From poison to...an axe?

[phineas]

I accept that Lizzie was browsing for poison earlier in the week. So then, onto axe murder? Quite a swing. So she couldn’t buy prussic acid...there were so many toxic chemicals and crazy preparations available over the counter. She could have dosed the tea with laudanum and smothered them in their bed. She could have started a fire in the bedroom...etc. An axe (hatchet) murder plan exponentially increased risk!

So what might account for such a giant switch from dainty, remote control murder to totally hands on? Where did she get the idea? Could there have been an article about an earlier axe killing in a newspaper? Had there been one recently in New England? Had someone been executed that summer for an axe murder? It would be interesting to look through the papers from the week of the murders.

Then where did the axe come from? If you’re going with poison then suddenly change days before your killing it seems to indicate you haven’t prepped for an axe murder. The gilt in Abby’s wounds really says it was brand new and not any of the candidates in the house. Lizzie may have shoplifted it but when? I don’t remember Lizzie out of the house in that period except to Alice Russell’s.

The only reason I can think of for using an axe is that she thought no one would believe a woman capable of it. As it turns out, she was right.

[LABRhush]

I believe the day she tried to purchase Prussia acid and spoke with Alice Russell, Aug 3rd, she was down to the wire and could have lifted the hatchet then. Of course she would have omitted that little bit in her statements. Ha. And in my opinion, the big turn in the how, came down to running out of time. If things weren't "taken care of" on the 4th before the noon meal, I believe huge changes were afoot. So... desperation is my guess.
But I really enjoy your take on wondering what exactly might have led her to the hatchet idea. I believe she was desperately searching a solution, so I'm sure she was looking every which way for an answer!

[camgarsky4]

Labrhush -- if the noon meal was the catalyst (as of Aug 3), what would have happened if Andrew didn't come home early? What if John and Andrew basically arrived at the same time for lunch?

I tend to think Thursday was the target day, but Andrew's demise was originally intended for the afternoon, but his early arrival forced an acceleration.
All that said, if something specific to that Thursday was occurring, it would seem to involve the parcel Andrew brought home and that has never been identified.

One of my open questions is......if Lizzie planned the murders for the 4th and the Bordens had a surprise visitor on the 3rd (John), there is zero likelihood that if I was Lizzie, upon getting home Wednesday night, I wouldn't have popped into the sitting room, said hi, and learned what John's plans were for the next day. I suppose she could eavesdrop, but that seems unnecessary and success unsure.