The Lizzie Borden Society archive

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1. ""Who is suspected?""
Posted by augusta on Jan-17th-02 at 3:08 PM

After Lizzie was acquitted, what was done to find the murderer?  Did the investigation continue?  Was anyone else looked at?  Why or why not?

Even though Lizzie was acquitted and could never be tried again for it, did anyone keep on the case and try to prove her guilty (besides us)?

Wait, wait, wait.  Didn't the written charges actually say she was being charged with the murder of her father & the murder of the father & mother?  Didn't they leave Abby out?  Was that so if they got more evidence, she could be tried for the murder of Abby, if it wasn't one of the actual charges at the trial? 

What was done on the case during Lizzie's incarceration?  I've read little bits and pieces. Ambiguous statements that would say "all leads have been followed".  

How is the case really marked today?  Isn't it an open case? (Stefani: We took a private vote and decided that you should go to college even more and get a law degree for us this time .)

We had remarked upon how many people involved in the case had died by 1900.  It would have been very hard to proceed against another suspect.  Do you realize one of the longest-lived major characters was Pillsbury who bowed out due to illness as the trial drew near?  I often wondered how much Stress played a factor in some of these (early) deaths.
The Grand Jury indictments were for the Murder of Andrew, the Murder of Abby and the Murder of Both.  When Lizzie was tried, it WAS on 3 indictments, but the jury only answered 1 "Not Guilty" in court before the audience errupted.  Then Knowlton 'nol-processed" the Other 2 Indictments in front of the judge, was accepted, and then Lizzie was set free.  This was what Terence had said last year, but I wasn't sure, so I've been following up on it wherever I came across it.  And he was correct.  However, Ter did leave open the question of what exactly "nol-prossed" meant, giving a Civil Court example.  I've since looked That up in 4 dictionarys, and it means we will no longer proceed against this defendent.
So it doesn't rule out arresting and trying Someone else, and it's not clear whether they could also still proceed again against Lizzie as a conspirator, or accessory...This I do not know, but I've wondered about it...
It's was also intimated in the newspapers at the time, that now that Lizzie was free, why doesn't she come forward and tell what she knows or at least explain her actions and what happened, but of course when did Miss Lizzie ever do what was expected? 

I'm reading Ann Rule's new book right now:  Every Breath You Take, The Free Press, N.Y., 2001.

"...One of the best ways to assure that murderous plots succeed is to keep the cast of characters to a minimum;  it was beginning to look as though whoever was behind Sheila's execution had involved way too many people--and that most of them were not good at keeping secrets..."

Allen (ex-husband)>>>Danny>>>Sammy>>>.Joey

--I'm not giving anything away here...this is a famous recent case.  Also these last 3 characters are not very complex or sophisticated people,  about = to 1892 types.

I don't think this Borden crime could have involved this many people, which would imply Emma & Morse & Bridget (or Davis?)

--the Sarasota police had the shooters name in one week , in ANOTHER state!  Course they used a plane, and ran a liscence tag--but people TALKED!!!

One of the reason conspiracy theories don't really hold water is that they involve way too many people keeping a secret for a great length of time. Mostly, people talk if they have a secret.

I have to look at this idea of keeping secrets from my perspective; in other words, why would I remain silent if I knew who the murderer was?

Money? That would run out and I would want more to keep quiet and end up getting killed myself for blackmail.

Love? Nah, over time that would fade a bit or could be used as emotional blackmail later.

I keep coming back to dirt. Not the kind that you get from rolling in the yard, but real, old fashioned, ruin you life if anyone knew about it dirt. I think the only way anyone would have held their tongue years later was fear of being exposed. If I were a killer and needed help killing (alibi or actual physical help), I would pick somebody who I had something big on and they had to do it or I would tell and ruin them.

Or, convice ( or compel) somebody to help me and then we are both guilty and neither one can tell on the other.

The Billy Borden idea is a grabber. I like the sound of it, and Brown's book is a great read. But I would never hold my tongue and take the rap for some kid my dad may have produced out of wedlock. I wouldn't take the rap for my sister and I love her! So I definitely wouldn't feel that sorry for some guy I never really knew and risk it all for that. Billy Borden doesn't add up.