Online comments made by two prominent members of the Tuscumbia community have raised concerns among those still seeking answers about what led to a Deshler High School student's severe injuries three weeks ago.
Mark McIlwain, an oral surgeon and "team doctor" for the Deshler Tigers, posted a photo on Facebook of dead rattlesnakes on September 4 with the caption, "Momma and them." While many took the post as a simple nature photo, others saw it as a veiled threat against those questioning the school's narrative that a fall caused freshman August Borden's life-altering injuries instead of another student.
The post has received over 120 comments as of Tuesday morning, including from Colbert County District Judge Chad Smith. It was his comment that drew the most attention and led many to believe there was more to the post.
"The picture is deeply imbued with layers of symbolism," Smith replied to the post. McIlwain responded with "Nos Non Ego," which is the Tigers' motto, meaning "we not me" in Latin.
People responded to Smith's comment, asking him to clarify what he meant, believing it to be a subtle nod to the Deshler situation and perhaps an "intimidation" tactic. Many have since shared McIlwain's post and Smith's comment, expressing concern for its implications.
Podcaster Derek Baker posted a video — which has received thousands of views and hundreds of likes, shares and comments — calling out the two men, saying that although he once respected them, they needed to answer for their posts, which he said, at the very least, appeared to make light of the situation.
Catey Hall, another podcaster who has been covering the incident from the beginning, took McIlwain and Smith's comments personally, believing them to be a threat directed at her for her outspoken approach to the case.
"For the smooth-brained townsfolk still acting like this entire thing is innocent: they didn't just post a dead snake. They tied the KILLING of a mother and her young directly to Deshler football. That's not random, not harmless. That's a message," she said on Facebook, noting elsewhere that she has a visible tattoo of a snake on her arm.
Hall and others have questioned McIlwain's interest in the August Borden's case, accusing him of inserting himself and trying to push the narrative that his injuries were likely due to a fall.
On August 23, he posted about his early-morning trip to UAB to check on August Borden, though he had been discharged the night before. The next day, McIlwain posted a photo of August Borden smiling as he recovered at home, with the caption: "It makes me so happy to see August with a smile today, I pray for his continued recovery!"
On August 25, the doctor made a post supporting the fall theory, saying:
“In 33 years, I have treated over 1,000 facial fractures in Northwest Alabama hospitals and University Medical Centers. 100s of Orbital and Skull fractures with many mechanisms of injury. An unprotected fall of 3 feet onto concrete can fracture the zygoma, orbit, or temporal skull. Not just my experience and opinion, but the consensus opinion of 3 peer reviewed national medical journals. That is a fact. I was around before air bags and social media.”
The post included a scan of a skull that some people mistakenly believed was that of August Borden.
August Borden's father, Jason, said he never met or heard of McIlwain before he started posting about his son online. Jason Borden told Hall on a recent podcast episode that he felt the doctor was trying to steer the narrative and help cover up the truth.
"I don't even know who this person is. They never reached out to me for any reason. I didn't know he even existed in the world until I started seeing him pop up on Facebook," he said, adding that McIlwain's posts "felt very strategically placed."
Efforts by 1819 News to contact McIlwain to clarify his Facebook posts have been unsuccessful.
Smith's office said he had a full court schedule on Tuesday and was unavailable for comment.
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