Lizzie Borden Research Paper

The Borden Murders Rough Draft Today, one in three murder mysteries go unsolved in the United States. The same can be applied to the mysterious murders of Abby and Andrew Borden. Both were found hacked to death in their home by their daughter, Lizzie. That fateful day in the summer of 1892 has been subject to many works of fiction, such as: movies, books, and even a few musicals. It is still unknown who committed the crime, though theorists have contemplated who the possible suspects since the crime was committed. While Lizzie Borden being the murderer is the main theory, other suspects like Emma Borden, Bridget Sullivan, and John Morse may have been the cause of the untimely deaths of Andrew and Abby Borden. While there have been many mysteries

To begin, Robert Sullivan, an author and judge in Massachusetts, writes that “Lizzie was the only person who had both motive and opportunity to commit the crimes” (“Just Like O.J.”). The day before the murders, Lizzie reportedly tried to buy prussic acid, a deadly poison, from the local drugstore (Hewitt). The supports the theory by showing that her preferred method of killing might have been a peaceful poisoning, but that she had to resort to an axe murder. By all accounts, Lizzie was the only one in the house at the time of Abby’s murder (Mock). In court, Lizzie’s alibi was inconsistent, placing her in several different locations during the times of the murders (“Vengeful Daughter”). This may well prove her guilt in that she tried to find the least suspicious place to be during the murders. The police found a bucket of bloody towels in the basement of the Borden home, and they were told that Lizzie had been menstruating. The head of an axe was also found (“Vengeful Daughter”). While Lizzie could have been on her period, it is a shocking coincidence that the two events coincided. Perhaps the most suspicious evidence would be the fact that Lizzie burned a dress the day after her parents funeral. It was apparently covered in paint stains that were irremovable (“Vengeful Daughter”). There is plenty of evidence surrounding Lizzie Borden as the murderer, which would

Emma Borden, the eldest daughter of the Bordens, is another popular suspect. She was noted to not have often left the house, though she did leave the day of the murders. If her father died, some claim she had just as much to gain as Lizzie did (Hewitt). Emma’s short trip to Fairhaven on the day of the murders could have been an alibi. She could have returned home, committed the crime, then hop back on a buggy to go back to Fairhaven (Newton 51). This could also explain the bloody towels, as she would not have had time to clean up all of the evidence before someone discovered her. Another theory places Bridget Sullivan, the family’s maid, as Lizzie’s lesbian lover who wanted to kill the Bordens because she was “enraged by Lizzie’s suffering at the hands of her cruel stepmother” (Newton 51). However, there is not much evidence to support this portion of the theory. Lizzie and Bridget have also been theorized to have worked together for the murders, as they were the only ones near or inside the house at the times of both killings (McBone). John Morse, a maternal uncle of Lizzie and Bridget, is another suspect. Some claim that Morse came up with the idea to kill Andrew and dispose of his will, which many in the family thought was unfair. Morse then killed Abby, as she was the one who was to receive Andrew’s belongings. Supposedly, Morse went upstairs and killed Abby while she was