News Relase
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating the murder of a 5-year-old boy that occurred Monday in St. George Island, Fla. Marianne Bordt, 71, the boy’s grandmother, was arrested by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and charged with first-degree murder.

Bordt and her husband, both German nationals, were vacationing in Florida with their 5-year-old grandson from Roswell, Ga. Investigators allege that when Bordt’s husband went to the store on Monday afternoon, Bordt drowned the boy in the bathtub. An autopsy will be performed today at 1 p.m.

Bordt was booked into the Franklin County Jail. The Germany Consulate has been contacted.

For Additional Headlines - go to our News Section »

• Bank Robbery Suspect Still At Large
  made by gator
• Bank Robbery Suspect Still At Large
  made by 216.250.166.120
• Sea Turtle Cold Stun
  made by carlchilders
• Methods to Quit Smoking
  made by boochips
• Winter Weather Related Information
  made by batticdoor

• Woman Charged with Murdering Grandson
• New Life for Miracle Strip Amusement Park
• American Postal Workers Union to Picket at USPS Public Meeting
• Winter Weather Related Information
• New Details on Mill Accident
• Bank Robbery Suspect Still At Large
• Bowden Goes out a Winner
• Out of Service Elevator Brings Complaints From Apartment Building Residents
• Twelve-year-old Girl Transported to Hospital for Drug Overdose
• Inmate Charged With Defrauding Other Inmates, IRS

Woman Charged with Murdering Grandson
01/05/10 - 09:02 PM
 RSS Feed

Marianne Bordt, 71, is ordered to be held without bond after a 3:30 p.m. Tuesday first appearance in Franklin County Court in Apalachicola. Bordt is charged with murder in the drowning death of her grandson, Camden Hiers, 5 of Roswell, GA. 

St. George Island Fire Chief Jay Abbot was first on the scene after Bordt’s Husband turned her in Monday at around 4:30pm.

“It was sick.  A 5-year-old,” he said, struggling, “I have 4 grandkids and to see something like that was just awful.”

According to police reports, Heinz Bordt told authorities he returned to the vacation home in St. George Island after shopping in Apalachicola to find Marianne wet.  He said she told him she tried to kill herself in the Gulf of Mexico after drowning her grandson in the bathtub to keep him from growing up in a divorced home.  Reports say Heinz took her to the fire station and turned her in.

“We were just overwhelmed like is this for real?  When he came to the fire house we asked, ‘Where is the child?’  We thought the child was in the car,” said Abbot.

But, when emergency officials arrived at the home, it was too late.

“We found a 5-year-old lying on the floor deceased,” said Abbot.

Bordt, a German national, speaks only German. A translator was hired by the court for the proceeding.

“It creates a lot of difficulties but we do what we have to do to make sure the defendant’s rights are protected and the system works the way it’s supposed to work,” said Asst. State Attorney Jared Patterson.

Bordt was assigned a public defender and her passport is being held. Her husband, Heinz Bordt, was not in the courtroom during the proceeding. 

The boy’s parents were also not in court Tuesday afternoon.  A date for Bordt’s first arraignment has not yet been set.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement tells News 13 that the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office asked them for assistance in the case due to the suspect being a German national.