DA's Office: Sentenced Man Tried to Get Teen Son to Shoot Wife

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A Douglas County man will spend 25 years in prison from an intoxicated rampage during which he ordered his teenage son to shoot his wife before shooting at both of them.

The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release on Facebook that Keith Borden pleaded guilty Monday to several charges: one count first-degree cruelty to children, two counts third-degree cruelty to children, two counts aggravated assault and three gun-related charges.

Borden, a two-time convicted felon, was sentenced to 40 years, with the first 25 years in prison, followed by 15 years on probation.

The DA’s Office said Borden, after a night out at a club, argued with his wife on Jan. 4, 2014, an argument that escalated to include shots fired. At one point Borden tried to convince a son to shoot his wife, prosecutors said.

Evidence in the case, according to the DA’s Office, included:

On January 4th of 2014, the Defendant and his wife returned home from a night out at the club where the Defendant was extremely intoxicated. Upon returning home the Defendant engaged in a verbal altercation with his wife. Their 3 teenage sons were present at the home and at one point the Defendant, who was already a 2 time convicted felon, ordered his oldest teenage son to go retrieve a gun for him from another portion of the home. When his son returned with the gun the Defendant ordered his son to shoot and kill the son’s mother. When he refused, the Defendant then took the gun and pointed it at his son while threatening to kill him. The Defendant then fired the gun at his retreating son, but the bullet missed his son and struck the floor nearby.

Borden then threatened to kill his wife and proceeded to point the gun her head and fired the gun at her as well. She was able to throw her hands up in a self-defense as he fired the gun, and instead of shooting her in the head and killing her, the bullet struck and pierced her forearm. All 3 teenage children were present during the violent attack.

“I’m most grateful that these children are finally free from the Defendant’s continued abuse,” Senior Assistant District Attorney Bonnie Smith said in the news release. “This sentence sends the Defendant to prison for a very long time, and it also ensures these children will not have to testify during trial and relive the horrible abuse he put them through again.”

(Photo: Keith Borden, Douglas County District Attorney’s Office)