HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Court documents released Friday show an investigator with the Harris County Sheriff's Office had "consensual sexual conduct" with a witness to Deputy Darren Goforth's death during the investigation.
The document reads:
"Harris County Sheriff's Department Investigator C. Clopton has acknowledged to Harris County District Attorney investigators that during the ongoing criminal investigation of the Capital Murder of Deputy Darren Goforth, Investigator Clopton engaged in consensual sexual conduct with a witness in that same investigation."
Lawyers for Shannon Miles, the man accused of killing Goforth, have requested the DA's Office release cellphone records from Goforth's phone. Miles' defense team previously spoke publicly, questioning whether Goforth was on duty at the time of his murder or was instead conducting private business.
Defense attorney Anthony Osso has previously said the documents are extremely important to his case to determine if Goforth was discharging an official duty when he was at the gas station the night of Aug. 28. If Goforth was not, then Osso said there should not be a capital murder charge against Miles.
KPRC 2 is reporting on these details because they are now part of the official investigation.
The Harris County District Attorney's Office said it had no comment.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office released the following statement on behalf of Sheriff Ron Hickman:
"Our office has been advised of an inappropriate relationship between a witness in the capital murder investigation of Shannon Miles and a Sheriff's Office investigator.
"This investigator's conduct was unethical and inexcusable and does not reflect the core values of the Harris County Sheriff's Office. The misconduct of this individual investigator is an anomaly and does not represent the conduct of the men and women who work daily to protect the lives of the citizens of Harris County.
"I was appalled to learn of this behavior and immediately took action. The investigator has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of our joint investigation with the District Attorney's Office.
"I remain steadfastly committed to working with District Attorney Devon Anderson in pursuing the successful prosecution of the suspect Shannon Miles."
Channel 2 legal analyst Brian Wice explains what this could mean for the case against Shannon Miles.
"The significance of this latest development creates problems in a case that doesn't need these kinds of problems," Wice said.
Questions could now be raised about the integrity and the credibility of the witness and also of the investigator.
"I think his career as a homicide investigator is probably over," Wice said. "To exercise this kind of bad judgment in any case, with any civilian, but in a case where there is so much light and heat and eyes upon it is, again, Sheriff Ron Hickman's worst nightmare."
KPRC 2 stopped by Clopton's home Friday night but no one answered the door.
Miles' brother took photos at scene
In a search warrant obtained by KPRC 2, we've learned Miles' brother went to the scene the night of Goforth's murder and was taking pictures with a camera.
The brother continued to take photographs until he was told to stop by a uniformed police officer.
After a witness came forward with this information, detectives searched Miles' home a second time looking for the camera.
It's not clear how and if thee camera will play a factor in the investigation. Miles' brother has not been charged with a crime.