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Man accused of killing girl's parents to face death penalty
Lancaster County District Attorney Don Totaro also added a firearms violation and sexual assault charge against 18-year-old David Ludwig.
Totaro said Ludwig's statements have exonerated Kara Beth Borden, and convinced investigators that she did not have any role in planning or carrying out the shooting deaths of her parents Michael and Cathryn inside their Lititz home on Nov. 14.
"There was no plan or no agreement to harm her parents in any way," Totaro said.
Ludwig said only that he had no questions Friday morning as he signed a court document waiving his preliminary hearing, meaning the charges against him were forwarded to county court.
Also Friday, prosecutors dropped the kidnapping charge against Ludwig, who fled the state with Kara before being captured in Indiana. He still also faces one count of reckless endangerment.
Totaro said the death penalty is justified because the killing occurred while perpetrating a felony, the firearms charge; that it created a great risk of harm to the couple's children, who were at home at the time; and that more than one person was killed.
Prosecutors said Ludwig killed the Bordens after an argument over his relationship with their daughter. He was captured the next day following a high-speed chase that ended with him crashing his parents' car.
Police said Ludwig dropped off the girl at her house at about 5:30 a.m. on the morning of the killings, after the teens had spent the night together at Ludwig's house.
After Ludwig didn't receive a text-message that she had made it into her room undetected, he called the girl on her cell phone and learned she had been caught by her parents and needed him to come over, according to the court filing.
He returned to the house at her request -- sticking a Glock pistol in his waistband and grabbing some other weapons, authorities said. He had two guns and a hunting knife when he showed up at about 7 a.m., police said.
Michael Borden told Ludwig during a 30- to 45-minute talk that he could no longer see his daughter.
It was then, Ludwig allegedly told police, that he then decided to kill the couple. He shot Michael Borden from behind as he was going down the hallway to the front door, and then Cathryn Borden from six feet away as she was getting of out a chair, according to the court papers. Both were shot in the head.
Ludwig then started to drive away before turning back to look for the girl, who came running after him and got in the car, authorities said.
He told detectives that the girl wanted to "get as far away as possible, get married, and start a new life," according to court documents.
Totaro said Friday that the teens had discussed what they would do if the parents discovered their relationship.
"There was a plan if they were caught in the relationship, to possibly run away. That was the extent of the plan," Totaro said.
Ludwig's formal arraignment in Lancaster County Common Pleas Court was scheduled for Jan. 25.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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