Father Of Girls Killed In 2011 Christmas Day Fire Dies; Charity Says
A charity started by a man whose three daughters were killed in a Connecticut fire on Christmas morning in 2011 says he has died at the age of 51.
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A charity started by a man whose three daughters were killed in a Connecticut fire on Christmas morning in 2011 says he has died at the age of 51.
Michael Borcina's lawyer said Thursday that Borcina will cooperate in the lawsuit filed by the children's father, Matthew Badger.
On Christmas Day in 2011, fire ravaged Madonna Badger's home in Stamford, Connecticut. Her three little girls -- 9-year-old Lily, and 7-year-old twins Sarah and Grace -- became trapped and died. Her parents also died in the inferno.
The fire in Stamford killed 7-year-old twins Grace and Sarah Badger, 9-year-old Lily Badger, and their maternal grandparents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson.
Clutching a bouquet of white flowers, smiling from ear to ear, Badger proves life can go on, even after enduring the unimaginable.
In a Vogue magazine article, Madonna Badger details how she continues to cope with the loss of her 7-year-old twins Grace and Sarah, 9-year-old Lily and her parents.
The city of Stamford has since passed a law requiring working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for every home in the city.
Badger said that the bag of ashes didn't seem dangerous because her boyfriend, Michael Borcina, ran his hands over them before putting them on top of a plastic bin in a mudroom.
In the report that was released Friday online, Stamford State's Attorney David Cohen called the blaze "an inexplicable accident."
The mother of the three children killed in a Christmas morning fire has filed a notice of intent to sue the city of Stamford, WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported. Her parents were also killed in the fire.
Utica First Insurance Co. argues in a lawsuit filed this week in New York that Michael Borcina misrepresented the number of employees with his company, Tiberias Construction, its sales and payroll, and size and type of work performed.
It's difficult for Matthew Badger to deal with the loss of his three darling daughters, but he's turning his heartbreak into hope by helping other young children.
Three sisters and their grandparents died in the fire. The girls' mother, Madonna Badger and her boyfriend Michael Borcina, survived. Investigators determined the fire was started by improperly discarded fireplace embers.
In January, officials in Connecticut were scrutinizing the circumstances of the blaze, trying to determine if it was just a horrible accident or a crime.
Was it just a horrible accident, or a crime? That's what police and prosecutors were trying to figure out Friday in Connecticut as they began putting the horrendous Christmas Day fire under a legal microscope.
As Stamford police investigate, they're trying to answer a key question: were battery-operated smoke alarms and several fire extinguishers removed from the home sometime before the fire?
Michael Borcina and homeowner Madonna Badger were the only survivors of the blaze.
Police and fire officials say they agreed to give Madonna Badger and Michael Borcina time to mourn the loss of Badger's daughters and parents. Police Capt. Richard Conklin says, "But now we're moving ahead on that.''
Lomer and Pauline Johnson are being honored at a memorial service in Louisville, Kentucky. Lomer worked there as a safety chief for a liquor company until he retired.
Madonna and Matthew Badger, the girls' father, held hands and cried as they watched the caskets carrying the remains of their three daughters get carried into St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Manhattan.
Madonna Badger, who lost her three daughters and both parents in the Christmas morning fire in Stamford, Conn., attended Wednesday's wake, along with the girls' father and the only other survivor of the tragedy, Badger's contractor.
Badger's parents Lomer and Pauline Johnson and daughters Lily, Grace and Sarah were all killed in a Christmas Day blaze.
Madonna Badger's three daughters and their grandparents all died in a Christmas Day blaze at her Stamford home, which was being renovated.
The family of the victims who died in the tragic Christmas day fire in Stamford are reaching out to the countless strangers who have been sending their condolences.
This morning the medical examiner's office released an autopsy report on the victims -- whose deaths were ruled accidental.
Izz al-Din al-Haddad was killed in a "precise strike in the area on the City of Gaza," the Israel Defense Forces said Saturday.
The work stoppage, the LIRR's first since 1994, went into effect after the MTA and five unions representing 3,500 workers failed to reach a deal on a new four-year contract.
A controversial plan would build one of nation's largest battery energy storage sites near homes on Staten Island. The state says the sites are critical to New York's push for cleaner energy, but how and where they're built remains a flashpoint.
Cam Schlittler overpowered the New York Mets in his Subway Series debut.
Ahead of the 2026 RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, some athletes are showing how simply reaching the starting line is a victory.
The work stoppage, the LIRR's first since 1994, went into effect after the MTA and five unions representing 3,500 workers failed to reach a deal on a new four-year contract.
A controversial plan would build one of nation's largest battery energy storage sites near homes on Staten Island. The state says the sites are critical to New York's push for cleaner energy, but how and where they're built remains a flashpoint.
Ahead of the 2026 RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, some athletes are showing how simply reaching the starting line is a victory.
The NYPD said the crash happened at 6 p.m. Friday on Amsterdam Ave. near 109th St. on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
Glen Cove's hidden gem has been closed for nearly two decades, but it's finally reopening thanks to hard work from the community.
The weekend is set to be the warmest of the year so far with summer-like weather across the Tri-State Area.
Keep an umbrella nearby as there's a chance for showers across the New York and New Jersey area. But the weather will turn to sunshine and warm temperatures for the weekend.
The weather on Wednesday will be a mix of sunshine and clouds with the potential for a shower in New York City. In the evening, rain becomes more widespread.
An unsettled pattern continues through the entire Mother's Day weekend in the New York City area.
After summer-like warmth, rainy weather and cooler temperatures return to the New York City area mid-week.
With just weeks to go before the primary, voters in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District are wondering where their congressman is.
Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks will take place on both the lower East River near the Seaport and the lower Hudson River, in collaboration with Jersey City.
It was down to the wire for one lucky New Jersey lottery winner. A winning $5.9 million Pick-6 lottery ticket was just eight days away from expiring.
The weekend is set to be the warmest of the year so far with summer-like weather across the Tri-State Area.
For the first time ever, the World Cup final will host a Super Bowl-style halftime show, with megawatt headliners Madonna, Shakira and BTS.
The work stoppage, the LIRR's first since 1994, went into effect after the MTA and five unions representing 3,500 workers failed to reach a deal on a new four-year contract.
Glen Cove's hidden gem has been closed for nearly two decades, but it's finally reopening thanks to hard work from the community.
Riders have been rerouted to Grand Central Terminal, which is much more crowded than usual since the electrical fire at Penn Station.
A coalition of five unions representing LIRR workers say they are prepared to walk off the job just after midnight tonight if there's no deal.
The MTA released a contingency plan with shuttles and drop-off destinations during the LIRR strike.
The work stoppage, the LIRR's first since 1994, went into effect after the MTA and five unions representing 3,500 workers failed to reach a deal on a new four-year contract.
With just weeks to go before the primary, voters in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District are wondering where their congressman is.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed millions to keep the program open, but the reforms would cut reimbursement rates for private duty nurses.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government plans to file a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.
President Trump is in Beijing meeting with China's President Xi Jinping, with the two leaders aiming to stabilize their trading relationship after last year's trade war.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed millions to keep the program open, but the reforms would cut reimbursement rates for private duty nurses.
A New York native is among 16 American passengers who are quarantining in Nebraska after being on the cruise ship that is at the center of the deadly hantavirus outbreak.
American passengers on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which was hit with a deadly outbreak of the hantavirus, are back in the U.S. Three of the at least 10 people confirmed infected in the outbreak have died.
Three New Yorkers are among the 18 people being quarantined in Nebraska and Atlanta due to hantavirus concerns.
An American on the repatriation flight began showing symptoms of hantavirus and another "tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus," the Department of Health and Human Services says.
The well-known film critic and journalist Rex Reed has died at 87.
"The Pitt" star Isa Briones is bringing heightened pride and Filipino presence to both stage and screen.
Broadway's "The Book of Mormon" has canceled two weeks of performances following a fire at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.
Uzo Aduba and Darren Criss announced the 2026 Tony nominees for select categories on "CBS Mornings" on Tuesday.
Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter, Madonna, and Beyoncé all wore their best looks to celebrate the "Costume Art" theme at the 2026 Met Gala. Here are some of the best moments, photos, and more from the night.
Cam Schlittler overpowered the New York Mets in his Subway Series debut.
Ahead of the 2026 RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, some athletes are showing how simply reaching the starting line is a victory.
A.J. Ewing's first Major League home run sparked a comeback as the New York Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.
Carson Benge delivered his first big league walk-off hit, a 10th-inning single, lifting the Mets past the Tigers 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Nicolás Fernández scored a goal in the eighth minute, Matt Freese had his fourth shutout this season, and New York City FC beat Charlotte FC 1-0 on Wednesday night.
Ahead of the 2026 RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, some athletes are showing how simply reaching the starting line is a victory.
The Second Avenue Subway project has entered phase two of extending the "Q" line, but Harlem businesses say they're struggling to co-exist with the construction.
City Council members say requirement for transparent roll-down gates is burdensome for small businesses ahead of the July 1 enforcement deadline.
For more than four decades, residents living beside Brooklyn's District 13 Sanitation Garage in Coney Island have been waiting for the facility to move away from their homes.
There's a swim club in Harlem teaching kids a lifesaving skill, and they're turning timid swimmers into competitors.
People dressed in elaborate headgear and paraded up Fifth Avenue for New York City's Easter Sunday tradition.
The Halloween tradition strolled through Manhattan's East Village on Sunday, with furry friends dressed in colorful costumes.
A suspect was taken into custody after an attack on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder on June 1 in which there were 15 people and a dog who were victims. The suspect threw Molotov cocktails that burned some of the victims, who were part of a march for Israeli hostages.
The annual Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival was held in Manhattan on April 20, 2025.
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
CBS News New York's John Dias has the latest on the strike, the LIRR's first since 1994, and Kristie Keleshian looks at alternative ways to get around during the work stoppage.
CBS News New York's John Elliott is calling for sunny skies and a high near 80 on Saturday, and it will be even warmer on Sunday.
Many gathered outside Penn Station on Saturday morning as the railroad begins its first strike in 32 years. CBS News New York's John Dias leads team coverage.
The MTA and the unions failed to come to an agreement on the fourth year of a new contract late Friday, leading to the railroad's first work stoppage since 1994. CBS News New York's John Dias reports.
Lonnie Quinn has the Tri-State Area's updated nightly forecast on CBS News New York.
