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.
Watch CBS News
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.
Video shows a Bronx man being handcuffed in a brutal takedown as he tells ICE agents they got the wrong guy.
A system that thousands of schools and universities use was offline due to a cyberattack.
The Montclair School District Board of Education voted Wednesday to eliminate freshmen sports programs due to budget cuts.
The Brooklyn mother of a student with autism has been trying to find out why her son came home from school last month with two teeth missing.
A New Jersey mother claims her son died at a day program for developmentally disabled adults because of negligence.
Video shows a Bronx man being handcuffed in a brutal takedown as he tells ICE agents they got the wrong guy.
The Brooklyn mother of a student with autism has been trying to find out why her son came home from school last month with two teeth missing.
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.
The MTA and five of its unions are embroiled in a contract dispute that could trigger the LIRR's first work stoppage in more than 30 years.
Fire officials say the deadly Inwood fire earlier this week followed an all-too-similar pattern -- flames spreading through open doors.
After summer-like warmth, rainy weather and cooler temperatures return to the New York City area mid-week.
A cool weekend is ahead for the New York City area before warmer weather returns.
Some residual showers may linger into early Sunday morning, but the majority of the rainfall should be over by sunrise.
Amtrak announced Thursday it is suing Metro-North for allegedly blocking nonrevenue trains on a portion of the busy Northeast Corridor for over two months.
The Tri-State Area has the dirtiest air in the U.S. east of Texas, according to The American Lung Association's newly released "State of the Air" report.
The Montclair School District Board of Education voted Wednesday to eliminate freshmen sports programs due to budget cuts.
A New Jersey mother claims her son died at a day program for developmentally disabled adults because of negligence.
Round-trip rail tickets were going to cost World Cup fans $150. They will now be $105, NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri said Thursday.
Firefighters are still putting out hot spots on buildings destroyed by a massive warehouse fire in Belleville, New Jersey, that started Sunday.
Rutgers University has rescinded its invitation to a graduation speaker, saying his anti-Israel comments make some uncomfortable.
The MTA and five of its unions are embroiled in a contract dispute that could trigger the LIRR's first work stoppage in more than 30 years.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $268 billion budget that includes a pied-à-terre tax targeting wealthy New York City second home owners.
Brookhaven town residents are anxious and worried about the underwater toxic plume created by the landfill.
It's a mixed bag for Gov. Kathy Hochul in the latest poll.
Police identified the suspect in the deadly stabbing of two women on Long Island, saying he lived with one of them and worked with the other.
New York City's Rent Guidelines Board held a preliminary vote Thursday proposing a potential increase for 1 million rent-stabilized apartments across the five boroughs.
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams is weighing in on the ongoing war of words between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and billionaire Ken Griffin.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $268 billion budget that includes a pied-à-terre tax targeting wealthy New York City second home owners.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has now left the intensive care unit, his spokesperson said, after being hospitalized with pneumonia.
A former cellmate has previously claimed that the note was written by Epstein after a failed suicide attempt less than a month before his death.
Three passengers have been evacuated from a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak, as related cases are confirmed in Switzerland and South Africa.
The FDA announced its first authorization of fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes intended for adult smokers, a major policy shift after months of appeals to President Trump from the vaping industry.
There's been a confirmed measles case in Manhattan, health officials said Tuesday.
Keyport residents say they're on edge because of dozens of cancer cases over the years in a neighborhood near the former Aeromarine landfill.
The B.R.O. Experience Foundation uses cognitive behavioral therapy, mentorship and creative expression to support men of color navigating identity.
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.
Firefighters responded to Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theater Monday morning after a blaze broke out.
The 2026 Met Gala's dress code is "Fashion is Art," which goes hand-in-hand with the theme of "Costume Art."
Jake McCarthy hit a grand slam and matched a career-high with five RBIs as the Rockies snapped a six-game losing streak with a 6-2 over the Mets on Thursday.
Trent Grisham hit a go-ahead, three-run double in a six-run sixth inning, and the Yankees beat the Rangers 9-2 Thursday for their 16th win in 19 games.
OG Anunoby is dealing with a hamstring issue, but the Knicks forward appears to have avoided a serious injury after leaving late in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Joel Embiid has urged 76ers fans not to sell their playoff tickets to Knicks supporters.
The surging New York Mets beat the Colorado Rockies 10-5 on Wednesday night after the start time was pushed back six hours due to a snowstorm.
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.
The Davis Center at the Harlem Meer is celebrating one year of providing year-round recreation space to New Yorkers while still spreading the word to residents.
Residents displaced by a deadly apartment building fire in Inwood say it was only a matter of time before their building went up in flames.
In New York City, where land is at a premium, a stockpile of pristine soil unearthed at construction sites helps lower emissions and support urban farmers.
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 Lonnie Quinn has your First Alert Forecast for May 7 at 11 p.m.
People who attended a Met Opera performance in April may have been exposed to measles.
A nearly $20 million budget gap has led to controversial cuts in a North Jersey school district. Now, freshmen sports programs at Montclair High School have been eliminated. CBS News New York's Lisa Rozner explains how parents are taking matters into their own hands.
The U.S. military says it intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and responded with self-defense strikes. Jessi Mitchell reports.
Several families in New York City are heartbroken by deadly fires in two separate communities. In both cases, the FDNY says open apartment doors helped flames spread through the buildings. CBS News New York's Naomi Ruchim reports.
