(Continued)

By Seamus McGraw

advertisement

Kara Borden, Witness for the Prosecution?

Officially, authorities would not comment in Kara's status in the case, other than to say that the investigation is ongoing. But most legal experts agree that, given the likelihood that Ludwig will seek a deal, it is doubtful that she will play much of a role in the prosecution. And even if the prosecution did unexpectedly charge, and even more even unexpectedly convinced a juvenile court that she was in some way culpable, it is doubtful that she would face significant penalties because of her age and the emotional volatility of her relationship with Ludwig. Instead, in the unlikely event that the case went to a full trial, several lawyers have said, Kara Borden, who is now being cared for by relatives, would be far more valuable to the prosecution as a witness. (See Profile of Kara Borden)

If nothing else, Kara would clearly be able to add detail and emotional force to the chilling statement Ludwig gave police in Indiana after he was arrested ten days ago following a high-speed chase in a rural area not far from Indianapolis.

In that statement, Ludwig apparently admitted that he and Kara had spent the night together before the shootings and, according to the Associated Press, he had dropped her off at about 5:30 a.m. As was his custom after slipping the underage girl back into her house, Ludwig waited nearby for her send him a text message indicating that she had safely made it to her bedroom. Ludwig's anxious 45-minute wait was apparently ended when Kara called him on his cell phone, told him that she had been caught, and told him that her parents wanted to speak with him, the news agency reported, based on court papers filed in Lancaster County.

Ludwig returned to the house, apparently parking his Volkswagen Jetta some distance from the house, and engaged in a 35-minute talk with Kara's father, 50-year-old Michael Borden. The man apparently told Ludwig that he would no longer permit the two to see each other. It was not the first time that angry parents had intervened in Ludwig's romantic life. A year earlier, he had also run into trouble when he ran off with another teen girl to a hunting cabin in wooded Juniata County. The two families ironed out their differences over that excursion, according to published reports, before Ludwig turned his amorous intentions toward Kara.

While it remains unclear whether Michael and Cathryn Borden had ever confronted Ludwig in the past, there was little doubt, certainly among the couple's friends, that their relationship was perilous. Friends had warned both Ludwig and Kara that they were flirting with disaster, and that if their trysts were discovered, the 18-year-old Ludwig could face charges of sexually abusing a minor.

Authorities have still not said whether they believe that Ludwig planned the slayings in advance. But this much is clear; he came to the house armed — carrying a handgun, a high-powered hunting rifle and a buck knife. As the argument with Mike Borden wound down and the older man led Ludwig toward the front door, Ludwig pulled out his handgun and shot the man at close range in the back of his head. He then turned, stepped into a hallway, and shot Cathryn Borden from about six feet away as she struggled to get up from a chair in the living room.

The gunshots were loud enough to rouse Kara's 15-year-old sister, Katelyn, who later told authorities that she heard Ludwig stalking through the house calling for Kara. So far, authorities have not said where Kara's was during the shootings. What is clear is that moments after the shooting, Kara dashed out of the house and hopped into Ludwig's car after he had circled back, still looking for her.

It was then, according to the court documents cited by the Associated Press, that Kara first learned that her parents had been killed. Ludwig apparently told her that he had shot them, and that he believed that he had killed them both. (See Kara Beth and David: Below the Surface )

The two then fled west, tossing their cell phones out of the car window as they went, the news agency reported. Ludwig's public defender, James Gratton, could not immediately be reached for comment. Kara's lawyer, Robert Beyer has insisted that she had no part in the slayings.

Previous Page

David Ludwig and Kara Borden - Full Coverage

Feature Story - Kara Beth Borden and David Ludwig