Lizzie Borden The Truth

Megan is back with another Curious True Crime episode. This time she takes a look at the infamous murders in Fall River Massachusetts in the late 1800's. Lizzie Borden was tried, Acquitted, and stigmatized for the remainder of her life for the death of her Father and Step Mother. But how much of what we know is fact and how much is fiction?

[lisasharf]

I’ve been fascinated by this case for years, and this was a great synopsis. My only comment is that this is the first time I’ve ever heard that the family “lovingly” called Bridget, Maggie. I’ve always heard they called her Maggie because that was their previous maid’s name, and they couldn’t be bothered to learn a new name.

[SpadeAce-]

Those old-school outfits were so creepy....

[rcichon]

Recently stayed at the house. Slept in Lizzie's room. John is an overlooked suspect. From what I understand, new all the priest's names on the train. Almost to good. Although he has no apparent motive. Lastly, Lizzies lawyer took notes and they remain locked in a safe. Wonder if someday we may see them. I bet the truth may be on those notes.

[bb]

There are some things I have discovered in recent years about the murders:

About 6 weeks before the murders, Lizzie was at church at a luncheon function. While loading heavy trays of dishes and utensils onto a dumb waiter, the dumb waiter fell onto both her arms. If you go to the website, Lizzie, Borden Warps and Wefts, you can see several write ups about it in the local newspaper. They say she escaped without injury, but that I think means that the bones were not obviously broken through the flesh. It was very heavy and there was great alarm. I'm sure there was massive bruising, and as we all know, fractures can occur very easily and not be noticed outwardly. Even x-rays don't capture them- you have to have another type if image taken to find them. With such an injury such a short time earlier, find it very difficult to believe that she could lift a hatchet so many times, and deal so many blows.

Morse arrived the night before the murders, unannounced and without luggage. At that point, he was living out west in Iowa, I think. He was into cattle ranching and was skilled at butchering and euthanizing large animals by a blow to the head. That morning, he returned to the house after visiting other family about a mile away, but he did not go inside first, but stayed outside eating a pear from the tree before entering the house and seeing the bodies. He was invited for lunch, so it's odd that he remained outside eating the fruit without allegedly knowing what was going on. I say all of this because a skilled knacker or meat slaughterer could kill with one or at most 2 blows. If so skilled, and having premeditated, it's not a stretch to think that someone would add many extra blows to distract and to make others think that it was a crime of passion or ineptitude.

Another witness named Ellan Egan said that she was walking by the house in the morning and saw a suspicious man looking around, who had a particular and unpleasant odor. He was wearing a long dark overcoat and carrying a bag. Egan was never called on to give testimony but she reported it to the police. Her future son-in-law, as a boy, worked with the local knacker, Bill Borden, who was deranged and actually dressed like that and carried a bag with his hatchet to euthanize horses. While working with Bill Borden, Borden talked to his hatchet like it was another person and co-conspirator to murder and essentially admitted to the crime many years later, by the account of the boy who had grown up. Allegedly, Bill was under the delusion that Andrew was his father who abandoned him and his mother. There are many things that the police didn't follow through with, or follow up on. And one of the most glaring mistakes, was allowing the public inside to take things and corrupt the crime scene before the investigation could begin. as for the hatchet that was found, and used as evidence, and analysis was done on the blade, and it was found to have bovine blood not human blood.

[johnfairweather]

She’s guilty as hell. She had the motive, the opportunity, and access to the weapon. The only reason she was found not guilty was that the all-male jury couldn’t wrap their heads around a woman committing such a horrendous crime.

[karlbroderickmusic]

The uncle having such a detailed alibi may have been a case of him setting the plan in motion for Lizzie to do the foul deeds...but then took himself out of the picture..and making sure he had an alibi. So maybe more than just 1 person involved????

[TheMegWrites]

I am fascinated by Lizzie Borden’s story. I appreciate you questioning Andrew Borden’s frugality. He may have been frugal, but there is a lot of evidence pointing to him being relatively generous with the girls (paying for Emma’s college, a European trip for Lizzie, etc.).

Just a couple of things:
1. It was thought that Lizzie may have been the one inquiring about buying prussic acid, but that was never confirmed.
2. My understanding is that the family called Bridget ‘Maggie’ because that was a common nickname for Irish maids.
3. Most of the police force was actually at a picnic that day, but a few police showed up to the house.
4. It was thought that Lizzie helped her father out of his shoes, and the photographer put the shoes back on because it was ‘unseemly’ for a gentleman to be seen without his shoes on.

I read that it was highly unusual for Emma to leave the house for any length of time, so the fact that she was visiting in another town is rather suspicious. Lizzie had one speck of blood on her undercoat. I believe Uncle John Morse did the act, but the sisters knew it was going to happen.

[goliathstrainingschool]

Lizzie Borden did it...she killed them. She's the only one who had motive, means and opportunity. She was upstairs when Andrew came home. Putting her in yards of Abby. John was nowhere around at all at the time. Also, Lizzie lied about a note from someone about Abby. Nobody was found that sent for Abby. Why would she lie if she were innocent? Why make that up? Only reason was to get everyone to believe Abby wasn't home. Why? Only reason that fits is so nobody would search the upstairs for Abby while it was just 2 of them in the house. To say someone else did it, then u have to have a reason why Lizzie was heard upstairs laughing after Abby was already killed, plus answer who would kill Abby, then wait around for HOURS just to kill Andrew...it all points to Lizzie killing Abby then when her father came home hours later, she lied about Abby being out so Andrew wouldn't go looking for her upstairs. Its the only explanation that fits. Any other suspects make no sense at all. If it was John or someone else, then why would Lizzie lie about Abby going out? Any other suspects raise more questions then answers. Also, morphine would have made Lizzie drowsy but EUPHORIC. She would want to talk more and try and hide her guilt by any means necessary. She burnt that dress because it had blood on it. And if we want to believe in the paranormal, ur opening the door to demons and spirits that will lie and deceive anyone. All evidence points to Lizzie. Nobody else makes sense.

[leslieMClass]

Excellent job on this, by the way! Choke full of information!

[hughdanielson]

If she wasn't guilty of murder she still be guilty of aiding and abetting,

[galesal]

Andrews's boots were put back on for the picture. Btw

[barbaraedgley]

Wemma had more reason to hate & resent the stepmother than did Lizzie. Emma had known & loved her mother & promised her dying mom that she'd care for baby Lizzie. She was a capable teenager when her dad remarried, possibly resenting another woman taking her place as woman of the house or becoming a main heir. She could have fostered Lizzie's hatred of her stepmother ( only mother she'd known, having no memories if her birth mother). Emma seems more like a suspect than Lizzie ..

[Liz-cmc]

Sadly we will never know the truth. It only makes sense Lizzy did it.

[BillHaynal]

I'll be doing the Lizzie Borden house tour next month, can't wait!

[rcichon]

Staying at the house or even doing a tour is recommended. You learn so much more.

[johnkelley]

Great Job of telling this story. If this happens today at least they would be able to use DNA and Lie Detector testing.

[leslieMClass]

There’s a book called Mysterious New England. It’s filled with stories of mysterious and spooky things in Mew England. The story of Lizzie Borden in it and at the end of the story, there’s quite a twist and some information you might find very interesting 😊

[finnappleyard]

I just toured the murder house in Fall River, with the way that house is set up, in my opinion, it would be difficult for someone else to be the murderer other than Lizzie. I feel she was selfish and entitled at that point in her life and took them out. I believe later in her life, she regretted what she did.

[nbenefiel]

There is a great video on you tube called myth busting Lizzie Borden. The woman is talking to the Nashua historical society. She has a PHD and studies the case full time. She is an accredited historian. She blows away a ton of stories.

[nbenefiel]

The first thing Dr Bolton did was give Lizzie a strong shot of morphine as she was hysterical. She was stoned to the gills when questioned by the police.