Kara Beth Borden & David Ludwig

On the Run

Although authorities maintain that the investigation is ongoing, they have consistently said that they believe Kara Borden was a victim of her boyfriend's rage, that she hadn't an inkling of what Ludwig might do and that she was an unwilling partner in Ludwig's flight across two and a half states. In short, authorities have maintained, she was kidnapped.

In fact, as soon as police got a clear idea of what had happened that morning, they issued an Amber Alert for Kara, notifying authorities and motorists all over the region to be on the lookout for Ludwig's parents' bright red Volkswagen Jetta. For nearly a day and a half, the media broadcast the alert, and on the afternoon of Monday, Nov. 14, the manhunt ended when an Indiana State Trooper spotted the car speeding west near Belleville, Indiana, some 600 miles west of Lititz.

Belleville, IN & Lititz, PA map

According to Indiana authorities, Ludwig led police on a five-mile high speed chase before finally crashing his car into a tree on an unfamiliar back road about 20 miles outside of Indianapolis. Neither Ludwig, who offered no resistance when he was arrested, nor Kara was injured in the crash, though the girl was, by all accounts, on the verge of hysteria when she was pulled from the wreck.

The crashed red Jetta

The following day, Ludwig waived extradition and was loaded aboard a small plane for the short flight from Indiana to Lancaster County. He was charged with murder and kidnapping. Kara, who was also brought home, is staying with relatives.