A former worker at the World Trade Center who “narrowly escaped” the September 11, 2001 attacks was tragically killed in Jacksonville, Florida. Thirty‑six-year‑old Roger Borkum, 64, a longtime resident of Long Island, was discovered around midnight on October 19 in downtown Jacksonville, having suffered severe blows. According to a statement from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, three teenagers had been seen “kicking and stomping” on him, and they later returned about 20 minutes afterward to continue the assault. Police noted that Borkum’s body showed blood “pooled” around his head accompanied by a “blood trail extending down the sidewalk,” and the attackers had been seen “rummaging” through his backpack before the second round of kicks.
Borkum, who had recently lost his wife in 2009 and was facing homelessness, went into a coma after the attack and ultimately succumbed to his injuries on October 23. The three young assailants—Justin Curry, 13; Marcavion Lacey, 19; and Robert Pope, 17—were taken into custody within hours and charged with murder the following month, as announced in a press release from the sheriff’s office.
Authorities say one of the teens blamed the attack on a confrontation with Borkum, a stranger, who they claimed had insulted “dead homies.” The motive remains unclear. Borkum had once worked as a consultant on the 77th floor of Tower 1, an office that was destroyed on 9/11. He was terminated in July 2001, which is why he survived the attacks.
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