Manav Patel LB Essay Per

Manav Patel
Ms.Chuchla
3/7/14
Per.1
Lizzie Borden: Innocent or Guilty
Fall River, Massachusetts. This was a town of prostitutes and robbery, but never murder. That was until August 4th 1892. This was the case of Andrew and Abby
Borden’s murders. The Borden’s had two daughters, one of which was named Lizzie.
In spite of the judge’s decision showing Lizzie Borden’s innocence, it would make sense to say she was guilty. To prove this, there were no signs of forced entry and her alibis conflicted. Lizzie Borden was a cold­blooded killer. According to Douglas Linder, the writer of
Famous Trials
, there were no signs of forced of forced entry at the crime scene
(Linder). This means the murder was an inside job. The only people in the house at the time were Bridget and Lizzie. Although Bridget was sleeping at the time of the homicide. This leads to the conclusion that Lizzie had the best opportunity to kill
Andrew and Abby. Douglas Linder also adds “Lizzie told the police that while alone in the house with her mother on the morning of her murder, a messenger came to her door with a note summoning her mother to visit a sick friend. Lizzie told people that she assumed her mother left. Despite a thorough search of the borden home, no such alleged note was ever found” (Linder). If Lizzie had claimed that her mom had left then why isn’t there a note? Also Lizzie should have known if her mom left or didn’t. In fact

Lizzie did say that she was downstairs the whole time. Thus proving that she was lying.
On the contrary, Lizzie Borden could have also been innocent.
According
to the
History Channel Documentary, there wasn’t much physical evidence proving Lizzie
Borden’s guilt (“The Strange Case”).
After the murders
, for months the police searched for evidence. They searched in and outside the house but unfortunately they failed miserably. According to the documentary of Lizzie Borden, Andrew had many other enemies that wanted to kill him.
Throughout the years
, he had made many people hate him, especially when it came to work. Any one of these people could’ve killed him.
Although
she was marked innocent, there are many weaknesses to Lizzie
Borden’s innocence.
Even though now much physical evidence was recovered at the scene, there were testimonies explaining how she tried to buy a lethal acid exactly one day before the murders. This lethal acid was Prussic Acid. This is a highly poisonous substance which could kill a human in a minute. Why would Lizzie try to buy this and is it a coincidence that it’s exactly one day before the murders?
Also,
aside from the fact that Andrew Borden had many enemies, there was one big one he had; it was his own daughter Lizzie! Lizzie hated both Abby and Andrew. Andrew borden had once suspected Lizzie for theft in his own house. This was a huge motive for her to kill her own parents.
After analyzing all the evidence shown through the house and her alibis, Lizzie
Borden was judged incorrectly by the jury of massachusetts. Lizzie Borden was the killer of a double homicide. Lizzie was a devious trickster who made everyone believe she was innocent, But the evidence proves otherwise. Is all the evidence really true, or

is it just one big legend? The world shall never know.