While the Ishpeming Police Department has completed its investigation and ruled out foul play, those close to Borchert remain skeptical about the situation.

A series of demonstrations were organized and held Monday and Tuesday, with friends and relatives appearing at various locations around Marquette County to raise awareness on the case, including one outside of the Marquette County Courthouse.

“We are here (today) in a protest to fight for justice for Lacie,” said Maria Dahl, a close friend of Borchert’s. “We are here to find answers, to find facts and bring awareness.”

Borchert was last seen at her home around 3 a.m. Nov. 27. She was reported missing at about 5:45 p.m. before IPD officers found her body under the ice of a nearby lake, 6 feet from shore.

From left, Janet Vincent, Sandy Borchert, Randy Dahl, Maria Dahl, Jacob Clifton and Ken LaFernier, who are friends and family of Lacie Borchert, a 25-year-old Ishpeming woman found deceased in a lake next to Excelsior Street in Ishpeming in November, demonstrate outside the Marquette County Courthouse Tuesday. While the Ishpeming Police Department has ruled out foul play in the case, those close to Borchert believe she was murdered and are determined to find answers. (Journal photo by Ryan Spitza)

Borchert’s vehicle was also located in a ditch near Excelsior Street before she was reported missing.

Dahl and other supporters firmly believe Borchert was murdered.

“She was found at shoreline water knee-deep, under the ice with very little water in her lungs,” she said. “The cause of death was not drowning and they have not given any other cause of death.”

Ishpeming Police Chief Steven Snowaert told The Mining Jounal on Tuesday afternoon that they’re still waiting for an official cause of death to be determined by the medical examiner at U.P. Health System-Marquette. He reiterated that IPD’s investigation is complete and no foul play is suspected.

Dahl said Borchert was a strong woman who always took care of her two children.

The words “This is murder” are painted on a vehicle outside of the courthouse on Tuesday afternoon. (Journal photo by Ryan Spitza)

“She stated on Facebook that she knew she was the only one there for her kids and she was going to love them harder than ever,” she said.

Dahl said prescriptions for prescribed drugs were filled days before Borchert’s death. She said she and her group suspect that the deceased’s prescriptions for suboxone, gabapentin and other drugs Dahl said were in the toxocology report may have played a role in her death.

“Ishpeming trying to write this off as a suicide, but if you had 130 pills, why wouldn’t you just take that. But they’re all gone and that wasn’t the cause of death,” she said. “It wasn’t an overdose. There’s a whole cocktail of drugs that were found in her system and it’s just really mind blowing and it’s no suicide.”

Dahl said she’s working with Marquette-area attorney Tony Ruiz of Superior Law, PLLC to see if he can get the case transferred to another agency to be investigated.

“Last I spoke with him, he was in the works of getting Lacie’s phone in his possession, along with the toxicology report, the autopsy and any investigation that the police have done,” she said. “He said he would be willing to see if he could work with the Attorney General’s office to get this transferred over to another county to be looked at further and investigated properly.”

The hashtag “#JusticeForLacie” is painted on the rear windshield of a vehicle outside of the Marquette County Courthouse on Tuesday afternoon. Friends and relatives of Lacie Borchert, the 25-year-old Ishpeming woman found deceased in a lake next to Excelsior Street in Ishpeming on Nov. 27, marched around the Marquette County on Tuesday determined to find answers as to what actually happened to Borchert. The Ishpeming Police Department has ruled out foul play in the case, but those close to Borchert still believe it’s a suspicious death. (Journal photo by Ryan Spitza)

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up by a friend of Borchert’s to help with costs associated with hiring a private investigator. The GoFundMe is titled “#JusticeForLacie” and can be found at www.GoFundMe.com.

A Facebook group titled “JusticeForLacie” has also been set up to assist in the search for answers.

A reward is also being offered to anybody who comes forward with information leading to the arrest of a potential suspect.

Ryan Spitza can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. His email address is

The words “Justice” and “25 years young” are painted on a vehicle outside of the Marquette County Courthouse on Tuesday afternoon. (Journal photo by Ryan Spitza)