Posted on 11/13/2005 2:15:56 PM PST by grjr21
Pennsylvania State police are searching for a 14-year-old girl reportedly kidnapped at gunpoint after her parents were murdered.
Authorities have issued an Amber Alert for Kara Beth Borden, who was last seen at 8 a.m. in Warwick Township, Lancaster County.
Police reported that the teen was taken by 18-year-old David G. Ludwig. Authorities say he was last seen driving a red Volkswagen Jetta with Pennsylvania registration E-H-H-0-9-9-4.
Borden is described as white, 5-feet-1, and 100 pounds, with brown hair with blond highlights. She was last seen wearing a black sweat shirt with "Pillar" across the front, blue jeans and black sneakers.
Ludwig is a white male with brown hair and brown eyes.
State police are urging people in the following counties or cities to be on the lookout for Ludwig: Lancaster, Lebanon, Dauphin, Perry, Juniata, York, Cumberland, Mifflin, Snyder, Northumberland, Franklin, Berks, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Philadelphia, Delaware, Schuykill, Lehigh and Northamption counties.
It was not immediately clear how authorities discovered the killings.
Neighbor John Hohman, 40, said he first noticed an ambulance on the street around 8:15 a.m. About 25 minutes later, he said he got a phone call from Lancaster emergency management officials telling his family to stay inside.
Looking out the window, Hohman said he saw teams of police running through the neighborhood; around 10:15 a.m., authorities told him to go into his basement and wait there until further notice.
"We were really upset; we didn't know what going on," Hohman said.
Hohman said Borden, who played soccer, occasionally babysat for him. "She's a very nice girl," Hohman said.
Neighbor Tod Sherman, 47, has lived in the quiet suburban development for 12 years and said that Borden was one of five children.
The Borden family has lived on the street in a tan, two-story house for several years, he said. Kara's father, Mike Borden, worked for a printing company, said Sherman.
"He was very smart and focused, a nice guy. They were super people," Sherman said. "They were just a fine family."
The Bordens home-schooled their children and knew Ludwig through a home-schooling network, Sherman said.
Sherman's son Tyler, 11, played with Kara's youngest brother, David. Tyler said he sometimes saw Ludwig at the Borden house, frequently dressed in black.
"I didn't find him to be very friendly," said Tyler.
The eldest two Borden children, both male, are in their 20s and no longer live at home, Sherman said. The whereabouts of David Borden and Kara's older sister, both of whom still live at home, were not immediately clear.
The Amber Alert system uses a state's emergency notification system to give broadcasters a description of a missing child and a suspect's vehicle. The information is also displayed on electronic highway signs.
It is named for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped and killed in Arlington, Texas. It is used in 47 states.
Amber Alert: http://www.amber.state.pa.us/amber/site/default.asp
that is so true. I "could" date when I was 16 but my dad had to know boy and family(everything!), he had to come to our house several times before we went out, and he had to know exact logistics of every date. Needless to say, there wasn't much dating going on. In fact one guy my dad didn't like at all that wanted to date my sister, he told him on the phone when he called if you come over here I'll use my shot gun. Today the guy is a drug addict and sleeze. Good ole dad.
Christmas at your house must be a riot!! Bless you and your wife for raising such great kids.
I think it was mentioned because that's how the two teens know eachother.
Come on, be fair! Sure they would! And they'd blame the murders on Bush, as the inner city schools are underfunded because he hates children.
I'm sure your right that does establish the relationship. I am just waiting for all the anti home school crowd to jump all over it. "socially deprived teen kills!"
"What could possibly lead a mind like this to become so dysfunctional and not raise the suspicions of parents, teachers, peers or neighbors?"
That is why I was wondering if he was home schooled because he was kicked out of public school. I can't imagine this kid was "normal" one day and a killer the next. Just does not compute.
Sorry, I'd missed your post saying the earlier sightings had been wrong. I'd wondered how they'd made such great time this morning on I-80!
Well, if the father had "shown his gun collection" and made threats against him like advocated by many FReepers,
yeah well thats illegal for any 18 year old to pack. and it wouldnt show much intelligence to go bother such a father.
IANAL, but yes...an 18-year-old can possess a handgun, but can't get a license to carry in PA. Of course, 18-year-olds are evidently mature enough to respond as National Guardsmen carrying handguns. Of course, 18-year-olds are mature enough to vote (which we claim is a very responsible and important act). But to get a carry permit? Nope.
When did you begin to date, and did you turn out alright?
Has your daughter done anything that would make you think you could not trust her judgment?
Have you likewise forbidden your sons to date? If not, then is it OK for your sons to date other parents' daughters but its not OK for their sons to date yours?
Based on recent reports, it sounds like she had no prior knowlege of her lovesick boyfriend's plan. At worst, she seems to be an accessory after the fact.
"When did you begin to date, and did you turn out alright?
Has your daughter done anything that would make you think you could not trust her judgment?
Have you likewise forbidden your sons to date? If not, then is it OK for your sons to date other parents' daughters but its not OK for their sons to date yours?"
I didn't begin dating till I was in college either. And yes, I turned out fine and have been married for 21 years :).
Our sons are younger and no, they will not be allowed to date until high school graduation either. (I'm kind of curious why your question seems almost to take for granted we would have different rules for our sons and daughters.)
No, our daughter has not given us any reason not to trust her. However, dating is for the development of an intense one-on-one relationship with a person of the opposite sex. (Incidentally, our experience is that H.S. dating these days doesn't mean going out with a wide variety of people they can get to know socially, but picking someone on campus to "go steady" with and only dating that person.) There is no need at age 16 or so to develop such a one-on-one male-female relationship, especially as she will be attending college and would not be interested in marriage until graduation. Even the best of kids will have temptation inevitably put in their path if they are engaged in a long-term dating relationship, and it can also be a huge distraction. This is the time to focus on friendships, on academics, and on preparation for college. With maturity -- graduating high school, nearing adulthood and potentially living away at college -- comes freedom and the right to make her own decisions about the opposite sex, for the rest of her life.
I would note that she does have male friends and they are welcome in our home; they just can't "date" privately one-on-one. We have had boys join the family for pizza and CASABLANCA, or in a large group of kids my husband has chaperoned to the movies. We don't want to prevent her from being friendly or comfortable with the opposite sex...we just want to keep it "friendly."
You'd be amazed how many parents are similarly relieved and glad to find other families that are not pushing their children into prematurely adult relationships!
Many parents, of course, make different decisions and their children turn out fine. This is what works for our family and is JMHO. Best wishes --
"The best way to get to know someone is to see them in their day to day activities and see how they treat their family"
Yes, this is one reason we *do* welcome boys here into our home for dinner and family events. Just no private dating until H.S. graduation.
See also my post #536 :). Best wishes --
You might reconsider your decision to not tell your friend about his/her son's blog entries. Kids can go through changes that ruin their lives. He might be able to be brought back, if his parents know what's happening.
You might save his life, one way or another.
If your kid had gone down the drain in just one year and you didn't know why or what was really going on, you'd probably appreciate being told this kind of info.
Here's another article: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10050968/
In it, the author says that since Kara was frantic and crying when she left the car, it means she likely didn't do it.
It seems to me anyone would be crying and frantic after they'd just been a passenger in a high speed police chase that ended with the getaway car hitting a tree.
I think Kara is another victim here. I think she went with the boy to lure him away from the family, or because he had a gun and wasn't hesitant to use it. I think she stayed with him throughout the escape (rather than trying to attract attention and help) because either he threatened her somehow (with killing her, killing others, or killing himself).
I also think that Kara's actions the night before the kid murdered her parents are not to blame for what happened. There is no way anyone could forsee that her night out with her boyfriend with end with the murder of her parents -- unless it was planned by the two of them.
I agree with your scenario. She probably saved the lives of her siblings by leaving with him. However, if she hadn't spent the night with him, her parents wouldn't have confronted the boyfriend. Of course, it might have played out the same way at a later time.
The point was, her parents didn't want her dating him and she was determined to out behind their backs. They weren't about to let her - or the young man - get away with it. As good parents, they were attempting to hold the two accountable - and paid for it with their lives. Sure is sobering.
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