, Special Investigator for the District Attorney's Office.
Jerry Jorgenson	Assistant Prosecutor for the District Attorney.
Joyce Jorgenson	Owner of the Ouray newspaper, the "Plaindealer" with whom Botham placed the ad looking for the witness who spoke to him on the street while standing in front of a camera shop in Ouray, the night of August 22, 1975.
Marion Kamen	Blood expert, serologist, testified about the blood evidence "found" on the mat from the back of Botham's truck, the blood from the bridge wood chips, and the blood specks on Botham's wire cutters. Later, after the first trial, allegedly died of a suspicious drug overdose.
Harold King Donna King	Both testified that they saw Botham at Polley's Motel & Campground around 9:45 the night of the murders.
Dr. Ron Kornblum	Defense Pathologist, testified that the time of death was around two hours after their last meal due to the condition and amount of stomach contents in the young boy's bodies (Linda's stomach was too far decomposed to use, and Patricia Botham's last dinner time was unknown).
Mike Larson	Young man, living with his parents next door to the Botham's, testified that he heard two screams that night around 1:30 a.m., August 23, 1975.
Richard Lehmann	Head of CBI (Colorado Bureau of Investigations) chemistry lab, disagreed with his colleague, Cordell Brown, that shreds of wire left in Botham's wire cutters matched the wire found on the bodies. Brown testified that the wires matched, Lehmann testified that the wire shreds did not match.
Ed Lipton	Assistant to the public defender during the first trial, Lee Forman.
Anthony Longhetti	Defense criminologist, 24 years experience, tool markings expert, examined Botham's wire cutters for the 2nd trial, and testified there was no match to the ligature wires. From San Bernardino, CA.
Robert Lubinski	Forman of the Jury, 1st trial.
Marge McConnell	Neighbor, testified that she heard screams that night, August 22, 1975.
Linda Miracle	Victim, along with her two young sons, Chad and Troy.
Tom Montgomery	Officer/Investigator for the Grand Junction Police Department/Sheriff's Office. Owned a blue/white Ford Bronco very similar in appearance to the Toyota Land Cruiser. Personal friend of Mrs. Botham. Confiscated several .22 caliber weapons from the Botham household under the pretext of examining the guns for theft, found none to be stolen, and returned them.
Norm Mueller	A special deputy public defender now in private practice. Worked with the appellate division staff which sought reversal in the Supreme Court after the 1st trial. Helped the defense during the second trial, Lee Forman.
Ben Myers	Grand Junction Police Department Chief of Police at the time of the murders. Was found to have several "extra" bank accounts with untraceable money. Cleared bank accounts and left Grand Junction in December, 1976. Went to Telluride as Chief of Police. Alleged connections to the drug/traffic/prostitution community.
Steven Norris	Witness who saw Ken Botham at a bar in Ouray around 11:00 p.m. the night of the murders. Was accompanied by Gloria Carpenter. Responded to ad in the Ouray paper asking looking for the witness who talked to Ken Botham the night of the murders at around 10:30 p.m.
Norma O'Dell Pauline O'Dell	Both testified that they saw Botham at Polley's Motel & Campground around 9:45 the night of the murders. Pauline also testified that Ken Botham had equipment in the truck, and also some of the unloaded equipment in the hotel room, and that the truck was still there the next morning.
William Reininger	2nd trial juror.
Rollie Rogers	Also on record as heard Ela say recusing remarks about the defendant, Botham.
Doug Rushing	Grand Junction Police Department Detective.
Nita Sarver	2nd trial court reporter.
Dr. Frederick Schumann	Cora Heiner's Ophthalmologist testified that on August 22, 1975, Mrs. Heiner was legally blind.
Bob Silva	Grand Junction Police Department Captain of Police, testified he had taken the wires to be examined by local area shops in an effort to identify the wire.
Beatrice Smith	Jury member in 1st trial. Quoted as saying she believes the retrial was unnecessary, and is bitter that so many people have suffered, paying a greater price that Botham has. "He looks too good. He doesn't look like he's been made to work hard enough. I sound bitter, don't I?"
Larry Smith	Grand Junction Sheriff's Department Investigator at the time of the murders. Helped recover the first body discovered, Linda Miracle with Dr. Thomas Canfield. One week later after searching, Mrs. Botham's body was recovered as well.
Mike Smith	Grand Junction Police Department Investigator. Testified during 2nd trial that the blood stained wood chips and vacuum sweepings from Botham's car were not sent to be laboratory tested until six weeks after the murders. Also admitted to leaving the food on the table at Linda's home, and not taking prints in the house. Drove 102 miles from Grand Junction to Ouray as a time test, taking two hours.
Tim Tyree	Personal friend of Ken Botham's, went river rafting and target shooting often together, testified about conversations taken out of context in regards to divorce and how the river currents could "hold you under".
Milo Vig	Grand Junction Sheriff's deputy, known to have traveled around the town of Grand Junction, and to Botham's co-workers, friends, and places of business where Botham conducted business, showing and asking about the identification and type of wire used on the bodies. Then during the trial it was said that no one knew which type of wire was used, until Botham mentioned it in an interview, therefore making "proving" that Botham was the perpetrator.
Jim Wilcox	Defense Investigator.
Norman Wilhelm	Boyfriend of Linda Miracle. Ate dinner that night with the Miracle family, testified dinner was around 9:30 p.m. and left around 11:00 p.m. to go home. Admitted to using drugs with Linda at times, that night, and that they drunk two-thirds of a half-gallon bottle of wine that night as well.
Dick Williams	Grand Junction Sheriff at the time of the murders.
Richard Woldridge	Private investigator, wrote a letter to the Botham family saying he thought Ken Botham was innocent, and offered to help.
Winston Wolvington	Presided over the 2nd trial in Golden, Colorado, 1981.

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