The University of Wisconsin-Madison man who once lived in Wausau that is accused in the June 6 death of his mother had his bond set at $2 million dollars last Wednesday morning.
Chase Boruch, 24, appeared in Lincoln County Circuit Court before Court Commissioner Wright Laufenberg accused of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of his mother, Sally Pergolski, 63, of Wausau at Moraine Lake in Harrison Township.
Borush claimed that Pergolski drove his pick-up truck into the lake and then panicked and couldn’t exit the vehicle. According to the criminal complaint, Borusch told investigators that he pushed the driver’s seat back to help get his mother out, hitting her head somewhere on the door. He had trouble getting her out of the water, tried CPR then walked to the highway to get cell phone reception to call 911.
When sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene, they found the truck was not fully submerged and Pergolski laying face down on the shore.
Pergolski’s death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy showed she had suffered a hypoxic/ischemic neuronal (brain) injury that was caused when the flow of oxygen was stopped to her brain. According to the criminal complaint, the pathologist who performed the autopsy, Dr. Robert Corliss, explained that while the brain injury would have rendered Pergolski unconscious, it happened roughly two hours before her death.
The autopsy also noted numerous other contusions on Pergolski’s body and water in her throat, lungs and stomach.
The criminal complaint said that Boruch had taken out several life insurance policies on Pergolski totaling about $1 million naming him as the sole beneficiary. He had also recently changed his insurance on his truck, listing Pergolski as another driver.
He was attending classes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and was arrested last Monday evening at his off campus apartment. He had previously attended UW-Marathon County.
A scheduling hearing is set for Thursday to determine when Borush will next appear for his preliminary hearing.