Second love triangle cited in Weld County murder case

Joe Garner, Rocky Mountain News

Published February 8, 2007 at midnight

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The Larimer County District Attorney's Office will take over prosecution of the first-degree murder case against the wife of a Weld County deputy sheriff because he allegedly is in an extramarital relationship with a lawyer in the Weld prosecutor's office, The Greeley Tribune reported today.

Citing an unnamed source, the Greeley newspaper reported one reason for the reassignment of the case "may be an allleged romantic relationship" between the employee and Deputy Ken Nelson, husband of Shawna Nelson.

She was charged with first-degree murder last week in the Jan. 23 shooting of Heather Garraus, 37, her rival in a love triangle with Ignacio Garraus, a Greeley police officer. Shawna Nelson, 35, was the mother of a 10-month-old boy fathered by Garraus, with whom she'd had an on-again, off-again affair over three years, Nelson's family and friends said.

Ken Nelson filed for divorce, but he and his wife reconciled. He has been raising Garraus' son as his own, along with his 6-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son.

Debbie Smith, Shawna Nelson's sister and staunch defender, said she "was not aware of" her brother-in-law's alleged affair with the prosecutor.

"Every day, this just gets sadder and sadder," Smith said. "Please understand, we are completely devastated by all of this."

Ken Nelson continues on the payroll of the Weld County Sheriff's Office, said Undersheriff Margie Martinez.

"Obviously, we do not control people's personal lives, only to a certain extent," Martinez said.

She declined to release a photo of the deputy because he has worked under cover.

The Larimer County District Attorney's Office has named Cliff Riedel, the assistant district attorney, and Gregory Lammons, a chief deputy district attorney, as special prosecutors in the Shawna Nelson case, which will continue to be heard in Weld County District Court in Greeley, said Linda Jensen, spokeswoman for the Larimer County office.

Jensen said simply that Weld County District Judge Roger Klein signed the order Wednesday allowing Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck to withdraw from the case "because of a perceived conflict of interest."

Buck's motion did not state a reason for his office to withdraw from the high-profile case. Instead, he said in the motion that his office "has reasonable basis to believe that the District Attorney's Office for the 19th Judicial District cannot continue to prosecute this matter."

Jennifer Finch, Buck's spokeswoman, did not respond immediately to an interview request from the Rocky Mountain News.

Shawna Nelson, who remains in custody without bail, is to appear in court March 2 so that a preliminary hearing can be scheduled on the charge against her.

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