May 23, 2025 • 11 mins
Katie Baunach did everything right. She got a restraining order. She documented the abuse. She followed the law. She tried to get help. The system failed her.
But when she went back to her ex-husband’s house just to grab a few things, he was waiting for her. And what happened next is something no one should ever have to hear.
Listen to the case of Ian Baunach
If you or someone you know is in danger, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. Help is free, confidential, and available 24/7.
************************************************************************************************
Past Cases Mentioned in this Episode:
“She Did Everything Right” The Florida Murder of Mary Gingles | Nathan Gingles
https://murderandlove.com/she-did-everything-right-the-florida-murder-of-mary-gingles-nathan-gingles/
************************************************************************************************
Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you’d like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contact
Find the sources used in this episode and learn more about how to support Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide and gain access to even more cases, including bonus episodes, ad-free and intro-free cases, case files and more at: https://murderandlove.com
Music:
℗ lesfreemusic
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
But when she went back to her ex-husband’s house just to grab a few things, he was waiting for her. And what happened next is something no one should ever have to hear.
Listen to the case of Ian Baunach
If you or someone you know is in danger, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. Help is free, confidential, and available 24/7.
************************************************************************************************
Past Cases Mentioned in this Episode:
“She Did Everything Right” The Florida Murder of Mary Gingles | Nathan Gingles
https://murderandlove.com/she-did-everything-right-the-florida-murder-of-mary-gingles-nathan-gingles/
************************************************************************************************
Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you’d like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contact
Find the sources used in this episode and learn more about how to support Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide and gain access to even more cases, including bonus episodes, ad-free and intro-free cases, case files and more at: https://murderandlove.com
Music:
℗ lesfreemusic
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
She said she'd be right back, just grabbing a few
things from her ex's house, But hours later, her car
was abandoned, her phone was silent, and the air around
his property reeked of something no one wanted to name.
Today we tell you about the murder of Katie Bornach.
Welcome to Love and Murder, Heartbreak to Homicide, your Florida
(00:22):
Man Friday episode. We are your hosts Ai, Jane, Jessica
and Jensen. We're happy that you found our little section
of the Internet and took the time to listen to
this victim's story. Don't forget to subscribe on whatever platform
you're on. But if you didn't know, joining our Patreon
is one of the best ways to help keep these
(00:43):
victims stories alive. Patreon dot com slash Love and Murder.
You can sign up for free and still get some benefits,
or choose a bonus tier. The five dollar tier is
our most popular option. Patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder. Now,
let's get into your Florida Man Friday episode. On September thirtieth,
(01:05):
twenty twenty two, a group of worried friends called the police,
reporting their friend, thirty nine year old Katie Bornac missing.
They told police that on September twenty ninth, twenty twenty two,
Katie dropped off her two children with a friend. She
said she was going to her ex husband house forty
(01:25):
three year old Ian Bornach to pick up a few
personal items. She told her friend she'd be right back.
She never came back. Henry County deputies went to Ian's
home in LaBelle, Florida to investigate. During their first visit,
they found Katie's car parked in the driveway with her
purse still inside, but neither Katie nor Ian was home.
(01:48):
When deputies returned shortly after, the car had been moved,
now abandoned on the side of the road. The gates
were locked, and Ian, who was pacing around the property,
refused to let them in. That refusal made officers get
a warrant. What they found was every woman's worst nightmare.
Ian Christopher Bornac was a former United States Marine who
(02:11):
retrained as an engineer. He was also a bodybuilder, competing
in the IFBB Master's National Bodybuilding Championships in twenty sixteen.
Standing six feet three inches tall and weighing two hundred
and fifty pounds. Katie Bornack was a nurse and the
mother of their two young children. A friend and neighbor
(02:31):
described her as having a generous spirit and a good
mamma who loved her children fiercely. Katie's and Ian's relationship
had a long history of domestic violence. In November twenty
twenty one, Ian was arrested on charges of domestic battery
by strangulation. He was released the same day on a
twenty five thousand dollar bond. Prosecutors dropped the charges, although
(02:56):
the case's lead prosecutors said that she would have continued
without victim testimony, and in ninety percent of similar cases,
the charges were dropped. In January twenty twenty two, Katie
forgave Ian after he told her he had changed and
found religion. Attorney Joseph Gerard via Carver, who represented Ian
(03:16):
in the strangulation case, said that his and his client's
opinion was that Katie was using the claim as leverage
in their divorce settlement, arguing that the state wouldn't have
been able to prove the allegation as there was no corroboration.
In March twenty twenty two, Ian allegedly kicked Katie in
the back and threatened to kill her. Katie reported this
(03:39):
to the Henry County Sheriff's office, and deputies requested an
arrest warrant, sending the case to the state attorney's office. However,
prosecutors did not file charges. Just six weeks before her death,
Katie took out a restraining order against Ian. She accused
him of abusing one of their children. However, a Lee
(03:59):
County JIU judge reportedly denied her request for a restraining
order around this time. According to a recording of the hearing,
judge Amy Hawthorne cited concern for the children and told
Katie to make peace with Ian.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
The judge said, I know probably neither one of your
stories is probably one hundred percent true, because it can't be.
You need to get over your anger at each other
or whatever bad feelings you have toward each other, or
suppress them, or do therapy or do something, because what
you're doing to your kids is just an abomination.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
A spokesperson for the twentieth Judicial Circuit later said that
judges make decisions based on the law and limited information,
calling Katie's death a true tragedy. Later, Ian's two ex
wives told the news press that they had reported Ian
to their local police for domestic violence, but they felt
that authorities didn't take their reports seriously and Ian was
(04:56):
never convicted of a crime. On September thirtieth, deputies return
to Ian's property, this time with a warrant, and they
forced their way in. Inside, they found signs of a struggle,
blood traces, a broken mirror, and Katie's engagement and wedding
rings in Ian's safe. They also found firearms, unregistered silencers,
(05:17):
and vials of steroids. In total, thirteen silencers and a
lot of different firearms were found, many of them modified
to accept silencers. Investigators found blood in the hallway between
the garage door and the foyer and blood in Ian's
car trunk. He blamed it on groceries, but worse was
(05:38):
found outside. Police discovered a fresh burn pile that smelled
of death. Inside, they discovered the fragment of a human
mandible with an intact tooth in a fresh burn pile. Nearby,
a fifty gallon oil drum contained more bone fragments and
reeked of decaying flesh. A friend and neighbour but smelling
(06:00):
something burning the night, Katie is believed to have been killed.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Saying not even realizing until later what I could have
been smelling.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
When questioned, Ian denied killing his ex wife. He waved
his Miranda rights and told detectives that Katie showed up
and they got into an argument over another woman. He
claimed he went to sleep because he did not want
to argue, and when he woke up, Katie Barnock was gone.
He said that he then moved her car to the street.
(06:30):
He admitted to being angry that Katie Barnock filed for
and received a domestic violence injunction against him. When asked
about the blood found inside, he stated that he did
not believe the officers. He blamed the blood in the
trunk on groceries he had transported, claimed he didn't believe
they found blood in the hallway, and blamed a broken
(06:51):
mirror on having bumped into it while walking down the hall.
He also insisted that because they did not have a body,
Katie was not actually a missing person. Based on the
evidence found at the property, Ian was arrested. He was
charged with multiple offenses, including first degree premeditated murder, destruction,
(07:13):
concealment of physical evidence, illegally cremating a dead body forty
eight hours after death, failure to report death to a
medical examiner, drug possession for the steroids, violating federal firearms law,
use of a two way communication device to facilitate a felony,
and tampering with evidence. He was also booked in December
(07:36):
twenty twenty one for contempt of court. He pled not
guilty and was held without bail in the Henry County Jail.
He is also reportedly being held in federal custody awaiting
trial on federal firearms charges related to possessing unregistered silencers.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. State attorney Emir Fox
(07:57):
said the crime was cold, calculate, and premeditated, without any
pretense of moral or legal justification. Ian's attorney, Robert P. Harris,
expressed disappointment that the state is seeking execution. In a statement,
Harris wrote.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Mister Ian Barnack is a former United States Marine, a
war hero who sacrificed his body and his peace of
mind for his country. It is disheartening that the government
he fought to protect and preserve is going after him
with the ultimate punishment. We maintain Ian Barnack's innocence and
will vigorously defend him in a court of law.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Katie's mother, Carolyne McKinney, shared her perspective. After prosecutors asked
what punishment she wanted due to her faith, she felt
compelled to say life in prison with no possibility of parole, writing.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I can't say I want someone to die, but the
state attorney said it's the only way to make sure
he at least gets life, saying that this could potentially
be changed or negotiated later.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Ian waived his right to appear at a recent court
appearance and his right to a speedy trial. His next
court appearance is reportedly set for May tenth. Local law
enforcement praised the Henry Sheriff's Office's investigation, saying that the
quick action by the investigators allowed them to arrest Ian
(09:21):
before he destroyed evidence or fled. Katie tried to get help.
She documented the abuse, She reported the violence, She got
a restraining order. She followed the law, and the system
failed her. A judge dismissed her plea prosecutors dropped charges,
and when she went back one last time to gather
(09:41):
her things, Ian was waiting. Katie's neighbor later said.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I remember coming out on the porch and saying to
my husband, who would be burning anything right now.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
She didn't realize what she was smelling was Katie. Katie
was a nurse, a mother, a woman who just wanted
to get her belonging and go home to her children.
Now her children are being raised by other family members,
left without their mother. In October twenty twenty three, Carolyn
said in an interview that the death of their mother
(10:14):
is still hard on the two children.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
It's still really hard.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
They still cry, She went on to say.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Back in June twenty twenty three, prosecutors said it would
be two or three years from now before he goes
to trial. I started feeling very insecure about him wiggling
out of this. I need for them to tell me
he's going to pay for this. I would love them
to tell me that he's in there and he's miserable,
and they know he's not going to get out. I
need somebody to say that to me.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence,
please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at one eight
hundred seven nine nine seventy two thirty three, or visit
the hotline dot org. All calls are free and confidential.
What do you think of this case? Kai just put
(11:05):
out a very similar case where the domestic violence victim
did everything right but no one helped her. It was
the case of Mary Jingles. Kai included the link to
that episode in the show notes below.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
What do you think needs to happen so that these
issues can be taken seriously before they lead to murder?
Let us know your thoughts and the comments below, and
Kai will read them in a future episode.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Thanks for being here, thanks for listening all the way
to the end. Thanks for your support, and we'll see
you in the next episode.
She said she'd be right back, just grabbing a few
things from her ex's house, But hours later, her car
was abandoned, her phone was silent, and the air around
his property reeked of something no one wanted to name.
Today we tell you about the murder of Katie Bornach.
Welcome to Love and Murder, Heartbreak to Homicide, your Florida
(00:22):
Man Friday episode. We are your hosts Ai, Jane, Jessica
and Jensen. We're happy that you found our little section
of the Internet and took the time to listen to
this victim's story. Don't forget to subscribe on whatever platform
you're on. But if you didn't know, joining our Patreon
is one of the best ways to help keep these
(00:43):
victims stories alive. Patreon dot com slash Love and Murder.
You can sign up for free and still get some benefits,
or choose a bonus tier. The five dollar tier is
our most popular option. Patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder. Now,
let's get into your Florida Man Friday episode. On September thirtieth,
(01:05):
twenty twenty two, a group of worried friends called the police,
reporting their friend, thirty nine year old Katie Bornac missing.
They told police that on September twenty ninth, twenty twenty two,
Katie dropped off her two children with a friend. She
said she was going to her ex husband house forty
(01:25):
three year old Ian Bornach to pick up a few
personal items. She told her friend she'd be right back.
She never came back. Henry County deputies went to Ian's
home in LaBelle, Florida to investigate. During their first visit,
they found Katie's car parked in the driveway with her
purse still inside, but neither Katie nor Ian was home.
(01:48):
When deputies returned shortly after, the car had been moved,
now abandoned on the side of the road. The gates
were locked, and Ian, who was pacing around the property,
refused to let them in. That refusal made officers get
a warrant. What they found was every woman's worst nightmare.
Ian Christopher Bornac was a former United States Marine who
(02:11):
retrained as an engineer. He was also a bodybuilder, competing
in the IFBB Master's National Bodybuilding Championships in twenty sixteen.
Standing six feet three inches tall and weighing two hundred
and fifty pounds. Katie Bornack was a nurse and the
mother of their two young children. A friend and neighbor
(02:31):
described her as having a generous spirit and a good
mamma who loved her children fiercely. Katie's and Ian's relationship
had a long history of domestic violence. In November twenty
twenty one, Ian was arrested on charges of domestic battery
by strangulation. He was released the same day on a
twenty five thousand dollar bond. Prosecutors dropped the charges, although
(02:56):
the case's lead prosecutors said that she would have continued
without victim testimony, and in ninety percent of similar cases,
the charges were dropped. In January twenty twenty two, Katie
forgave Ian after he told her he had changed and
found religion. Attorney Joseph Gerard via Carver, who represented Ian
(03:16):
in the strangulation case, said that his and his client's
opinion was that Katie was using the claim as leverage
in their divorce settlement, arguing that the state wouldn't have
been able to prove the allegation as there was no corroboration.
In March twenty twenty two, Ian allegedly kicked Katie in
the back and threatened to kill her. Katie reported this
(03:39):
to the Henry County Sheriff's office, and deputies requested an
arrest warrant, sending the case to the state attorney's office. However,
prosecutors did not file charges. Just six weeks before her death,
Katie took out a restraining order against Ian. She accused
him of abusing one of their children. However, a Lee
(03:59):
County JIU judge reportedly denied her request for a restraining
order around this time. According to a recording of the hearing,
judge Amy Hawthorne cited concern for the children and told
Katie to make peace with Ian.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
The judge said, I know probably neither one of your
stories is probably one hundred percent true, because it can't be.
You need to get over your anger at each other
or whatever bad feelings you have toward each other, or
suppress them, or do therapy or do something, because what
you're doing to your kids is just an abomination.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
A spokesperson for the twentieth Judicial Circuit later said that
judges make decisions based on the law and limited information,
calling Katie's death a true tragedy. Later, Ian's two ex
wives told the news press that they had reported Ian
to their local police for domestic violence, but they felt
that authorities didn't take their reports seriously and Ian was
(04:56):
never convicted of a crime. On September thirtieth, deputies return
to Ian's property, this time with a warrant, and they
forced their way in. Inside, they found signs of a struggle,
blood traces, a broken mirror, and Katie's engagement and wedding
rings in Ian's safe. They also found firearms, unregistered silencers,
(05:17):
and vials of steroids. In total, thirteen silencers and a
lot of different firearms were found, many of them modified
to accept silencers. Investigators found blood in the hallway between
the garage door and the foyer and blood in Ian's
car trunk. He blamed it on groceries, but worse was
(05:38):
found outside. Police discovered a fresh burn pile that smelled
of death. Inside, they discovered the fragment of a human
mandible with an intact tooth in a fresh burn pile. Nearby,
a fifty gallon oil drum contained more bone fragments and
reeked of decaying flesh. A friend and neighbour but smelling
(06:00):
something burning the night, Katie is believed to have been killed.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Saying not even realizing until later what I could have
been smelling.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
When questioned, Ian denied killing his ex wife. He waved
his Miranda rights and told detectives that Katie showed up
and they got into an argument over another woman. He
claimed he went to sleep because he did not want
to argue, and when he woke up, Katie Barnock was gone.
He said that he then moved her car to the street.
(06:30):
He admitted to being angry that Katie Barnock filed for
and received a domestic violence injunction against him. When asked
about the blood found inside, he stated that he did
not believe the officers. He blamed the blood in the
trunk on groceries he had transported, claimed he didn't believe
they found blood in the hallway, and blamed a broken
(06:51):
mirror on having bumped into it while walking down the hall.
He also insisted that because they did not have a body,
Katie was not actually a missing person. Based on the
evidence found at the property, Ian was arrested. He was
charged with multiple offenses, including first degree premeditated murder, destruction,
(07:13):
concealment of physical evidence, illegally cremating a dead body forty
eight hours after death, failure to report death to a
medical examiner, drug possession for the steroids, violating federal firearms law,
use of a two way communication device to facilitate a felony,
and tampering with evidence. He was also booked in December
(07:36):
twenty twenty one for contempt of court. He pled not
guilty and was held without bail in the Henry County Jail.
He is also reportedly being held in federal custody awaiting
trial on federal firearms charges related to possessing unregistered silencers.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. State attorney Emir Fox
(07:57):
said the crime was cold, calculate, and premeditated, without any
pretense of moral or legal justification. Ian's attorney, Robert P. Harris,
expressed disappointment that the state is seeking execution. In a statement,
Harris wrote.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Mister Ian Barnack is a former United States Marine, a
war hero who sacrificed his body and his peace of
mind for his country. It is disheartening that the government
he fought to protect and preserve is going after him
with the ultimate punishment. We maintain Ian Barnack's innocence and
will vigorously defend him in a court of law.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Katie's mother, Carolyne McKinney, shared her perspective. After prosecutors asked
what punishment she wanted due to her faith, she felt
compelled to say life in prison with no possibility of parole, writing.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I can't say I want someone to die, but the
state attorney said it's the only way to make sure
he at least gets life, saying that this could potentially
be changed or negotiated later.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Ian waived his right to appear at a recent court
appearance and his right to a speedy trial. His next
court appearance is reportedly set for May tenth. Local law
enforcement praised the Henry Sheriff's Office's investigation, saying that the
quick action by the investigators allowed them to arrest Ian
(09:21):
before he destroyed evidence or fled. Katie tried to get help.
She documented the abuse, She reported the violence, She got
a restraining order. She followed the law, and the system
failed her. A judge dismissed her plea prosecutors dropped charges,
and when she went back one last time to gather
(09:41):
her things, Ian was waiting. Katie's neighbor later said.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I remember coming out on the porch and saying to
my husband, who would be burning anything right now.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
She didn't realize what she was smelling was Katie. Katie
was a nurse, a mother, a woman who just wanted
to get her belonging and go home to her children.
Now her children are being raised by other family members,
left without their mother. In October twenty twenty three, Carolyn
said in an interview that the death of their mother
(10:14):
is still hard on the two children.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
It's still really hard.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
They still cry, She went on to say.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Back in June twenty twenty three, prosecutors said it would
be two or three years from now before he goes
to trial. I started feeling very insecure about him wiggling
out of this. I need for them to tell me
he's going to pay for this. I would love them
to tell me that he's in there and he's miserable,
and they know he's not going to get out. I
need somebody to say that to me.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence,
please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at one eight
hundred seven nine nine seventy two thirty three, or visit
the hotline dot org. All calls are free and confidential.
What do you think of this case? Kai just put
(11:05):
out a very similar case where the domestic violence victim
did everything right but no one helped her. It was
the case of Mary Jingles. Kai included the link to
that episode in the show notes below.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
What do you think needs to happen so that these
issues can be taken seriously before they lead to murder?
Let us know your thoughts and the comments below, and
Kai will read them in a future episode.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Thanks for being here, thanks for listening all the way
to the end. Thanks for your support, and we'll see
you in the next episode.
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