CROSSLAKE, MN – A Crow Wing County woman has been sentenced to nearly 40 years in prison following her conviction for a string of abuses that authorities describe as among the worst child torture cases Minnesota has seen.

Jorden Borders, 35, faced sentencing Thursday after she was found guilty in June on 11 criminal counts, which included attempted murder, three counts each of child torture and stalking, and four theft-related felonies. Judge Patricia Aanes imposed a prison term totaling 468 months, underscoring the severity and scope of Borders’ crimes against her children.

The case centered on incidents that began to come to light in May 2022, when medical staff at a children’s hospital in Minneapolis grew alarmed by unexplained and repeated drops in her nine-year-old son’s hemoglobin levels. Hospital staff eventually determined that the only probable cause for the child’s anemia was blood being systematically removed from his body.

Investigators revealed that Borders had engaged in a disturbed pattern of behavior classified under medical child abuse, often referred to as Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Evidence showed Borders was withdrawing blood from her son using syringes, as well as more invasive medical equipment, including a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line) and a central line, tools designed for use under controlled medical conditions.

According to the findings, Borders would then bring her weakened child to appointments, where physicians observed severe symptoms of blood loss. Meanwhile, Borders insisted that the child’s poor health stemmed from hospital procedures rather than at-home interventions.

Interviews conducted with Borders’ children revealed further details of her actions. Her children recounted being instructed to help dispose of the extracted blood and being warned to keep Borders’ actions secret. One child testified to repeated blood withdrawal before medical appointments, describing feeling “sick-sleepy” and afraid to speak out, according to the investigation.

The abuse was not limited to blood withdrawal. The children were also forced to endure unnecessary medical devices and procedures. Borders reportedly compelled them to wear casts, boots, and neck braces, sometimes for years, for injuries they did not have, and told doctors they suffered from brittle bone disease. She allegedly pressured her children to feign illnesses, such as forcing one child to vomit or cough to secure asthma medication. Another was made to wear unprescribed hearing aids, resulting in physical harm.

Physical and emotional abuse extended beyond fabricated medical conditions. Borders’ children testified about frequent beatings with belts, cords, and spoons. One recalled being struck until bleeding. They told authorities that their mother also forced them to stand outside without clothing in freezing temperatures, sometimes until their skin burned. Food was withheld, and the children said threats of violence or death were common.

The sustained pattern of abuse lasted approximately five years, prosecutors said, and included regular episodes of both psychological manipulation and physical violence. The toll on the children was described in court as severe and enduring.

During the investigation, authorities discovered that Borders had also committed fraud amounting to $18,000 against the state’s Medicaid program. She was found to have fabricated symptoms for one of her children and falsely claimed to be the child’s personal care assistant to collect payments.

Borders was arrested in November 2022 following a search of her home in Crosslake, a small community about 150 miles northwest of Minneapolis. She was convicted on all charges in June before being sentenced this week.

Officials have described Borders’ conduct as exceptionally cruel and have expressed hopes for her children’s recovery, emphasizing the scale of trauma involved in the case. As the sentence was handed down, county and state authorities acknowledged the ongoing impact on the young victims and committed to supporting their long-term well-being.