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STAMFORD, Conn. State's Attorney David Cohen received a large and voluminous report from the Stamford police on the Christmas Day fire that killed five people, Capt. Richard Conklin said. The report was hand-delivered Tuesday afternoon.
The report contained statements from witnesses, family members and contractors; reports from Stamford Fire & Rescue and the building department; and his investigators' report, Conklin said. The materials Cohen received were about 90 percent of the investigation. With the large amount of information gathered, police wanted him to begin looking it over before the investigation was concluded, Conklin said.
The police captain said that turning over information to the prosecutor does not mean criminal charges will be brought. Conklin said he does not expect to hear back from Cohen soon.
The initial investigation conducted by the fire marshals found that Michael Borcina, a friend of homeowner Madonna Badger, disposed of ashes from the fireplace in the rear of the Shippan home sparked the fire that took the lives of Badgers three daughters, Lilly, 10, and twins Sarah and Grace, 7, as well as her parents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson. Badger and Borcina were the only two survivors of the Stamford blaze.
Police joined the investigation in the first week of January to answer questions the fire marshals could not. The investigation had two goals: to determine whether criminal action took place, as well as to find out how similar fires could be prevented, Conklin said.
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