Coban Porter, brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr., pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide in Denver District Court on Thursday and is scheduled to stand trial in connection with a suspected DUI crash that killed a woman in January.
The 22-year-old former basketball player for the University of Denver was charged with killing Kathy Limon Rothman, 42, just before 2 a.m. on Jan. 22 when he ran a red light and crashed into her vehicle at the intersection of South University and Buchtel boulevards.
Rothman was mother to a young son and worked nights as an Uber driver to make ends meet, her family has said. Porter’s not guilty plea comes weeks after he and his family met with Rothman’s family and had an emotional conversation about the crash, said Connie Johnson, Rothman’s mother.
“He was crying and crying and crying,” said Mary O’Brien, Rothman’s grandmother. “I told him, ‘God will help you,’ because it just broke my heart. It’s sad for everybody.”
Johnson said she felt empathy for Porter, who expressed remorse during the meeting, but that she told him she’s not ready to forgive him.
“I can’t forgive him, right now,” she said. “I’ll never forget, but I can’t forgive him. I’m not ready for that. Every time I see him it’s like the accident just happened all over again, like it was just yesterday… I’m trying to live my life to where I am strong so I can take care of my grandson.”
She agreed to the meeting, which Porter’s side requested, in order to tell Porter how she felt, she said, adding she was disappointed to see resolution of the case delayed again with Thursday’s not-guilty plea.
“It made me angry,” she said. “I was hoping he would plead guilty today, so we can move on.”
Harvey Steinberg, Porter’s attorney, declined to comment following the hearing. A jury trial was scheduled for March 18. Johnson said she believed the not-guilty plea was done for logistical and scheduling reasons.
Police said Coban Porter was driving at about 50 mph in a 30 mph zone when he ran the light and crashed, killing Rothman and seriously injuring a passenger in her car.
Porter had “bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred and mumbling speech, and the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath,” Denver police Cpl. Aaron Botts wrote in a partially redacted arrest affidavit. “He also had a ‘Bud Light’ paper wristband on his left wrist.”
Porter is no longer a student at the University of Denver, spokesman Jon Stone said Thursday. He attended classes through early 2023 and left before the spring quarter.
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