Murder suspect’s husband arrested on suspicion of tampering with evidence

One of Greeley’s strangest murder cases took a surprising turn Thursday morning in Walla Walla, Wash.

Greeley police arrested the husband of Shawna Nelson, the woman who is awaiting trial in the January shooting death of Heather Garraus.

The suspect’s husband, former Weld County sheriff’s detective Ken Nelson, 44, was arrested on suspicion of tampering with evidence in the murder. He has been living in Walla Walla with his children since he resigned from the sheriff’s office in April, and Greeley police flew there to arrest him.

Garraus, the wife of a Greeley police officer, was murdered execution-style on Jan. 23, according to police reports, outside a southeast Greeley credit union where she worked. Shawna Nelson was arrested shortly after the shooting in west Greeley.

Later, it was learned that Shawna Nelson and Ignacio Garraus had been involved in a sexual affair and she had given birth to Gaurrus’s son. The baby is about a year old now, and Ignacio Garraus has since resigned from his position with the police department and moved out of state.

Court affidavits showed Shawna Nelson was driving home after the shooting, and her truck was stopped by her husband.

Witnesses at the scene said they saw Ken Nelson remove something from his wife’s car, but the object has never been identified. Investigating officers indicated it was the gun used in the shooting, and Ken Nelson may have disposed of it.

While an empty holster and .40-caliber ammunition were found by Greeley police who searched Shawna Nelson’s truck, the murder weapon in the case has never been found. No one would comment regarding whether Ken Nelson’s arrest means a gun has been located.

In a press release, the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office stated police believe Nelson “unlawfully concealed, removed or altered physical evidence relevant to the homicide investigation of his wife, Shawna Nelson.”

Ken Nelson was taken into custody around 7:10 a.m. Thursday at a residence where he was staying in Walla Walla, a town in southern Washington near the Oregon border. He is being held in the Walla Walla County Jail, and it’s unknown at this time if he will fight extradition back to Greeley.

Sgt. Randy Allessio with Walla Walla City Police Department said his agency assisted two Greeley police detectives who flew to Walla Walla to make the arrest.
Allessio said Ken Nelson’s children were left in the custody of other adults at the residence in the 1000 block of Valencia Street. Allessio also said he believed a woman at the residence was in a relationship with Ken Nelson.

It was not clear how many children were at the residence; Ken and Shawna Nelson had two children, and Ken Nelson had been raising the baby his wife had with Ignacio.

Allessio said he was not sure if Ken Nelson was employed.

“As I understand, he had recently applied for a position in the local penitentiary here,” Allessio said.

Ken Nelson was arrested on one count of tampering with physical evidence, a felony, and he is being held on $10,000 bond, according to the Larimer DA’s office.
Larimer prosecutors were appointed in the case against Shawna Nelson because Weld District Attorney Ken Buck said his office could no longer prosecute the matter.

On Thursday afternoon, Larimer prosecutors were appointed for the case involving Ken Nelson as well.

WHAT’S NEXT
» A court date will be set when Ken Nelson returns to Colorado.
» Shawna Nelson’s next court date is set for Aug. 6.