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.
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Air quality concerns in Philadelphia have led the Phillies to move up the start time of their series opener with the Mets by an hour.
A family of five from Spain, including three children, and the pilot died in the April 2025 crash.
More than 100 inmates at the sprawling Rikers Island correctional facility gathered in a gymnasium at the complex's main intake center to watch Wednesday's semifinal match between England and Argentina.
The recall includes cases of Pillsbury "Hard Roll Dough" and "Kaiser Roll Dough" bread rolls, which are marketed to businesses.
More than 100 inmates at the sprawling Rikers Island correctional facility gathered in a gymnasium at the complex's main intake center to watch Wednesday's semifinal match between England and Argentina.
Dmitriy Popov, 20, was convicted of stabbing and killing O'Shae Sibley, 23, at a Brooklyn gas station in 2023.
Five firefighters were hurt while battling a large fire that engulfed two homes in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx on Thursday morning.
The entire Tri-State Area is under an air quality alert Thursday for fine particulates. Residents should expect more hazy skies.
The "Rental Ripoff" report was released Thursday morning, stemming from months of hearings where hundreds of tenants across the city stepped forward to air their grievances.
The entire Tri-State Area is under an air quality alert Thursday for fine particulates. Residents should expect more hazy skies.
A heat advisory is in effect until Wednesday night for most of the Tri-State Area, with feels-like temperatures reaching into the 100s.
The Tri-State Area is dealing with extreme heat as cooling centers, pools, parks and other resources try to keep residents cool.
A heat advisory is in effect until Wednesday night for the Tri-State Area, with feels-like temperatures reaching into the 100s.
A heat advisory goes into effect from Tuesday to Wednesday for NYC and the surrounding area, as feels-like temperatures could reach the 100s.
Seven people were injured after a chlorine leak at an LA Fitness in a North Brunswick shopping center Thursday morning.
The entire Tri-State Area is under an air quality alert Thursday for fine particulates. Residents should expect more hazy skies.
A New Jersey daycare owner is accused of administering melatonin to two children in her care without the consent of their parents.
The entire Tri-State Area is under another air quality alert Thursday. Officials are urging residents to limit time outside.
A heat advisory is in effect until Wednesday night for most of the Tri-State Area, with feels-like temperatures reaching into the 100s.
A former cargo ship captain pleaded guilty on Wednesday to drugging and raping a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet.
The families of eight murdered women faced down Rex Heuermann and now want justice beyond the courtroom.
Authorities on Long Island are warning about a scheme in which victims are being urged to convert their savings into gold bars, then hand them over for "safekeeping."
Authorities on Long Island are warning about a scheme in which victims are being urged their savings into gold bars, and to then hand over those gold bars over for "safekeeping." CBS News New York's Carolyn Gusoff reports.
Some storms returned to the New York City and New Jersey area on Friday.
The "Rental Ripoff" report was released Thursday morning, stemming from months of hearings where hundreds of tenants across the city stepped forward to air their grievances.
New York City officials confirmed Wednesday that outreach teams were midway through efforts to help the homeless at a sprawling West Side encampment before dismantling their living spaces.
Part of President Trump's speech Thursday night is expected to touch on previously unreported alleged Chinese meddling in U.S. elections, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The future of the New York City horse carriage industry was debated Wednesday at a City Council public hearing.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing to lead the Justice Department in a permanent capacity.
A Queens man says he had trouble eating and drinking while suffering from cyclosporiasis.
The number of cyclosporiasis cases in the state of New York keeps growing.
As the number of cases of Legionnaires' disease on the Upper East Side continues to rise, City Council Speaker Julie Menin is blasting the Mamdani administration over its handling of the outbreak.
All of the Upper East Side buildings with cooling towers that tested positive for Legionella bacteria have completed necessary cleaning, New York City health officials said Sunday.
Thirty-one people who were hospitalized with Legionnaires' disease on the Upper East Side have been discharged, New York City health officials said Saturday.
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano," died Monday at 78, his family says.
The final show of Jay-Z's anniversary concert series at Yankee Stadium was delayed for hours after hundreds of ticketless fans flooded the gates and breached security, according to officials.
Jay-Z and some very special guests took over Yankee Stadium on Friday night, performing to a sold-out crowd.
Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh pop star best known for singing the chart-topping power ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in 1983, has died. She was 75.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were married in a place that generates plenty of garbage, and one man figured out there is a market for it if you package it just right.
Air quality concerns in Philadelphia have led the Phillies to move up the start time of their series opener with the Mets by an hour.
Defending World Cup champion Argentina rallied to edge England 2-1 to advance to Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium, where they will face Spain.
The World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina was a grudge match, reopening decades-old wounds for both countries.
Dylan Cease struck out the side in the first inning, combining with 10 relievers on a three-hitter in a show of pitching dominance that led the American League to a 4-0 win over the National League in the All-Star Game.
In a match Tuesday featuring two of soccer's biggest heavyweights, Spain put in a masterful performance, frustrating France to the tune of a 2-0 win to advance to Sunday's World Cup final.
Two Upper West Side children went on a mission to visit 40 playgrounds in one day, hoping to set a record.
Eddie Palmieri, the East Harlem legend who revolutionized Latin music, now has a street renamed in his honor.
Services for the UnderServed's urban gardens and beehives provide therapeutic opportunities for New Yorkers with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges
Religious institutions across the country are exploring how their properties can help address the affordable housing crisis, with a Brooklyn development offering a model for blending community needs with faith-based missions.
The Classical Theatre of Harlem's artistic director says Shakespeare's famous tragedy is more relevant today, though audiences can always expect a twist.
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.
Mary Calvi sits down with author Jo Piazza to discuss her book "The Parisian Heist", where an American artist in Paris becomes entangled in an art heist at the Musée d'Orsay while uncovering dark secrets of a wealthy family's past.
Scott Padgett has the Tri-State Area's updated Thursday afternoon First Alert Forecast on CBS News New York.
Det. Steven McDonald was shot on the job in 1986 and was left a quadriplegic before dying in 2017. For years, he inspired others with his act of forgiveness for the teen who pulled the trigger.
Julien is a 1.5-year-old lab mix who is shy but great with other dogs and people.
It's another hazy day as smoke from Canadian wildfires continue to impact the Tri-State Area. CBS News New York Meteorologist John Elliott has the forecast.
