Dogsbite.org member Borchardt Memorializes Sons Tragedy

By WhoIsColleen

Updated: March 8, 2014

Jeff Borchardt has traveled an incredible journey in the past twelve months.  March 6, 2013 at approximately 12:46 pm, an average day turned into tragedy.

Borchardt had agreed to help friend Steve Curly with a carpet laying job that day while leaving his 14-month old son in the care of Curly’s live-in girlfriend, Susan Iwicki, while the two worked.   Early in the afternoon Iwicki uncrated two dogs to take them outside to relieve themselves.  During that outing, the dogs attacked, seriously injuring Borchardt’s son and injuring Iwicki.  Borchardt’s son died shortly after from his injuries.

Now, that is the story we’ve all heard.  Or, at least one version of what happened that day.

But we want to examine the official story, the one that resulted from the police investigation.  At the time of initial investigation, there was consideration this case could have been a murder.  Due to the concern, Detectives were deployed, so this wasn’t just an animal control or humane officer and a few beat-cops working the scene. This was handled by seasoned investigators.

Detective Michael Banaszynski and Detective Craig were charged with securing and collecting physical evidence from the scene of the incident at Iwicki and Curly’s home.  At the time of processing, Detective’s collected items that were suspected to be clothing of Borchardt’s son, along with a black KONG toy.

When the scene was cleared Detective Banaszynski and Craig traveled to Mercy Hospital to obtain a statement from Iwicki.  In her initial statement, Iwicki gave detailed information regarding the dogs.  Bosston and Penny, littermates, were born April 4, 2010.  At 3 weeks old they were removed from their mother due to problems with the dog producing milk.  The mother dog had weighed approximately 35 lbs, the male dog, which was also on the premise of the adult dogs owner, was a large breed dog.  There were 7 pups born in the litter.

Jeff Borchardt Susan Iwicki Pit Bull Attack

When Banaszynski asked what breed the dogs were, Iwicki stated she didn’t know. She had a lot of detailed information about the litter, surely had breed been known she would have included that information.

Banaszynski asked about Bosston and Penny’s behavior.  Iwicki stated the dogs were trained to sit and wait until let out of their crates; that the dogs were not permitted to roam freely; and that a baby gate and cardboard were used to prevent the dogs from entering rooms they were not allowed in.  She informed Banaszynski  that the dogs had been crated at night, and had spent most of the day in the crates while Borchardt’s son was in her care.

Banaszynski asked if the dogs got along with other dogs, Iwicki stated that her sisters dogs’ would come to visit and all played and got along well.  Banaszynski asked Iwicki if Bosston and Penny ever fought.  Iwicki stated that once as pups the two dogs “had a fight over food” but they had corrected that.  The dogs were each fed morning and night.

Banaszynski how the dogs behaved with strangers, Iwicki shared that the dogs would jump up on people and bark.

Now, here is where the story seems to change, multiple times, over the past 12-months.

Iwicki stated in her sworn statement to police that she let the dogs out of their crate and took them outside, the dogs went off from her control to use the bathroom and then returned.  According to the statement, one of the dogs began biting her leg and pulling at her jeans.  She started slapping the dog in the muzzle telling it to stop, but she didn’t know which dog it was.

She’s raised these dogs from the age of 3 weeks old but couldn’t tell which dog was biting her as she was slapping it…IN THE FACE?

She goes on to give a detailed account of the incident as it unfolded.  According to Iwicki, both dogs start biting her coat and pulling.  They have not tried to hurt Borchardt’s son, they are only biting and pulling at Iwicki.  Next, she states, the dogs tore at her coat, causing her cell phone to fall from her pocket. She would tell another detective the phone was in her pocket when she called 9-1-1.

This is when the toddler began to cry.  Bosston then jumped up and grabbed the tassel of the boy’s hat, pulling it off of his head.  Iwicki was knocked to the ground about this time, and even though Iwick’s account could explain her phone being pulled from her pocket, she could not tell officers how she landed when she fell to the ground.  She couldn’t remember falling forward or backward but could remember rolling around on the ground with both dogs on top of her.

The toddler was no longer in her arms as she rolled around on the ground with two dogs on top of HER.

In media statements made by Borchardt and Iwicki after the incident, each projected a story that the dogs plotted the attack and targeted the toddler.  The stories indicated that Iwicki was a heroine of sorts as she covered the child and fought off the dogs.  However, in her police statement she goes on to describe getting to her knees, screaming in hope of alerting someone to come to her aid.  She saw her cell phone on the ground but couldn’t get to it, she then saw Borchardt’s son laying in the snow, the dogs now were biting at him, according to Iwicki, “going for his face.”  She stated she tried to kick the dogs away, and drove a finger into Penny’s eye to get her to stop.  But Bosston had the child’s jacket in his mouth, tugging.  Iwicki took the jacket off of the child so [the dogs] couldn’t bite the child.

She then tells Detective Banaszynski that the child was on the ground and the dogs would not let her near him, so she retrieved her phone while the dogs walked around Borchardt’s son, while on the phone with Walworth County 9-1-1, Iwicki claims that Bosston went over to the child and began licking him in the face where he had been bitten.  She was then able to scoop the child up and run into the home.

Iwicki stated that one of the dogs, she believes Penny, entered the home and was running around, so she put the dog in the kitchen and gated so the dog could not roam freely.  She left the child laying on the living room floor while she tended to the containment of the dog.

At that time, she noticed a deputy pull into the driveway and saw Bosston on the driveway as well.

Banaszynski asked Iwicki about the gate being off the hinges leading into the fenced yard.  Iwicki stated that, “because of the deep snow the gate has been off it’s hinges to the fenced area where the dogs attacked.”

Iwicki described Penny as a hyper dog, when Banaszynski asked what kind of playing did Iwicki do with the dogs, she stated, “both dogs like to play fetch with their KONG toy.  They retrieve it and release it when told to do so.”

We’ve covered Iwicki’s statement, her accounting of the events and examined her statement regarding the dogs themselves.

The dogs were less than 3-years old. They played well together and with other dogs. They showed no signs of human-aggression, but displayed poor training by jumping up and barking at strangers as a greeting. Penny was a hyper dog by nature, and both dogs were crated for extended periods of time prior to the incident on 3/6/2013.

Both dogs loved their KONG, and Detectives collected a KONG from the immediate area the incident occurred in.  Iwicki could remember minute details, then had no recollection of what should have been obvious.  Her phone fell to the ground as her pocket was ripped from her jacket, but she couldn’t remember which dog was being slapped across the muzzle.  Bosston jumped up and pulled at the tassel of the child’s hat, but she couldn’t remember if she fell forward or backward when she was knocked to the ground.  She remembered having both of the dogs on top of her, but didn’t explain how or when she lost the child from her arms.

Another detail that has been left out of public statements and comments by both Borchardt and Iwicki is the fact that Bosston had been sick with in the 24 hours prior to the incident.

Rather than taking the dog to a licensed and experienced veterinarian, Iwicki called her sister, described the symptoms and followed her suggestions.  We have no way now of knowing what may have been wrong with Bosston, or if the diet changes may have relieved some symptoms while others progressed.

In addition, the dogs were overdue routine veterinary care.  The dogs were last seen by their regular veterinarian in September of 2011.  According to the vet records, both dogs were out-of-date for their distemper, Lyme Disease and heartworm prevention treatments.  More importantly, the vet records noted that Penny required a slow approach due to her reactive nature.

Something more we learn from the vet records is breed label.  According to Geneva Lakes Animal Hospital, Bosston was a Boxer-mix and Penny was listed as a pit bull mix.
Iwicki had stated prior that she dogs were littermates, and that she did not know what breeds the dogs were.

In a telephone interview with Bosston and Penny’s vet whom had attended to both dogs, she clarified that Penny’s reaction was noted and would mean the dog was ‘stand-offish’ and would hide behind the owner.  Neither chart was marked to indicate aggressive behavior by Bosston nor Penny.

In other police statements, officers noted that the dogs did not appear aggressive, and were not irritated by the commotion or presence of the many strangers in the house during the investigation process.

We may never know what the true events were as they unfolded on that fateful day.  What we do know is that Iwicki’s statement has changed repeatedly throughout the past year.  In fact, it changed every time she told it to police.

In this statement to Detective Craig, Iwicki’s statement varies a great deal from the statement provided at the hospital. She claims she opened the gate (that was off it’s hinges due to the snow in another statement); she remembers which dog initiated the aggressive activity (compared to not knowing which dog she was slapping in the face in an earlier statement); she fell to the ground on her stomach in this statement, but couldn’t remember that in another; then she says that Bosston pulled the tassel of the child’s hat while they were on the ground.

During the investigation, a ‘jailhouse’ conversation was recorded between two inmates that indicated there was abuse that may have played into the dog’s attack on Iwicki and the child.

As a follow up to this recorded conversation, Detectives spoke with one of the individuals that made the statement, which was recanted at that time indicating the individual had no personal knowledge of the dog’s owners or the dog(s) themselves.

Another point that is rarely discussed by Iwicki or Borchardt is that while Iwicki states she was screaming for help throughout the majority of the incident, investigators canvassed the immediate neighborhood including next door neighbors that were home during the time.  According to neighbors, they had not heard any screams and were unaware of any incident until seeing and hearing emergency personnel in the vicinity.

In the following days, one individual called into 9-1-1 to provide a statement claiming that he had heard what sounded like kids having a snowball fight at the approximate time that news reports indicated the incident was to have taken place.  He stated that he often heard screams and shouts, contributing it to what he assumed were school children at the near-by school.

He is the only individual who stated hearing anything.

Borchardt stated to Detectives on the date of the incident that he would never speak with Iwicki or Curly again according to police reports.  He also stated it ‘would be his goal to have pit bulls banned by insurance companies and municipalities.’

Yet, today, the unlikely pair have partnered in effort to raise awareness for the public to the dangers of dog ownership.  In an interview provided by Borchardt on the 1-year anniversary of his son’s death, and the “Launch Party” date for his ‘educational’ organization, Borchardt states he wants to provide support for other victims and educate on dog breed behavioral issues. LeeAnn Trotter completes the segment with the statement, “Jeff Borchardt, using his tragedy to help educate others.”

Perhaps the NBC 5 Chicago affiliate’s reporter should have done some investigative reporting on the matter rather than taking Borchardt at his word.

Borchardt states his child would never have been in the house with Iwicki and Curly’s dogs had he known half of what he now knows about pit bulls.  Yet, he knew the day of the incident that bans are commonly fought and insurance discrimination is a standard for many dog owners (of a wide range of breed owners).  He also knew enough about pit bulls that he had witnessed two of Curly’s previous pit bulls engaged in a dog-fight, and when he described it to Detectives with the Walworth Sheriff’s Department, describing it with such intensity the his voice and hand gestures were noted.  He also knew enough about them that he had made statements to others that he would feed his own chihuahua to the dogs.  The friend he made this statement too told police that he had first thought something of that nature had taken place when he started hearing something had happened involving Borchardt and Curly’s pit bulls.

In addition, Borchardt has started a non-profit in his son’s memory.  He’s been soliciting donations non-stop since announcing the organization.  Publicly he continues to state the purpose of the web site is to raise awareness and public education about all dog breeds, an effort he hopes will save lives.

In truth, and in more private conversations however, Borchardt and his partners have shared a very different agenda.  The day after his son’s tragic death, Borchardt was already drumming up donations, as was reported by NBC15:

Borchardt has continued to raise funds, on the eve of the actual “turn on” of the site he was inviting people to review and support it with donations.

In addition to working on donations, Borchardt has shared privately that he is working on a class-action lawsuit.  While he claims the intent is not to win the case, he wants it filed so that it will open the door for future suits to have ground for filing.

His intent, it appears, is to target any organization that does not condemn the pit bull type dog or that supports breedless legislation.  The apparent logic is by removing any professional support from organizations would provide ease in obtaining his originally stated goal of banning pit bulls.

Of course, his organization does not share this with the public.  His agenda remains hidden, but his associate (who hides behind a fictitious persona on Facebook) has shared that they are playing a different game.  They will provide information about all breeds in effort to divert attention from the pit bull community and to fool lawmakers into viewing their site as a breed-neutral education organization, while posting and sharing news stories that are very much breed specific.  This tactic utilizes the subconscious influence for lawmakers and the public alike to see for themselves the dangers of pit bulls.

In addition to the conspiracy, Borchardt is generating an attack on various professional animal organizations by singling out individuals associated with such organizations.

According to Borchardt’s theory, National Canine Research Council is all fake.  Their peer-reviewed and published scientific research and reports are all fake and the product of three individuals associated with NCRC.

Again, it appears he is setting up an environment conducive to a lawsuit and with the hope of discrediting the organization or flexing an imaginary muscle in effort to bully the organization into not producing research that does not favor his position.

Whatever his purpose is, it’s veiled behind lies and deception.  A sad reality when considering the good a site like his could actually accomplish should it choose to provide neutral, fact-based information to individuals that are seeking help.

We could revisit that fateful day over and over, the possibilities of what occurred could be reviewed under every microscope available.  We will never know if Borchardt’s son was actually in Iwicki’s arms as she described or, if possibly the child was on the ground playing with his truck as she played fetch with the two dogs that were exerting pent up energy as they chased a black KONG toy.  Maybe the dogs were after the KONG she held in her hands next to the child as she carried him in her arms.  Maybe the dogs, in their overstimulated eagerness to get the ‘toy’ knocked her down, causing the child to cry and emulate the sound of prey.  Maybe it was the tassel that caught their attention.  Or maybe it was Bosston’s recent illness that caused his aggressive reaction to something that happened. Maybe it was one of the many stories that Iwicki shared with police that actually occurred.

We will never know.  What we can focus on is the absolute fraud Borchard is imposing on the general public with his Daxton’s Friends organization.  Providing ‘breed information‘ and ‘educating the public on dog behavior’ by a DJ/Carpet layer who happens to also have experienced an unimaginable loss does not qualify Borchardt or his supporters as experts.  Most of the information was written by the fake “Pikowski” and assisted by the Dogsbite.org members in creating definitions and descriptions.

Borchardt planned an elaborate “Launch Party” on March 6, 2014 held at theMayslake Peabody Estate that ranges rentals from $25 to $500 for up to 4-hour events.  Borchardt’s recent travel history would indicate he is investing a great deal in his lobbying efforts as well, a violation of 501c3 regulations.  When considering his background, should the public be aware of his history with tax and legal issues?

05-03-1996 Possession w/ Intent to Deliver Marijuana, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, Possession Of Marijuana
04-29-1997 Tax Warrants $ 4,684.37
05-01-1998 Small Claims
10-18-2010 OWI (2nd), Operating w/ PAC (2nd)
05-23-2011 Operating While Revoked (Rev due to alc/contr subst/refusal)

and Susan’s ?

01-24-2004 Operating While Revoked 
02-03-2005 Bail Jumping-Misdemeanor 
02-01-2005 Operate w/o Carrying License 
03-30-2005 Civil judgment 16,853.14 
07-07-2006 Bail Jumping-Misdemeanor 
06-14-2006 Operating While under Influence (2nd) 
07-06-2006 Operating While Revoked (2nd) 
11-06-2006 Civil judgment $ 3,611.51 
10-11-2007 Operate w/o Carrying License 
07-09-2008 Possession of THC, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, Bail Jumping-Misdemeanor 
04-02-2008 Operate w/o Carrying License 
12-01-2008 Civil judgment $ 1,337.00 
04-02-2008 Operate after Rev/Susp of Registration

Sadly, it appears the loss of an innocent child is lost in greed and hate.  WhoIsColleenLynn invites Mr. Borchardt to respond to any of the information provided in this article.  We welcome any truthful statement from Susan Iwicki as well.  Until then, we wanted to share the truth as we have it based on police reports, investigation documentation and from the individuals themselves.