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Investigators Continue Criminal Probe Into Fatal Stamford House Fire
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 21, 2012
Modified Jan 21, 2012
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AP
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 21, 2012
Modified Jan 21, 2012
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The Christmas Day house fire that claimed the lives of three little girls and their grandparents is still the focus of a criminal investigation by Connecticut authorities. The Post reports, "Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin said his investigators have talked to several people involved in the work being done on the $1.7 million Stamford home of Manhattan ad exec Madonna Badger."
Badger had been in the middle of extensive renovations of her three-story Victorian on Shippan Avenue when a fire broke out on Christmas Day. While Badger survived along with her boyfriend Michael Borcina, the contractor overseeing the work, her young daughters—7-year-old twins and their 9-year-old sister—and parents were killed in the massive blaze. Investigators say that Borcina emptied still-smoldering embers from a fire into a bag and placed the bag in the mudroom or in a trash enclosure; later, the embers triggered fire. (The embers may have been removed so the girls would not worry about Santa Claus being injured when coming down the chimney.) By the time firefighters were called to the house, they could only rescue Badger and Borcina. Later, Stamford's Buildings Department ordered the home to be razed, because it was structurally unsound.
The destruction of the house has apparently made the investigation more difficult. According to the Post, one source said the police were not consulted in the decision to tear down the home. Conklin did not respond to several requests for comment on whether his department knew about the tear-down order in advance. Stamford building department chief Robert DeMarco said he personally made the call to have Badger’s home demolished just hours after the Dec. 25 blaze for 'safety reasons.'" A criminal lawyer not involved with the case opined, "In a criminal probe of a fire, the burned home would be considered a crime scene. In tearing [Badger’s] down, they’ve reduced the evidence pool."
Borcina has hired a criminal lawyer to represent him. His contractor registration for Connecticut expired 12 years ago and his home improvement license in NY expired two years ago.
Tagged
criminal investigation
fire
madonna badger
michael borcina
stamford fire
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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