November 14, 2005

Teens Had Weblogs

I'm sure you've all heard the news about the 18-year-old, David Ludwig, who allegedly killed his girlfriend's parents because of an argument about curfew.  Both he and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Kara Beth Borden, were captured after a police chase and authorities are attemting to determine the role she may have played, if any, in the slaying of her parents.

Kara's 13-year-old sister, Katelyn, told investigators her father and mother were shot after they argued with Ludwig for about an hour, according to a police affidavit filed in court.

"As they got near the front door, Katelyn Borden saw David Ludwig with a handgun pointed toward her father and Katelyn saw David Ludwig pull the trigger, heard a gunshot, and then she ran into the bathroom," the affidavit said.

She heard a second shot — presumably the one that killed her mother — while hiding in the bathroom, it said. Ludwig then ran through the house calling for Kara, she told investigators.

Michael and Cathryn Borden, both 50, were found shot to death shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday, after the couple's 9-year-old son ran to the home of neighbors, who called 911. An older daughter also escaped, police said.

I find it incredibly sad that the siblings were witness to this act and now they will be subject to all that comes with it since their parents are deceased.  Authorities are suspecting that this was premeditated, which carries a life sentence if Ludwig is convicted.  Ludwig is virtually a kid himself.  How could such anger be in someone who is barely an adult?

The interesting spin on this is that CBS reports that both of these teens apparently had blogs.  The blogs themselves aren't interesting per se.  They appear to be the usual "teen" types of blogs - listed hobbies/interests, pictures, emoticons.  Truly nothing that seems out of the ordinary and nothing that would lead you to believe that the next action would be the murdering of the girl's parents.  I just sense that because some criminals reportedly have maintained blogs that could be "a window to their minds," each and every time there is a heinous criminal act I picture reporters frantically searching Google or Yahoo! to find the blog the criminal wrote so they can report on their "state of mind."  It's just compelling to me, and I see it as evidence that could be used in the investigation and/or the trial on both sides (defense and prosecution).

The children impacted by this act are in my thoughts in prayers.  My heart goes out to them.