Death penalty sought-David Ludwig

LANCASTER, Pennsylvania (AP)
-- A prosecutor said Friday he will seek the death penalty against
an 18-year-old accused of killing the parents of his 14-year-old
girlfriend, and no criminal charges will be brought against the girl.
Lancaster County District Attorney Don Totaro said statements
from the suspect, David Ludwig, have exonerated Kara Beth
Borden, and convinced investigators that she had no role in
planning or carrying out last month's shootings of her parents.
"There was no plan or no agreement to harm her parents in
any way," Totaro said.
Prosecutors allege Ludwig killed Michael and Cathryn Borden
on November 13 after an argument over his relationship with
their daughter. Kara Borden was with him when he was
captured the next day in Indiana, after a high-speed chase
that ended with him crashing his parents' car.
Totaro said reasons the death penalty is justified include
that there was more than one victim, and that the couple's
children were home at the time.
New charges involving a firearms violation and sexual
assault have been added against Ludwig, Totaro said.
Prosecutors dropped a kidnapping charge against
Ludwig, who fled the state with Borden before being
captured in Indiana. He still is charged with reckless
endangerment.
Ludwig said only that he had no questions Friday
morning as he signed a document waiving his preliminary
hearing, meaning the charges against him were forwarded
to county court. His lawyer, through a secretary, declined
to comment.
Police said Ludwig dropped off the girl at her house
about 5:30 a.m. on the morning of the killings, after the
teens had spent the night together.
When the girl called him to say her parents caught her
coming in late, Ludwig returned to the house at her
request, authorities said. Police said he carried two guns
and a hunting knife with him.
Michael Borden told Ludwig during a 30- to 45-minute talk
that he could no longer see his daughter, Totaro said.
"All witness accounts from the scene suggest that the
defendant became upset, for several minutes he stood
there, sat there, really looking into space," Totaro said.
It was then, Ludwig allegedly told police, that he decided
to kill the couple. He shot Michael Borden from behind as
he was going to the front door, and then Cathryn Borden
as she was getting out of 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 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 was scheduled for January 25.
LINK:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/16/parents.slain.ap/index.html

This case truly deserves the death penalty in my opinion.