Steve - I was sad to learn that Thayer Botham died last August. Link.

Fascinating case.

I've been wondering if the fact that there was an arrest in the Benson case indicates that Ken Botham is no longer a viable suspect for the Benson murders. Since Botham is already incarcerated, there would be no need for an arrest; he would be charged. I'm not a lawyer, so I'm relying on a layman's definition of arrest (deprivation of liberty.)

I read quite a bit of Thayer's posts and most of the newspaper articles. I thought the timeline was the most compelling element in making a case for Ken Botham's innocence. The fact that the Miracle children were executed does seem to indicate the possibility that the killer was known to the children.

I was struck by Thayer's open-mindedness, especially in the face of circumstances that might have made it hard to keep emotions from interfering with objectivity. I really was saddened to learn that he had died so young.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's pc.

NOTE FROM STEVE: I thought Thayer's untimely death was sad in part because he clearly didn't get the answers he sought. Try and put yourself in his shoes: you're 5 and your mother is brutally murdered, as is one of your playmates (one of the miracle boys was Thayer's age) and then your own father is arrested for the crime. Wow. Reading his site, I could see myself doing the exact same thing Thayer did, and wanting to dig into every detail I could to really know the truth. Hopefully exonerate my father, yes, but ultimately, above all else, know the truth. Of course, depending on what you believe, it could be that Thayer does have answers to his questions now. As for Ken - I'm not sure they'd necessarily just arraign him where he is. That sort of thing can vary from state to state. There may be a writ that requires the accused appear before Judge so & so on such & such a date. There's also a theatrical element involved, and I think cops & prosecutors will go for that, sometimes. That said - it will be very interesting if the man named tomorrow isn't Ken Botham. Botham was a logical suspect in this case for several reasons, but if police have proven another person killed Linda Benson, Botham might have a legitimate reason to ask the state to review his case as well, since the women all knew each other and it seems clear that he was, at least at one time, a suspect in the Benson murders. I'm keeping an open mind.

Been trying not to comment on my own blog, but I have to note too that it was interesting to read that this alleged killer, whoever he is, may have killed in Denver, as well. Didn't catch any accusations that Ken Botham had killed outside of the Miracle/Botham murders aside from Linda and Kelly Benson. That may be another hint that Botham isn't the man to be named tomorrow.

Steve - I share many of your thoughts on Thayer; his lack of bitterness and devotion to finding the truth really touched me.

I am always heartened when justice catches up with murderers. If tomorrow's pc reveals that they've got the arrestee's DNA on these and other murders, I will be thrilled.

BTW, E! is supposedly going to air an hour-long episode on the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker in early May. You probably already know this, but this is one guy I would love to see caught.

Just in from Grand Junction
http://www.kjct8.com/global/story.asp?s=10163839

I have followed the Linda Miracle/Patricia Botham case since 1975. I remember reading about it in the Rocky mountain news when we lived in Denver. We moved to G J three years later. I never thought Ken Botham was guilty, the evidence was all so contrived. And also because of the murders of Linda Benson and her daughter. The police at that time didnt really investigate the connections very thouroughly. Wasnt there another woman murdered around that same time that also knew Linda Miracle?

I believe Botham had a solid alibi for the Benson murders as well as several other crimes in the area at the time. I attended Botham's first trial and wrote a book about the case. Just look up Botham/Miracle murders.

I don't believe there is enough evidence left in the Botham case to possibly link Linda Benson's killer to it, although there are similarities. Linda Benson and Linda Miracle looked very much alike, especially the hair style, and Linda Miracle's oldest son was five as was Linda Benson's daugher. The killer might have thought the children were old enough to identify him.

Marti Talbott

Tracy Freitus. I’ve heard that Linda Miracle and Linda Benson shared a baby sitter, Tracy Freitus. I don’t know whether this is true. I’m more confident that Tracy was a baby sitter for Linda Miracle. Some people have speculated that Tracy, while baby sitting, may have read Linda Miracle’s diary. This is suspiciously interesting because during my father’s trial a law enforcement official testified under oath that he, this police officer, destroyed. Newspapers reported that Tracy Freitus freakishly drown in a pond shortly after my mom disappeared. Officials reported that she may have been on sleeping pills or drunk. The news clippings during this time are exceptionally interesting.

Sandra Jean Weever. Another unsolved case in Grand Junction includes, I think, Sandra Jean Weever, whose body was found July 1974 in De Beque Canyon, 16 miles east of Palisade.

Denise Oliverson. An allegedly solved case is Denise Oliverson, age 24. Last seen 6April1975 riding a bicycle in town. Ted Bundy confessed to killing her in 1989. Nonetheless, some speculate that since Bundy provided no details about the whereabouts of Oliverson’s body, Bundy was simply confessing to murders he did not commit so that he could postpone his execution date.

Linda Lee Clark. An allegedly solved case is Linda Lee Clark, age 24. Murder-suicide in Whitewater home, June 6, 1975. She allegedly Shot her son (4), Miles. She also reportedly shot her 8 mo. baby, Knolly, in head, but infant survived. Today’s experts on profiling criminal behaviors suggest that women very rarely perpetrate such bloody and violent crimes (for example, if women murder, they may use poison or if they shoot their victim, they usually shoot their victims in the chest or stomach). Nonetheless, officials in Grand Junction at that time (1975) very quickly ruled this case a murder-suicide case. Even so, during the investigation of later murders, local papers reported that investigators were re-examining Linda Clark’s case. Some people speculate that they were re-examing Clark’s case because they weren’t so sure that it was really a suicide.

Debra Nadeau. I’m not sure if the following murder was solved, but I think the date is also the summer of 1975. I have the clipping somewhere. Mrs. Debra K. Nadeau (age 19). Denver area. (Lakewood, SW suburb of Denver). Stabbed 16 times in chest and leg. Her 11 mo. girl was unharmed. Grand Junction’s Daily Sentinel reports: “Junction police study recent Lakewood murder. She was “found by a relative Sunday morning stabbed to death in a kitchen apartment at the Bunk House Motel. … no sign of robbery or struggle.”

Deborah Kathleen Tomlinson. A for-sure UNsolved case is Deborah (Debbie) Kathleen Tomlinson (age 19). Saturday, Dec 27, 1975. Sophmore, Mesa College. 6th murder case in Mesa County in 1975, 11th victim. Sexually molested, strangled, hands bound behind back, facedown in bathtub. 1029 Belford Ave: blocks from Benson home. Lived alone and moved into the Belford apartment (#6) in Nov1975. My father, Ken Botha, was taken into custody Nov 8, 1975. This Tomlinson case is a BIG DEAL. I’m thinking that the current special cold case unit is looking into this case very carefully, in light of their evidence against Jerry Nemnich.

Two or three other alleged cases whose details I haven’t been able to pin down are these. I’ve heard there was a Beauty College woman (not Tomlinson) who was murdered after Ken Botham was taken into custody: Nov 8, 75. There supposedly was a woman murdered who lived in the A&W Trailer Court (age 24-5). Maybe this is the same woman as the beauty college woman. I don’t know. But the date is some months after Nov8, 1975: maybe Jan-June1976. In one of the cases, the mom was killed, found behind bed. Her 5 yr old son was spared. The child was found wandering about the trailer court on North Ave. Neighbors found toddler wandering and called police because out of character for his mom to leave him unattended, etc. I can’t confirm this case in newsclippings yet. Then, there was allegedly a girl and her infant son. They were from Whitewater, 8 miles south of Jct on the Delta Hwy 50. Their bodies were found 10 miles downstream from where Pat and the Miracles’ were recovered in Oct 1975. I can’t confirm this case either.

There were even other murders in the Western Slope area, though these above come readily to my mind. Any questions? Feel free to email me at thad@kenbotham.com.

Buried at the end of this 30Nov2009 D. Sentinel piece: DNA samples from Deborah Tomlinson (19) have been sent to the crime lab (CBI) for testing. Tomlinson was molested and strangled to death about a month AFTER Ken Botham Jr. was taken into custody.

I agree with your 4/10 post, Catdog. The Timeline is one of the most compelling reasons for thinking Ken Botham is innocent. www.kenbotham.com carefully explains how the Timeline prohibits Ken Botham from having killed Pat, Linda, Troy, and Chad. Click the link EVIDENCE and read "1. Evidence to the time of death..."

Sorry. I forgot to give the link to the D. Sentinel article to which I refered. http://www.gjsentinel.com/search/content/news/stories/2009/11/30/113009_1A_Bebb_Jones_react.html

I was searching for a Linda Benson(her maiden name)who called gave birth to our daughter, out of wedlock, in Brunswick, Maine in January, 1970. I was in the service there and was transferred before she gave birth. She did not want to burden me with our "dilemma". I tried to track her since with no luck. She did call me in about 1973, sending me homemade cookies at Christmas, and even called saying she was in transit "moving out West" and could not/would not provide any further info. If I knew what Kelly Benson's birthdate was, I could know if there was any relationship. I saw Linda's picture and cannot confirm or deny that it could have been her.

Linda Benson's maiden name was Ketchum. Kelley Benson was 5 years old when she was murdered. Her husband was Steve Benson. I would suggest talking to her mother Barbara Himmerite or brother Mark Himmerite in Grand Junction, CO to truly verify if this is the Linda Benson you are looking for.

Thanks for the info. This is not the same person that I was looking for.