Arnold Brown’s Theory on the Borden Case
I made this short film from clips taken from “Case Reopened,” made in 1999 and hosted by the late Ed McBain for the Learning Channel. It is a collection of Arnold Brown’s interviews for the film strung together.
The late Arnold Brown, author of Lizzie Borden, the Legend, the Truth, the Final Chapter, believes that Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered by Andrew’s illegitimate son William, even though Brown admits he has no proof to this effect.
Category:
Borden Buzz, Case Related
August 24, 2006 at 5:21 pm
It’s an interesting theory, but it hardly absolves Lizzie, and– what in the world would the murderer gain, aside from the satisfaction of dispatching two people he hated? Lizzie and Emma never embraced him, much less recognized him.
As for his writing in the confession, there were all sorts of “nuts” who did the same, and their letters exist as well.
Why not kill Lizzie (and Bridget, too)? What was she to this alleged half-brother? When and where did they develop any sort of relationship? Once he had killed Abby, why not Lizzie, as well? AFTER ALL, she would have been a WITNESS to his crime.
ALSO, why didn’t Lizzie just go ahead and finger him as the murderer, if he were? After all, she could have hanged. It would have been his word against hers if she had aided him in any way.
AND, if Bridget were out washing windows all morning, she would have noticed had a coach been parked anywhere adjacent to the property, for two hours no less.
I don’t discount that someone else, WITH LIZZIE’S HELP, could have killed one or both of her parents. Yet, another thing that’s bothersome here– there were NO SIGNS of struggle in the murders. That is, no defensive wounds. Abby was attacked by someone she most likely knew, who could easily approach her in the bedroom. Andrew was in a reclining position, apparently murdered in the midst of a nap, not in a confrontation with an alleged son.
Let’s not forget how odd Emma’s absence was, how odd Uncle John’s presence was, as well as his “airtight alibi.” That the alleged son would just “show up” on that particular morning, with murder on his mind, seems unlikely. Was he part of something prearranged? If so, why did he write the letter? The letter seems too polished and coherent to have been composed by someone who had chats with his ax.
William may have been Andrew’s son– and he may have had an ax to grind, so to speak– but if he were really and truly the mentally unstable person he seems to have been, I can’t see the conspirators employing him, unless they meant to finger him as the culprit. Again, why would Lizzie have taken the rap if William just showed up, as a surprise to her, and killed both parents? That DOESN’T make sense. Neither does the presence of a carriage, if Bridget were outside for two hours and surely would have seen it.
There are far too many holes in this theory for it to be termed “The Truth,” much less “The Final Chapter.”