A Life of Tragedy: From 9/11 Survival to a Brutal End
A man who narrowly escaped the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center has been beaten to death in a shocking act of violence in Florida. Roger Borkum, 64, was found with severe injuries in a downtown area of Jacksonville on October 19, 2025, and succumbed to his wounds four days later in hospital.
According to police and an arrest report seen by the Daily Mail, the former consultant, who was homeless at the time, was the victim of a sustained and brutal assault. Three teenagers are accused of attacking Borkum on three separate occasions throughout that fateful night. After the final violent encounter, the group allegedly fled on foot, leaving Borkum to be discovered by a witness.
The Attack and the Accused
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office confirmed that a witness's description of the young suspects led to their swift apprehension within hours. Charged with his murder are Marcavion Lacey, 19, Robert Pope, 16, and Justin Curry, 13. Notably, Curry was just 12 years old on the night of the attack.
The arrest report paints a harrowing picture of the incident. Borkum was discovered with a 'large amount of blood pooled near his head, with blood also trailing the sidewalk.' At one point, his attackers were seen rummaging through his backpack. In a chilling statement, one of the suspects reportedly tried to justify the assault by claiming Borkum had 'dissed' their 'dead homies.' The medical examiner ruled that the cause of death was blunt force trauma.
Remembering the Man and Demanding Justice
An online obituary revealed that Borkum was originally from Long Island, New York, and had worked on the 77th floor of the North Tower in a consulting role. He had narrowly escaped the atrocities of September 11, 2001, after his job ended in July of that year—a twist of fate that meant all his former colleagues perished. His life was further marked by personal tragedy, having lost his wife, Celeste, during a humanitarian trip to Africa in 2009.
His sister, Deborah, remembered him as a man of integrity and a great work ethic. 'He was a soft spoken man who cared for everyone he ever met,' she told the Florida Times-Union. 'He is missed greatly.'
The State Attorney's Office has emphasised the seriousness of the crime, stating that the juvenile justice system is not equipped for an offence of this magnitude. By handling the case in Circuit Court, they seek to ensure it receives the 'level of accountability, supervision, and judicial oversight that the facts and law demand.' All three teens now face murder charges for their alleged roles in the death of a man who had already cheated death once.
