Why Did Lizzie Borden Kill Her Parents?

The Legend of Lizzie Borden

Most people know the story. At the very least, they've heard the jump rope rhyme:

Lizzie Borden took an ax and gave her mother 40 whacks
And when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41

Well, it wasn't technically her mother—it was her stepmother. And it wasn't quite 40 whacks—more like a dozen.

And we don't know for certain that she even did it, though circumstantial evidence certainly points directly to her. Furthermore, she definitely had a motive. But circumstantial evidence and motive are not enough to convict, especially when there's not enough forensic evidence to go on. Therefore, in the end, Ms. Borden was found not guilty.

What were the circumstances of the murders? What were Lizzie's possible motives if she did, in fact, commit the murders? When the murders happened, what was the family dynamic at the time? And what was the actual outcome of all these events?

Let's take a look.

Andrew Borden: Lizzie Borden's Father

Andrew Borden was a major property owner in Fall River, Massachusetts and the head of a prominent local bank. By today's standards, he was a multimillionaire.

His daughters, Lizzie and Emma, were in their thirties at the time of the murders, living at home and unmarried. And miserable, by most accounts.

Andrew was divvying up property and none of it was going to his daughters.

You do have to wonder about that.

Abby Borden: Lizzie Borden's Stepmother

Not much is ever said about Abby Borden. What is known is that Andrew Borden married her after the death of his first wife, Lizzie's biological mother. It is believed Lizzie did not much care for her stepmother and did not refer to her as "Mom," but called her "Mrs. Borden."

One thing is certain—Abby was killed, along with her husband Andrew Borden, on August 4th, 1892.

Considered in the context of motive, one shouldn't discount the inheritance.

John Vinnicum Morse: Lizzie Borden's Uncle

John V. Morse was Lizzie Borden's uncle, the brother of her biological mother, Sarah Anthony Morse, who died when Lizzie was only two years old in 1863.

John visited the family regularly. He lived in Iowa, where he was a wealthy landowner, and had business dealings with Andrew Borden.

He was visiting the Bordens on the day of the murder, stayed overnight, and had supposedly left to visit other family when the murders occurred.

Much speculation is given to whether Morse actually committed the murders. He often showed up unannounced and Andrew had indeed invited him over to talk over a business arrangement regarding farmland. So it wasn't so unusual for John to be there visiting the family.

What we do know is that Lizzie came home while Andrew and John were discussing their business deal, rushed past them unnoticed, ran to her room upstairs, and even testified that she was disturbed by their voices.

What disturbed her? Did it have to do with the fact that her father was still leaving her out of his finances, not even considering her when it came to his fortune and property?

Many people believe so. And it certainly is a huge motive for murder.

As for John Morse, he had an airtight alibi. He was visiting his niece and nephew when the murders occurred, and even had the number of the coach that brought him back to the Bordens' home. By the time he returned to the Borden residence, the police were examining the scene.

Recommended

The Teresita Basa Mystery Part 2: Exploring Filipino Beliefs on Spirit Possession

Did John commit the murders and then completely cover his tracks?

What Was Lizzie Borden's Motive for Killing Her Parents?

It's kind of obvious and kind of huge. She had been left out of everything having to do with her father's money and property. Meanwhile, other people, including her stepmother's family, were getting a share of her father's estate. If she killed both of them before anything definitive was drawn up in Andrew's will, she could receive nearly the entire inheritance and finally get what she felt she deserved.

That's a big motive and makes sense as far as deciphering what and why it all happened. Having said that, the case has been subject to endless speculative analysis and reenactment over the years.

The fact is that Lizzie had bought poison sometime before the murders and her family ended up with food poisoning. She conveniently burned a dress before anyone could examine it (which, she supposedly explained to police, was because she'd spilled paint on the fabric). There was a hatchet with no handle in the basement of the family home. It looked like the handle had been cut off and thrown away.

The day of the murder, Lizzie allegedly came home and found her father dead on the living room couch. Her stepmother was upstairs dead in the guest bedroom. Lizzie screamed and the maid came to assist.

Or was Lizzie ever gone? Some speculate she was hiding in the basement and came out to put on a show and act as if she was shocked and grief-stricken at discovering the murdered bodies.

It certainly seems plausible that Lizzie killed them. The outcome of the whole gruesome affair was that Lizzie and her sister got her father's fortune, bought a mansion, and started entertaining celebrities. Lizzie also took regular trips to Boston and New York to take in some theater. Certainly a change of lifestyle for this formerly quiet Sunday school teacher.

We do know that Lizzie's lawyer team was powerful, one member being a former governor of Massachusetts. In fact, they were Andrew Borden's lawyers, and he surely could afford the best in legal representation.

What seems very likely is that Lizzie killed her father and stepmother to gain the money and property she felt was owed to her, and to gain the inheritance so that she could live the way she wanted to live, instead of being cooped up at home with a stingy father and going out to teach Sunday school on the weekends.

True, it is strange that her uncle was around at the time of the murders, stayed at the family's home after the murders and brought Lizzie food when she was in jail; but he had an airtight alibi, so that left him out of the picture as far as the prosecution was concerned.

Though it all certainly makes you wonder.

Emma Borden: Lizzie's Sister

Lizzie's sister Emma Lenore Borden was born in March of 1851, making her almost 10 years older than her younger sister. After the death of their mother Sarah, Emma became a surrogate mother to young Lizzie, who was less then three years old at the time, and Emma later supported Lizzie throughout her murder trial.

Neither of the sisters ever married. Coincidentally, they died within a few days of each other in June 1927, although they lived in different states, with Lizzie remaining in Fall River, Massachusetts, and Emma living in Newmarket, New Hampshire.

Lizzie Borden Story on 48 Hours

In 2020, the TV show 48 Hours did a deep dive into the Lizzie Borden case, in an episode called "Lizzie Borden Took an Axe."

You can watch the episode in the video below.

Similar Articles on The CrimeWire

• 5 Kids Who Killed Their Parents for the Inheritance
• Cody Posey: Family Murder on a New Mexico Ranch
• Elizabeth Haysom and Jens Soering: Love, Murder, and Shared Psychosis

© 2014 NathaNater

Comments

Aubrey Corn on October 11, 2020:

When Lizzie Borden was 2 and her real mother died what if Lizzie did it.I know that it sounds crazy but her mother and Lizzie were the only ones in the house.Have any of you investigated Lizzie’s mother’s house?Have you found anything that proves anyone killed her mother?I think you police men need to inspect Lizzie’s mother’s house to find what or who killed her mother.

Kathy on June 24, 2020:

This is scary and cool