Prayer Service Set for Pa. Couple Killed by Daughter's Boyfriend

AP ^ | 11/16/05 | MARTHA RAFFAELE

[Dr. Scarpetta]

A church official said it may be impossible to understand why a couple were slain in their home Sunday, saying "only God knows the purpose of this."

Michael and Cathryn Borden were killed allegedly by their daughter's 18-year-old boyfriend.

Police say David Ludwig shot the Bordens in the head and fled to Indiana with their 14-year-old daughter, Kara Beth.

He was captured there Tuesday following a high-speed chase and was flown back to Lancaster County to face murder and kidnapping charges. Prosecutors may seek the death penalty against him.

Ludwig was jailed without bail and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Nov. 23. Messages left at the public defender's office, which is representing Ludwig, weren't returned Wednesday, but attorneys planned a news conference later in the day.

The congregation at the Bordens' church planned a Wednesday evening prayer service.

"The Lord works within each of us in different ways, and only God knows the purpose of this," said George Landis, Monterey Chapel elder.

"Only the Lord knows what purposes are really being brought out here. But Mike and Cathy are in a better place."

Kara was reunited with her surviving family members Tuesday after returning to Pennsylvania in a separate plane.

District Attorney Donald Totaro said Kara Borden's role in what happened was still under investigation but added that he did not want "to imply in any way that we believe that she had any role or participated in the homicide."

Ludwig and Kara were home-schooled teenagers from Lititz, a small town about an hour west of Philadelphia.

Kara's 13-year-old sister, Katelyn, told investigators her parents were shot after they argued with Ludwig for about an hour, according to an affidavit filed in court. She said she ran into the bathroom and heard Ludwig running through the house calling for Kara.

The girls' 9-year-old brother ran to the neighbors, who called 911.

[spectre]

"Of course, there are all sorts of intermediate possibilities - that she knew he was going to "take her away" but not that he was going to execute her parents as part of the plan."

You might have hit on something there!

I don't think Kara was in on a plan to murder her parents. I do think she contributed to the hysteria. No telling what she and the boy were talking about. She didn't want to break up with him either.

sw

[AnAmericanMother]

She may have just been talking, with NO idea that he was taking her seriously (you know, stuff like "I could just KILL my parents!")

What a terrible wakeup call for a teenage drama queen, though . . . to find out that all that hysteria has real world and irreversible consequences.

[spectre]

Yes, and cold as it sounds, I hope she realizes her part in all of this. I'm sorry for her.

sw

[AnAmericanMother]

I don't see how she'll ever get over this, whether she's prosecuted or not. Because regardless of whether she was in on the murder plot, her disobedience, sneaking, and lying to her parents precipitated the whole thing.

She must be in hell.

[CindyDawg]

If she doesn't come to realize that her actions have consequences, she's really in trouble. So many people are hurting. So sad.

[CindyDawg]

I didn't see in anger towards her parents in her posts. JMO, but I think she thought they were just going to run away and live freely and happily, ever after. He was kind of sarcastic towards his parents in his posts though.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Hmmmm, there's an interesting post there in the comments section of an IM conversation supposedly between Kara and a friend. If authentic, it would shed some interesting light on Kara's frame of mind. Link to conversation

I followed your link and read the conversation between Kara and her friend. What a secretive DRAMA they had going on. If only her parents had read this months ago, they might have taken action and would be alive today. Personally, I would have considered moving this girl away as far as possible, maybe to a relative in a distant state.