3 teens beat, kill man who 'narrowly escaped' 9/11 terrorist attacks

Three teenagers were recently arrested and charged in a “vicious attack” that led to the death of a 64-year-old former World Trade Center worker who “narrowly escaped” the terror attacks on September 11, 2001.

In a recent press release, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a 13-year-old, a 16-year-old, and a 19-year-old had been arrested following a “vicious attack” against a 64-year-old male victim in Jacksonville, Florida. 

 “On Sunday, October 19, 2025, District 1 patrol officers responded to an aggravated battery and discovered Roger Borkum had been severely beaten,” the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office stated. “He was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries four days later.”

According to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrest report obtained by The New York Post, 64-year-old Roger Borkum was found “severely beaten” just prior to midnight on October 19 in downtown Jacksonville. The report noted that three teenage suspects had been seen “kicking and stomping” Borkum.

The New York Post reported that the three suspects were observed “rummaging” through the victim’s backpack before returning roughly 20 minutes later and kicking the 64-year-old “multiple” times. The outlet noted that the three teenage suspects were observed “battering the victim three separate times” in the attack.

According to The New York Post, the 64-year-old victim, who was homeless at the time of the October incident, was discovered with blood “pooled” around his head and with a “blood trail extending down the sidewalk.”

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office explained that police officials were able to quickly locate the three teenage suspects within hours of the “vicious attack” after a witness of the incident provided law enforcement officials with descriptions of the suspects.

According to the press release, an investigation conducted by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s Homicide Unit detectives led to the identification of the suspects as 19-year-old Marcavion Lacey, 16-year-old Robert Pope, and 13-year-old Justin Curry, who was only 12 years old at the time of the attack.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Lacey and Pope were both arrested shortly after Borkum’s death, while Curry was indicted by a grand jury on November 20. The three teenagers have been charged with murder following Borkum’s death.

In a statement obtained by The New York Post, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said, “This case is a heartbreaking reminder of how young some offenders have become and how devastating the consequences are for victims, families, and the surrounding community.”

According to Borkum’s obituary, the 64-year-old worked at the World Trade Center shortly before the terrorist attacks on September 1, 2001. 

“He himself narrowly escaped death when a consulting job ended in late July 2001,” the obituary stated. “The job was on the 77th floor of tower 1 of the World Trade Center; his coworkers perished on September 11 of that year.”