Web postings give glimpse of teens’ relationship before double murder of Lititz husband and wife. Police push for teenagers’ immediate return from Indiana.
By Janet Kelley And Cindy Stauffer
Updated Feb 20, 2007 12:12
“We couldn’t of told you anything...we couldn’t of told anyone,’’ the 14-year-old girl wrote to a friend on a computer Web site last month.
But her secret relationship became national news on Sunday morning when Ludwig allegedly shot and killed Kara’s parents, Michael and Cathryn Borden, in their home at 15 Royal Drive in Warwick Township.
The two teenagers disappeared and police issued a national alert, broadcasting a description of the pair along with the red Volkswagen Jetta Ludwig was driving.
Shortly after noon on Monday, an alert Indiana State Police trooper spotted the car 20 miles west of Indianapolis and brought it to a stop after a brief, high-speed chase. Neither teenager was hurt.
Now local law enforcement, who immediately confiscated computers, guns and other evidence from both teenagers’ homes, are waiting to talk to the young couple about what exactly happened.
Four local detectives, including the lead investigator, Warwick Township Police Detective Lt. Ed Tobin, flew to Indiana Monday to talk to the teenagers and make arrangements for their return home.
“I’m hoping they come back today,’’ Warwick Township Police Chief Richard Garipoli said this morning. “We want to bring them home as soon as possible.’’
Ludwig, of 422-A W. Orange St., Lititz, has been charged with two counts of homicide, plus kidnapping and endangering another person. When he returns, Garipoli said, he will be arraigned and most likely committed to county prison pending a hearing.
Kara has not been charged with any crime, but investigators want to talk with her about what may have precipitated Sunday’s shooting. Garipoli said, “I want to get her back here with her family.’’
Kara’s younger siblings, Katelyn, 13, and David, 11, who fled to neighbors’ homes telling them to call 911 after witnessing the shooting, “are making it through,’’ Garipoli said.
“Obviously, they are shocked and devastated,’’ Garipoli said, “but they are receiving great support from friends and family. It’s a very close community and they are receiving a lot of support.’’
The national media converged on the Warwick Township police station, trying to learn why and how a teenage relationship could have ended in a double homicide.
“It’s completely insane,’’ Lancaster County Coroner Dr. G. Gary Kirchner told one reporter. “This isn’t a Romeo-and-Juliet deal. This is far worse than that.”
Kara had two Web sites posted on xanga.com, a popular Internet site where young people post online diaries, photos and other information about themselves. Others can post messages on these sites.
One of Kara’s sites has a pink background and a goofy photo of herself. It outlines her interests in church, baby-sitting, soccer and her friends.
Another site, started in June, has a black background and a different photo of herself, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses.
On this site is posted an online conversation she apparently had with a friend on Oct. 17 about her relationship with Ludwig.
In the chat, the friend notes that she wants to have a talk with Kara because “things are getting out of hand.” (Spelling, abbreviations and punctuation appear as they do on the Web site.)
Kara tells the friend, “it doesn’t have anything to do with you...if it has to do with david and me. we are taking care of it. we know what we are going to do.”
The friend says she is worried about Kara and thinks she is lying to her.
“I know what’s right anddddd so does he,” Kara replies, adding later, “this is between me and him. ... don’t try to help. it will only make things worse.”
“so what you want me to just back off and totally ignore you two and let you make the mistakes you’re making!?!?!,” the friend says. “i can’t do that!”
Kara is 14 and Ludwig is 18, the friend notes, adding, “obviously you don’t care nuff that David may go to jail.”
Kara replies, “you don’t know how we feel about each other and how much we want to be with each others.”
The friend tells her she can’t keep it a secret anymore.
“who are you gonna tell?” Kara replies. “Hm. his rents. mine. thanks a lot. ... i though you sid you would die then rat us out.”
The friend says she won’t tell Kara’s parents but that “you two are gonna have to talk to me.”
Kara replies, “don’t get in the middle of it. you have no idea what me and him are going through so jst leave it alone. ... i will talk to him and we shall talk to you.”
Lancaster County District Attorney Donald Totaro said there will be much to be determined after interviewing Ludwig and Kara.
“This was a premeditated, willful and intentional act,” Totaro said of the killings. “Whether the girl was part of it or not is still being determined.”
Although homicide charges have been filed against Ludwig, prosecutors will have to determine whether the death penalty is applicable and, if so, should be sought. Local prosecutors also take into consideration the feelings of the victims’ family.
If the death penalty is not sought, and Ludwig would be convicted of first-degree murder in Pennsylvania, the mandatory sentence is life in prison without parole.
According to police documents obtained on Monday, Ludwig and Kara had been dating since May, something her parents were not happy about.
Police said Kara reportedly told her parents she was sleeping at a girlfriend’s house Saturday night. Her parents confronted her when she arrived home at 6 a.m. and then summoned Ludwig over for a family discussion around 7 a.m.
According to court documents, Kara’s sister, Katelyn, said she watched as her father escorted Ludwig to the door around 8 a.m. Ludwig, she told police, pulled out a gun and shot her father.
Katelyn ran and hid in a bathroom, hearing a second shot, followed by the sound of Ludwig running through their house calling Kara’s name.
When the shouting and shooting stopped, both Katelyn and David fled the house. Kara and Ludwig were gone.
Police said Borden was shot one time in the back of the head and Mrs. Borden was shot one time in the front of her head. Garipoli said the mother’s body was found in a sofa chair with a blanket over her legs.
Indiana State Police, in a news conference Monday, described Kara as “frantic’’ and “crying’’ after Ludwig’s car crashed into a tree following a high-speed chase.
Trooper David Cox said Kara immediately jumped out of the car, but “stood apart’’ from both the police and Ludwig.
Ludwig initially struggled with the troopers but was subdued and cooperative after being handcuffed, Sgt. David Bursten added.
The two teenagers eluded authorities for about 28 hours, driving about 600 miles from Borden’s home at 15 Royal Drive in Warwick Township to Belleville, Ind.
Ludwig apparently used a bank card during a stop on Interstate 80 in Clearfield County as they headed toward Ohio.
The teenagers apparently met through a support organization for home-schooled children.
Ludwig lived with his parents, Gregory and Jane Ludwig, and two sisters.
The Bordens, before moving to the development southeast of Lititz, were natives of Hannibal, Mo. They were 1973 graduates of Hannibal High School, according to a story in the Quincy Herald Whig in Quincy, Ill.
In addition to three children at home, the Bordens also had two adult sons. Mrs. Borden has a twin sister and her parents used to own a pharmacy in Hannibal, according to the story.
The couple had lived in Mississippi and then moved to Pennsylvania, where Borden worked for Science Press Division in Ephrata.
