A 64-year-old man who escaped the September 11 attacks has allegedly been beaten to death in Florida.
Roger Borkum worked on the 77th floor of the World Trade Centre’s first tower until July 2001.
But he died four days after being attacked in Jacksonville on October 19.
Three teenagers face murder charges: Marcavion Lacey, 19, Robert Pope, 16, and Justin Curry, 13.
Jacksonville police located the three suspects within hours using witness descriptions.
Pope and Lacey were arrested shortly after Borkum’s death.
A grand jury indicted Curry, just 13 years old, on November 20.
Police say Mr Borkum, now homeless, suffered three separate assaults that evening.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Marcavion Lacey, Justin Curry and Robert Pope
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JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
The teenagers allegedly fled after the final attack, leaving the 64-year-old with fatal injuries.
A witness discovered him with blood pooling around his head and trailing along the pavement.
The attackers were seen searching through his rucksack during one assault.
One suspect claimed Mr Borkum had insulted their own dead friends.
A medical examiner determined he died from blunt force injuries after the attack.
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Roger Borkum was described as ‘compassionate, ethical, and intellectual’ throughout his life
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LEGACY
His sister Deborah described him as “a soft-spoken man who cared for everyone he ever met.”
She told the Florida Times-Union: “Although we don’t know what transpired in Roger’s life that caused him to be homeless, we’ll always remember him to be a man of integrity and a great work ethic… He is missed greatly.”
Mr Borkum left his consulting role at the World Trade Centre two months before the terrorist attacks.
All his former colleagues perished when the towers collapsed in September 2001.
His wife Celeste died on a humanitarian trip to Africa in 2009, according to his obituary.
All of Mr Borkum’s former colleagues perished when the towers collapsed in September 2001
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GETTYOriginally from Long Island, New York, Mr Borkum later became homeless in Jacksonville.
An excerpt from his obituary tells of how the 64-year-old was “throughout his life, compassionate, ethical, and intellectual”.
It continues: “He loved reading philosophical works from the Enlightenment and thinking about their implications for the proper manner of living.”
His family remains uncertain about the circumstances that led to him living on the streets.
Officials have argued that juvenile court sanctions would not be enough to account for the 64-year-old’s killing.
They said proceedings in a higher, adult, court would ensure proper accountability and judicial oversight.
The State Attorney’s Office said: “The juvenile justice system is neither designed nor equipped to handle offenders or offenses of this magnitude.”
The Sheriff’s Office confirmed all three teenagers now face murder charges.
