Suspect identified in slaying

Hector Gutierrez, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Detectives have identified the alleged gunman in the killing of the president of a Denver company that purchased and sold consumer debt.

Timothy J. Boham, 25, is considered armed and dangerous, and detectives are looking at the possibility that he may have fled Colorado, according to police spokeswoman Detective Virginia Quiñones.

The victim, John P. Kelso, 43, was found in his Congress Park home Monday morning by a housekeeper. Detectives think Kelso was killed sometime over the weekend.

"It appears at this time that the victim and the suspect were acquainted with each other," Quiñones said.

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Boham for investigation of first-degree murder.

Kelso was a co-founder in 1996 of Professional Recovery Systems, the firm's president, Jon D. Sawyer, said. A few years later Kelso spun off an affiliated company, Professional Recovery Systems Assets, and became its president.

"He was one of the pioneers in the debt-buying industry, and he was a speaker at industry functions," Sawyer said. "He loved the business and he developed a great network with people in the industry."

Though Kelso had a criminal record that goes back more than 15 years and personal financial trouble that included bankruptcy filings, he ran a clean ship at the two companies, Sawyer said.

"He was able to turn around his financial problems and he contributed to building a successful business," Sawyer said.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the Denver Crime Stoppers line at 720-913-7867.