The Kramer Family Murders
For this case, I watched an episode of Mastermind of Murder. It’s season 2 episode 3, titled ‘Neighborhood Nightmare.’
Three members of a family are killed in a small town outside of Chicago.
Background
The Kramer family were very well liked. Jeffrey owned his own automobile repair company. He and his wife, Laurie married in 1980. Laurie was an avid gardener and animal lover. They had 3 children, Anthony, Angela and Michael. They lived in the small town of Darien, Illinois, just outside of Chicago.
Jeff, Laurie and Michael Kramer
The 911 Call
On March 2, 2010, the police received a phone call at 3:10am, from Angela Kramer, who was 25 at the time. She said, “I’m in the house, they’re shooting.” Angela said she was hiding in the closet in her parent’s house.
The dispatcher asked Angela how many shots she heard. Angela said about 10. Angela was whispering because she felt as if the shooter was still in the house.
The Darien police arrived, and saw a man climbing out of the basement window. He identified himself as Anthony Kramer, the oldest child, who had been sleeping in the basement. Anthony told the police that he heard gunshots and didn’t know who had been inside the house.
The police went through the front door of the house. They found a deceased male on the first floor of the home. A deceased female was found on the stairs. A 2nd male, and 3rd victim was found near the garage. They had all been shot multiple times, in the head and body.
The police found Angela still in her closet. There was no sign of the intruder or intruders. She was escorted out of the home. Anthony and Angela identified the victims as their parents, Jeffrey and Laurie, and their 20-year-old brother, Michael.
The Crime Scene
The police also learned that Michael’s girlfriend had been in the home at the time the shooting started. She was able to run out of the house. She said and Michael had been watching TV on the couch. They heard a loud noise, and the shooting started almost immediately.
Michael’s girlfriend was able to give the police a description of the shooter. She said he was dressed in all black, and that there was only one intruder.
The crime scene investigators found a broken window in the home. There was a hammer next to the window. The hammer had landed next to where Michael and his girlfriend had been. They recovered several .40 caliber shell casings, and found bullet holes in the walls.
It’s believed that Jeffrey came down the stairs to confront the intruder, and had been shot first. Laurie came down the stairs and was shot half way on the staircase. Michael had been in a struggle, as knives had been thrown around. He tried to get out of the house, but ended up in a room near the garage.
There were no valuables missing from the house.
The First Suspect
Around 8am on March 2, the police interviewed Angela and Anthony. Anthony said he had been in the basement and was asleep when the shooting started. He said he hid behind the pool table, and climbed out of the window when he thought it was safe.
The police were immediately able to rule out Anthony, Angela and Michael’s girlfriend.
Angela was asked if she knew if anyone who’d want to hurt her family. She told the police that she had just split up with the father of her son right after Christmas. Angela identified him as Johnny Borizov. Angela was asked if Johnny was a good guy, and Angela said he had anger management issues. Angela said she also left him because he was never able to get along with her family.
Angela and Johnny had dated for about 2 years, and had a son in 2009. They had moved in together, but Johnny became possessive. Johnny tried to isolate Angela from her family. Angela said Johnny threatened her family many times especially over the last few months that they dated.
Angela recalled an event from May 2009. She said a baby shower had been scheduled. It was supposed to be an all women event, but Johnny didn’t like that idea. Angela said that Johnny wouldn’t let her mom hold their son. She also said he just sat in the corner holding their son the whole time.
After this, Angela moved out and the custody issues started. Johnny didn’t want to pay child support and wanted full custody.
On the night of the murder, Johnny had custody of their son. Angela confirmed that Johnny knew where everything in the house was.
The Angry Ex
That same day, Johnny called 911. He said his girlfriend’s house had been shot up, and that he had seen it on the news. He agreed to go to the police station voluntarily. He told the police that he still had feelings for Angela, and was concerned that she was dead. Johnny was told that Angela was safe.
Johnny was asked about his whereabouts from the day before. He said he was at a casino all night. The police did obtain surveillance footage. Johnny walked into the casino around 10pm, and left around 4am. He wasn’t ruled out as being involved, and maybe knew who had committed the shooting. Their son had been at home with his parents.
Johnny was held at the police station. He denied being involved. Around 11pm, Johnny was on his phone in the interrogation room several times.
The police obtained a search warrant to look through his phone. There had been one number that had tried to contact him several times after the murders. The number came from a burner phone. This person left a voicemail for Johnny several hours after the murders. The person, Jake, said he was going to have to get rid of that phone soon, and had several black SUVs following him.
A man called 911 to report that he had just gotten a strange phone call from his ex-roommate, Jacob Nodarse aka Jake.
The Manhunt
The caller was identified as Jacob’s ex-roommate. He said Jacob had called him to say he was freaking out. He said he was driving on the highway, and felt as if there were nothing but cops around him. It was similar to the phone call that Jacob had left for Johnny.
The ex-roommate said that Jacob had always been depressed and had a close connection to Michael Kramer. They had been close friends, and knew mutual people.
The day before Thanksgiving 2009, Jacob and Michael had a falling out. Jacob had been kicked out of the apartment he had been living in.
The ex-roommate said he didn’t want to think Jacob was involved, but knew that if he was, he wouldn’t be able to handle it well.
Jacob had no criminal history. The police attempted to call his burner phone, but when there was no answer, they turned to his grandparents. They didn’t think Jacob was involved. His grandma said she had just gone out to dinner with him 72 hours before the murders. They described him as mild mannered. Jacob moved out of his parents home at 18 because they were very religious.
They did admit that Jacob had depression and suicidal tendencies. Jacob used drugs to self medicate.
After searching through several databases, the police learned that Jacob had purchased a .40 caliber Glock. This was just days before the murders, and at a sports store just 20 minutes away from the Kramer home.
Jacob was on the run, so the police enlisted the U.S. Marshals to help. A search warrant was obtained for the phone number associated with the burner phone. It was traced heading south into Florida. Jacob had relatives in Florida.
Jacob’s family members were contacted, and told that he was headed there. On March 3, Florida Law Enforcement and U.S. Marshals arrived at Jacob’s parent’s home. Jacob was sleeping in a van outside his parent’s home. They knocked on the window and took him into custody. There was no murder weapon found on him.
The Murder Plot
Jacob had been up all night using drugs. Jacob claimed he was afraid of repercussions if he opened his mouth. He claimed he and his family were in danger. Jacob said he had been convinced that murder had been the only way out. The police were able to convince Jacob that his family would be safe if he told them the truth.
Johnny and Jacob became friends in the summer of 2009. They were constantly together. Johnny was going through his custody battle with Angela, and wanted nothing to do with her family. Johnny provided Jacob a place to stay when he was kicked out of his apartment.
Jacob looked up to Johnny, but also feared him. Jacob said that Johnny was part of a gang that sold drugs. Jacob said Johnny’s friends were very violent, and that he had been several of them at different bars.
Johnny told Jacob that Angela knew too much about the gang members and their activity. He said that Angela had threatened to go to the police. Johnny said that the Kramer’s needed to be silenced.
Jacob seemed to believed everything Johnny said. He also believed that there would be several other murders that were supposed to take place that night. There was no proof that any other murders had taken place.
Jacob confessed to shooting the Kramer’s, and knew that he had been used by Johnny.
The 72 Hour Hold
In the days leading up to the murder, Johnny had instructed Jacob to buy the gun. Johnny mapped out the Kramer home, and told Jacob where to break in. Johnny’s specific instructions were to break in on March 2 at 3am. Jacob took several drugs and went to the Kramer home.
Jacob said he used a hammer to break the living room window. He saw Michael and his girlfriend on the couch. Jacob said he shot at him, and Michael ran into the kitchen. Jeff and Laurie came down the stairs. Jacob started shooting at them. He said “I just freakin panicked.”
After shooting them several times, Jacob shot all 3 of them again this time in the head. Johnny had instructed Jacob to walk through the whole house including the bedrooms. He said he had expected to find Angela. However, she was hiding. He also didn’t go to the basement, which is how Anthony was able to escape. After committing the murders, Jacob walked to his car, which was parked one street over, and drove to Florida.
At the time of Jacob’s confession, the police had 12 hours left to hold Johnny, and needed more evidence than just Jacob’s story.
Jacob said he had gotten rid of the murder weapon in a dumpster outside of a restaurant. The murder weapon and some clothing were recovered. The firearm matched the shell casings found.
The police were able to get an extension to hold Johnny. He refused to talk.
The Convictions
On March 5, Jacob was extradited back to Illinois. He had been placed in a cell next to Johnny. The jail cells in Illinois had microphones. Johnny opened his mouth, and began asking Jacob questions. He was also threatening him.
On March 6, Johnny was formally charged with murder.
In 2011, Jacob pled guilty to the murders. He was sentenced to 75 years.
In 2013, Johnny went on trial. Jacob agreed to testify.
The prosecution called Jacob the weapon that Johnny used. Johnny groomed Jacob, who relied on Johnny for everything. Johnny was sentenced to life in prison.
Johnny Borizov was found guilty of all 3 murders and soliciting them. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Johnny Borizov and Jacob Nadorse
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s always heartbreaking when anyone dies and is brutally murdered. But, Johnny was convinced that this entire family had to die including Angela. He convinced an obviously troubled man to carry out the murders. Jacob is disturbed but in no way innocent. They both deserve to die in prison.
Luckily, Angela and Anthony were able to survive.
Sources
https://abc7chicago.com/archive/9203445/
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/star-witness-in-darien-triple-murder-trial-takes-stand/
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/johnny-borizov-sentenced-darien-triple-murders/1958746/
