VENTURA : Prison Term Delayed Until After Holidays

A 23-year-old convicted killer who asked to start serving his three-year prison term earlier than scheduled has changed his mind and wants an extra two weeks of freedom, an attorney said Wednesday.

Charles Bothwell of El Rio, who originally had been given until Jan. 3 to report to prison after being sentenced last month for fatally shooting his boss, asked earlier this month to begin serving his term on Wednesday.

But when Bothwell failed to appear before Ventura County Superior Court Judge Lawrence Storch on that day, the judge issued a warrant for his arrest, then suspended the warrant until Jan. 3.

The result: Bothwell once again has until after the holidays to surrender.

Also Wednesday, a prosecutor said Bothwell is under investigation for forgery for allegedly writing three bad checks to Sears Roebuck & Co. in Oxnard.

He first wrote a check to Sears for $160.85 on Nov. 13, but did not have a sufficient funds in his account to cover it, Deputy Dist. Atty. Donald M. Grant said.

Bothwell wrote two other checks to the store on Nov. 23 and Dec. 4 using false identification, the prosecutor said. The case remains under police investigation, and no charges have been filed, said Grant.

Bothwell killed Robert Allen Foster, 41, on Sept. 5. In an unusual move, prosecutors allowed Bothwell, who had been charged with murder, to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Prosecutors said Foster was evil and had emotionally and physically abused friends of Bothwell.