Lizzie Borden - Did she do it?

So many theories about who killed Mr and Mrs Borden. 

I have read everything I could find and stand by my inital conclusion that Lizzie killed them both.  

Here is the layout of the house. Note that even though the parents bedrooms were located on the 2nd floor along with both Lizzie, Emma and the guest room, the parents room can only be accessed through a door in Lizzie's room which is locked by a dead bolt on the parents side and a spring lock on Lizzie's size. Quite a close family? Cause deadbolt locks are normal, right? 

So the parents and the maid had to enter their rooms through the back stairs. Lizzie, Emma or quests via the front stairs.

The floor plans are all facing the right direction so you can get a good idea where each room was. 

So let's start with a break down of the timeline. 

8:30-9 Breakfast 

8:55 Abby went up stairs to the guest room

9:00  Andrew leaves the house

9-9:30 Bridgett in kitchen cleaning up breakfast

9:30 Bridget goes outside to wash windows

9:30 Lizzie calls to Bridget at side screen to see if she wants the door hooked?

*****It has been said that Lizzie never used this side door. So the fact that just minutes before Abby is murdered she asks Bridgett if she is outside doing the windows, and if she wants the door locked? I think that she did this just to confirm that Bridgett was in fact outside. And since Bridgett said it was fine to lock the door, it gave her that perfect time to lock that door from the inside, go to the cellar to get the ax and then right upstairs to kill Abby.  

Also, what I finally realized is that since it is safe to assume that Andrew would have left the front door to leave the home after breakfast, that he would have unlocked in the inside lock. They have said that the inside locks (the ones that will not allow you to enter with a key from outside) were  locked at night, and unlocked in the morning so during the day, the residents of the home could enter from outside.

So, now if he did in fact leave through that front door, this home is now locked to even those with a key. No one from the outside could enter. That gives Lizzie safety from being caught in the act or clean up.

 

And let’s not forget that Lizzie stated that a messenger delivered a note for Abby. They would most likely go to the front door, and they had a door bell. It would have been heard by Bridgett as well. She was up early. 

9:30-10:30 Abby is murdered

Many dispute that she would not have had enough time. But, it was said that there was very little blood spatter on Abby’s lower back. Which would mean that the killer, if they just hit her once and she fell, then they straddled her and hit the rest of the blows, would have little blood at all on them.  It has also been said by forensic experts, that these types of wounds do not always result in splattering.

And I am not sure why everyone assumes she would have worn the same clothes. She could have worn even something of Abbys or, just her undergarments. I do think the black stockings were possibly worn as she had them soaking for a couple days before handing them into the police.  But it's all speculation. Point being she could have been naked or covered in plastic. 

Also, the information about the note and Lizzie stating she probably left the house to see this “sick friend” was nothing more than a delay tactic. I mean, if they found the body early, then it would ruin her plans to kill her father next. She had to have them think that Abby was just gone.

And,  I think that it was clear, Abby and Lizzie did not like each other. And it’s been said that they hardly spoke, and didn’t eat meals together. Yet today of all days (yet another really convenient occurrence) they did speak at length. And that Abby who was directing Bridgett what she wanted her to do, would not have told her she was going to leave.

10:20 (around this time) Bridgett talks to Kelly (neighbor on side of the house by front door)  

***During this time, Mrs. Churchill sees Bridgett washing the NE windows (she is the neighbor on the side of the house where the side door is.

So, what do we get here, we get that the neighbors were very aware of what was going on at the home. It’s hard enough to sneak into a home with people inside and others coming and going at various times, much less a home with neighbors who watch and are aware of comings  and goings.

And this was the neighborhood. Clearly there there was a lot of visibility all around the Borden house. And consider back then people did not have TVs, Internet etc, there was not a lot to keep them busy so they were often out and about and saw what was going on. 

10:30 Bridget comes inside to wash the inside windows

10:30-10:40 Mrs. Kelly sees Andrew going to his front door and he is unable to open it. Bridgett lets him in.

***Lizzie was standing right on the stairs when Bridgett opens the door and laughs yet Lizzie goes back and forth between being upstairs and in the kitchen and finally decides she was in the Kitchen.  How would you forget this? She laughed right after Bridget made a sound at having to go open the door. If Lizzie was right there, she would recall that her father could not open the door.

10:45-10:55 Lizzie tells Bridgett of the sale and asks if she is going to go out. And mentions she is thinking of going out herself. 

10:55 Bridget is not feeling well and goes upstairs for a nap

*****Bridgett was asked again if she was leaving.  I think Lizzie was trying to get Bridget out of the house before her dad came home and wanted Bridgett to also think she was leaving. She could then kill her dad then leave the house and try to claim she was “in town”. But, with Bridgett remaining in the house, and the likely hood that it would not be feasible to leave if the neighbors were still around. She had to proceed with her plan with Bridgget at home.

10:45-11:00 Unsure

Lizzie claims she spoke with her dad for a bit. Read a magazine for about 30 minutes and went the barn for about 20 minutes (very concerning that she cannot recall exactly what was going on. Where she was when her dad came home etc) not to mention this time frame was limited and she could not do all she claimed in this short time.

And, no footsteps were found in the barn at all and it was quite dusty

10:55-11:00 am Andrew Borden dies from blows to the head with a sharp instrument. 

Now, again its been claimed she did not have enough time to clean up as she would have been covered in blood.

But, if you think of her coming from this direction to her dad (I found this tourist photo online that really put this in to perspective) that she would for sure have no blood on her lower half, and possibly not even her top half. And since there is blood on the door that is right by where Andrews head was, that lead many to believe that is where the murderer left the scene.

11:00 am Bridget hears City Hall clock chime 11. 

11:10 am  APPROX. Lizzie hollers to Bridget to come down, “Someone has killed father”.  Lizzie was standing at the back door at this time.             

11:10-11:12 am Lizzie sends Bridget to get Dr. Bowen. 

*****interesting she asks for a doctor, and says she did not get close to father to see the full extent of the wounds, but says he has been “killed”. How did she know he was killed and not just hurt.

And well, she was then left alone in the home with a murderer possibly? Never!           

Mrs. Churchill observed Bridget crossing the street, notices a distressed Lizzie and calls out to Lizzie who tells her “someone has murdered father.”                                                 

              

11:10-11:13 am  Bridget rushes back across the street from Bowen’s, tells Lizzie he’s not at home. Lizzie asks Bridget if she knows where Alice Russell lives and tells her to go get her.                                                                  

11:15 am Marshal Hilliard orders Officer Allen to go to Borden house. (Allen notes exact time on office wall clock).

11:16 – 11:20 am Mrs. Churchill returns from giving the alarm.                  

11:16 – 11:20 am Dr. Bowen pulls up in his carriage, met by his wife, rushes over to Borden’s.       

I think this is  another one of those “convenient times” that just minutes after Lizzie asks for him, he just happens to arrive home. Due to the fact that rumors existed about him and Lizzie having an affair, I think it is highly possible he was involved. Even if nothing more than helping cover up). Also he was seen about an hour prior driving extremely fast looking stressed)                                                     

11:16-11:20 am John Cunningham checks outside cellar door in Borden back yard, finds it locked.

11:18-11:20 am Dr. Bowen sees Andrew, asks for sheet; alone with Lizzie for approx. one minute.

Again on Dr. Bowen. He also burned something in the home as the police were looking around. I think that is very alarming. The police noted the name Emma on it. Some have wondered if it may have been the new will. When asked he said it was about his daughter. But we may never know. 

I do think it’s also very possible that Dr. Bowen possibly killed Andrew after Lizzie killed Abby. I just found their relationship way too close. To include the time alone after the murder.

And the close proximity in time that Dr. Bowdn arrived, minutes after Lizzie needed him. It would have given him enough time to murder Andrew, walk to the cellar, motion Lizzie in the barn from the cellar window and then began to clean up. And we know, based on a witness statement, she was seen walking back from the barn right around this time. Being right by the cellar stairs, she could have kept in contact with Andrew, then when ready yelled out that he was killed. And with the commotion, everyone would then be focused in one area of the house allowing him time to leave thru the cellar door or a window, jump the back fence and run around the corner to his parked buggy and then come strolling leasurly around the corner just in time. 

But I am still half and half on his involvement. It could be that he just knew and helped cover. There has also been speculation that Lizzie was abused (sexually) by her dad and if he knew, maybe he was ok looking the other way feeling it was justified. Which to be honest, I agree if that was the case.

I also think there is a great deal of concern with the reported statement Lizzie made to her sister while in Jail that a worker heard. Lizzie told Emma"Emma, you have gave me away, haven't you?" She says, "No, Lizzie, I have not." "You have," she says, "and I will let you see I won't give in one inch,". I believe this happened and was about the dress. I think Emma told them she burned the dress. But that is just one theory. It could be so many other things.

 Also, the ax, I think that  it was possibly broken when Lizzie was hacking on her father. I think she then figured it could be seen that way, and instead sawed off the handle. And she could have easily buried the handle in the cellar since half of it was dirt.

And regardless, there was blood I believe on that blue dress Lizzie burned. 

I sent the trial transcripts to the statement analysis analyst as there seemed to be a great deal of sensitivity around that dress. Not just by Lizzie, but Dr Bowen as well. He confirmed my thoughts. 

See below for Lizzie's testimony and the analysis of Peter Hyatt. 

Q: Miss Borden, did you burn the dress in question because you murdered your stepmother, then your father, and the dress was stained with their blood, following your assault?

A: Are you accusing me of murdering Father and Mrs. Borden?

Note that she answers a question with a question, making the specifically asked question, "Sensitive" to Ms. Borden. 

Note next the order of the question:  she mentions the father before the step mother. 

Note the wording she used:  "Father" and "Mrs. Borden"

The lack of title for her step mother indicates a troubled relationship based upon analysis of social introductions. 

Q: That would be correct.

A: Do you realize how insulting that is?

The question is to be seen as very sensitive now, as she has not only answered the question with a question, but piled a second question upon it.  

Q: Miss Borden, you do realize you are present at this proceeding as a suspect in these crimes?

A: Yes, and I believe you are wasting your time, laboring under said delusion.

"Yes" is a good answer:  she knows why she is present. 

She then chides prosecution for wasting time and laboring under delusion.  

Q: Miss Borden, did you or did you not burn the dress because it was stained with the victims' blood?

A: I've told you, it was stained with paint.

She avoided the question again, and dueto the internal stress of lying, she does not lie.  She uses a self reference, "I've told you" and then presents an unrelated truth:  it was stained with paint.  This is not to say that it was not also stained with blood, but that it had paint.  This is a good example of how deceptive people are counting on you to interpret their words rather than listen. This is not lost on the prosecutor who then asks the specific question: 

Q: Were there any blood stains on the dress?

A: It would depend on your definition of "stains."

For history buffs:  Lizzie Borden lived long before President Clinton.  "It depends on what the definition of "is" is. " 

Q: As in, visible to the naked eye.

A: Mr. Knowlton, had I known you would be so interested in that paint-stained dress, I never would have burned it.

Note that she uses his name, "Mr. Knowlton" and continued to avoid answering.  

Here would have been good opportunity for Lizzie to issue a reliable denial.