What to know
- Carlsbad resident Lisa Thorborg was found dead on a hiking trail that runs through Hosp Grove Park in Carlsbad on November 23, 2020
- A 17-year-old suspect was arrested for his murder on December 14, 2020
- During a hearing on December 22, testimony revealed that teens’ DNA was found on Thorborg’s shorts; detectives said there was no evidence of robbery or sexual assault in the killing
DNA from a 17-year-old boy accused of fatally stabbing a woman last month on a hiking trail in Carlsbad was found on the victim’s shorts, according to testimony heard Tuesday in San Diego juvenile court.
The teenager – whose name has not been released by the police because he is a minor – has been charged with the murder of Lisa Thorborg, 68.
Thorborg’s body was found on the Hosp Grove path on the morning of 23 November. Her death sent shock waves through Carlsbad.
For three weeks, there was no answer as to who had killed the grandmother.
On December 14, the teenage suspect was arrested on a beach in Carlsbad in connection with Thorborg’s murder. At his placement last week, he denied all allegations.
Police arrested a 17-year-old resident of Carlsbad in connection with a female fatal stabbing on a popular hiking trail. NBC 7s Alexis Rivas has more.
Tuesday’s hearing revealed some of the preliminary facts that led to Carlsbad police arresting the boy, who is still facing the possibility of being charged as an adult.
Should a judge rule that the teens be prosecuted as adults, the defendant is entitled to life without parole.
Based on evidence heard Tuesday, San Diego Superior Court Judge Richard Monroy ruled that there was sufficient evidence that the case could continue and that the boy who pleaded guilty last week continued to be detained.
Among the details revealed during the hearing are that the boy’s DNA was found on Thorborg’s shorts, and that surveillance footage from the nearby area captured a boy resembling the defendant who ran away from the park about 15 minutes after police believe , that Thorborg was killed.
Surveillance footage and reader data from license plates also showed the boy’s grandmother sending him off near the park about an hour before the attack.
After Thorborg’s death, the police put a camera in the park. Police claimed the camera took pictures of the suspect, who ventured down the path several times after Nov. 23, often barefoot and wearing flip-flops.
Two pairs of flip-flops, including one believed to belong to the teenager, were found near the crime scene.
He was reportedly contacted by police in early December and ran away
officers who took him into custody at the time his DNA was taken.
The boy was arrested again on December 14, this time in connection with Thorborg’s deadly stabbing.
Detectives have not revealed a suspected motive for the killing, but testified that the victim was not robbed or sexually assaulted.
No outstanding suspects are being sought in the case, according to
Carlsbad Police Lieutenant Jason Jackowski.
The teenager will be in court again on January 25, 2021.
Police arrested a 17-year-old resident of Carlsbad in connection with a female fatal stabbing on a popular hiking trail. NBC 7s Alexis Rivas has more.
The murder of Lisa Thorborg
Thorborg was a beloved grandmother who had moved to Carlsbad with her family only 6 months ago.
On the morning of November 23, detectives from the Carlsbad Police Department believe that Thorborg was walking alone on a path that runs through Hosp Grove Park – just a few blocks away from her home.
Investigators said Thorborg had sent some messages on social media in the days leading up to her killing, asking if anyone around wanted to go hiking with her.
“Are you walking on someone?” she wrote on NextDoor, a social media site that connects neighbors. “I would love the company.”
Carlsbad police are still investigating these positions and whether they had anything to do with Thorborg’s murder.
The crime left residents of Carlsbad at the helm for several weeks.
Earlier this month, police issued a message on social media in which the affected parties were not tried to take the investigation into their own hands. Investigators became concerned because of social media posts circulating in the community, suggesting that civilians, frustrated by the lack of progress in the case, would search nearby homeless camps for suspects.
Following the suspect’s arrest on December 14, Thorborg’s family released a statement saying they were grateful for the “outpouring of support, love and generosity” from the Carlsbad community.
Following the news of the arrest, Thorborg’s family published the following statement in part:
“Our family moved hit with Lisa just 6 short months before her tragic death, and in a year dominated by COVID, there has not been much opportunity to meet our new neighbors and make friends. However, since the shocking news of Lisa’s death, there has been an endless outpouring of kindness and generosity that literally brings us to tears and warms our hearts. From the organization of the ‘Finish Lisa’s Walk’ event in Hosp Grove to the many meals, flowers and gifts we have received, we want you to know that we feel SO loved and supported by this incredible community. ”
The family said they were convinced the police would help do justice to Thorborg.
In the weekend after Thorborg’s death, hundreds from the Carlsbad community and onwards organized “Finish Lisa’s Walk”, a symbolic walk on the same path where the victim was found dead a week before.
The community wanted to end the trip that Thorborg could not end.
It has been almost three weeks since someone stabbed 68-year-old Lisa Thorborg to death on a hiking trail, reports Alexis Rivas from NBC 7