Gov. Bill Owens on Monday sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice requesting the alleged killer of a Denver detective be extradited to the U.S. from Mexico.
Owens sent the letter to Rice four hours after he received documenting material from the Denver district attorney’s office concerning the May 8 shooting that killed Detective Donald Young and wounded his partner, Jack Bishop.
Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey is seeking the return of Raul Gomez-Garcia, 20, who was arrested in Mexico in June. Gomez-Garcia is charged with second-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Morrissey decided to forgo a first-degree murder charge because Mexican authorities have said they will not extradite if the death penalty or life in prison without parole is possible.
Dan Hopkins, the governor’s spokesman, said Owens felt it was important to act quickly. Under the extradition procedure, prosecutors make a request to the governor, who then must petition the secretary of state, who decides whether to forward it to the president, who then decides whether to institute extradition proceedings through the Justice Department.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
