Ruben Borchardt
Defendants:
Diane Borchardt – received life sentence
Douglas Vest, 16 – received life sentence
Michael Maldonado, 15 -received 18 years
Josh Yanke, 16 – received life sentence
Shannon L. Johnson, 20 – ?
Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story
Movies Based on True Stories website (a great site for this movie and others like it)
Wikipedia: Diane Borchardt
Borchardt’s son found father covered in blood
Suspects ate burgers after killing
Teen guilty in murder for hire
Vest murder verdict `unfair,’ mother says
5th person is charged in murder plot
Diane Borchardt loses her appeal for new trial
Diane’s appeal
Douglas Vest appeal
American Justice: Murder & Mrs. B DVD
April 28, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Your information regarding sentencing for Joshua Yanke is incorrect. He received a sentence of 18 years. He has since been released from prison.
April 29, 2008 at 6:36 am
Even if the information on here is wrong he should be serving life in prison without parole. He was in on it for a ring and $20,000 so he should be locked up for life.
June 19, 2008 at 8:46 pm
I was wondering if anyone had their address. I would like more information. And the only way to get that is to write to them and ask.
June 23, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I watched this movie on Lifetime movie network recently. It’s very sad how she convinced those boys to murder her husband, regardless though, they knew right from wrong and should have gone to the police with their concerns.
August 2, 2008 at 7:42 pm
I would love to see a real photo of Diane–I’m sure she doesn’t look like Ann Margaret!!!!!
August 9, 2008 at 2:41 pm
We watched the movie . A rerun Aug 2008. What a sad thing for a family to have to go through . I pray that the children come out strong. That it doesn’t completely ruin their lifes. The story stayed right with the facts. It doesn’t really happen. The story will have very little just a hint of the truth . The only thing I don’t know is if the daugther really had a child and named him Ruben . Also it was hard to understand why a boy would have to wear glasses with tape on them. The pictures of the real boy didn’t have glasses on in the picture I saw. Especially if it was true that the father had $6000. hid in his wall. That part may not have been true. Any way Ann Margaret was too good lookig for that part. But her and her husband Roger Smith has a true love story of their own . He manages her and he was one of the producers of this movie . Hey Roger ,Ann why not do your own love story ? It would be a good one with Roger’s health problems , you falling off the stage and being hurt and raising his children. Keep bringing the truely good real life stories . Its just so sad that they are true. Janice Shivers Cleburne ,Texas
August 15, 2008 at 6:59 pm
i know some of the people involved personally. ruben was a very nice man and he never hurt that crazy woman. yes josh is out of prison now. michael is incarcerated at the fox lake correctional institution in fox lake wi. doug is incarcerated at the new lisbon correctional institution in new lisbon wi. that woman really did coerce the young boys into killing her husband. i happen to live in the same town where that crazy bitch is in prison, a few miles away. she was at the high school when i attended there. she was very very good at getting people to feel sorry for her and to get people to do what she wanted them to do. yes brook did name her son ruben. and no, chuck didnt wear glasses with tape on them. the movie is pretty much how it really happened. except jefferson is not all spray painted it is a very nice town.
October 7, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Get this… Josh even lives back in Jefferson. He lives across the street from the fairgrounds! SOME NERVE!
October 22, 2008 at 9:21 am
The murder charge against Shannon Johnson was eventually dropped. I don’t know whether the perjury charge was dropped but either way, she is definitely free today.
October 23, 2008 at 10:38 am
Maldonado received life in prison and wil be elegible for parole after being served 50 years not 18…..
November 19, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Josh was a stuttering loser in school, and rumor has it he was a few inmate’s girlfriend in prison.
Doug was a want-to-be drug dealer that would pay anything for a bag a ditch weed.
Michael didn’t go to school in Jefferson, but I do remember seeing him around town with his pants down to his knees.
Diane was a whore. She had sex with at least three students plus Michael.
November 28, 2008 at 3:17 am
Just wondering what this small town is like where these people came from??????
February 24, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I think all the boys and the stupid bitch should spend their lives in prison. The boys were old enough to know right from wrong. I know a few of the boys she contacted first. At least they were smart enough to walk away. I know 2 of the kids that were not smart enough to walk away. That is really sad. I know they all came from broken families. That is no excuse.
May 7, 2009 at 11:36 am
I was in prison with Josh. He was very young but not a bad guy and I assure you, he was no ones girlfriend.
May 12, 2009 at 9:04 pm
first of all none of you knew these people i did and it is so sad that this even happened and you guys think its some joke. and the movie is an even bigger joke. none of it was real jefferson isnt like that and the people were not like that doug was no prep boy thats for sure and mrs b didnt seduce any of them they were just young and not thinking clearly. its jsut crazy that people get a kick out of this and really none of you know how it was or what they were like and you want to sit here and talk about them. get a life
May 12, 2009 at 9:07 pm
they lived in jefferson and not all of us make mistakes like that. and it is a nice little city by the way
May 12, 2009 at 11:20 pm
jefferson girl,
Most people do know that the movie and the real events are not the exact same. No reason to get defensive. The murder did happen and the victim needs to be remembered. Those who participated in any way in the murder do not matter if they were not portrayed correctly. Ruben Borchardt is the victim. You never even mentioned him. And he is the one who counts. He deserves justice and to always be remembered.
May 20, 2009 at 3:36 am
I am looking for the book based on the movie (If there is one)
Does anyone know.
Thanks
Karen
UK
June 22, 2009 at 4:02 pm
May Rueben Borchardt rest in peace, but why did he wait until he had another woman lined up before he decided he had enough of Diane. Sure you want your kids to have a mother, but with a mother like Diane Borchardt, who needs enemies? He should have divorced her long before he took up with his new love! After all, Brook and Chuck were his children before Diane was ever his wife!