HOUSTON – Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg on Wednesday asked that a special prosecutor be assigned to try the case of Shannon Miles, who is accused of killing Deputy Darren Goforth nearly two years ago.
Miles is charged with capital murder in the execution-style killing of the deputy.
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Goforth was gunned down at a Cypress gas station on Aug. 28, 2015. Investigators said Miles ran up behind Goforth as the deputy filled his cruiser with gas and shot him multiple times.
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Prosecutors said Goforth was killed simply because he was in uniform.
Ogg filed a motion Wednesday to recuse her office from prosecuting the case, saying that her chief of staff, Vivian King, represented two witnesses who had information about Miles’ whereabouts during the investigation and Miles’ mental state at the time.
King was a private practice defense lawyer at the time she represented the witnesses, according to Ogg.
“This decision was not made lightly,” said David Mendoza, the head of the DA's Office of Professional Integrity. “Seeing that justice is done, with respect to the capital murder of a police officer, is one of the most profound functions of the district attorney. We want to see this case tried once and see it tried cleanly.”
Miles was originally found incompetent to stand trial and was sent to the state mental hospital for further evaluation and treatment. He was returned to Harris County late last year after doctors said they believed that Miles is now competent.
A judge ruled in early March that Miles is competent to stand trial. Defense attorney Anthony Osso asked the judge for a 60-day delay to evaluate Miles’ sanity. A hearing is scheduled for April 18 to resolve the sanity evaluation.
Osso said last year that his client was aware that he has been charged, but he did not fully understand the severity of the offense.
Osso entered a not guilty plea on Miles’ behalf.