Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I was watching a show on the OJ trial, and it got me thinking of the similarities of the two trials.

OJ had his dream team; Lizzie had hers. The prosecutors in the OJ trial didn't have a good case and the defense poked holes all thru it. Lizzies trial was the same way. Lizzies trial lawyers did a wonderful job defending her. They poked holes all thru the prosecutors theory. The police in the OJ trial botched their job and it looked like they were trying to frame him; the Fall River police were inept in their job, they let people walk all over the crime scene and didn't cordin off the crime scene.

I just thought it was kind of wierd all the similarities.

I have a copy of The Enquirer from the era (sorry no date) that compares the two crimes and their aftermath:

'What O.J. & Lizzie Borden Have In Common"
(from the article)
^
--Poor police work
--No bloody garmets
--No murder weapon found
--Socks for OJ and stockings for Lizzie
--Lizzie remained free but suspect- OJ remained free tho suspect
--The Dream Team: [and states Lizzie's costs for her defense were $32,615 per day, adjusted for inflation- and OJ's were $20,000 per day].
--Demonstrators got involved
--Lizzie was "sedated", OJ was "sedated"
--Jury returned "with lightning speed" (one hour for Lizzie, four hours for OJ)
--Afterwards many people thought they were guilty
Edit Here: To add the article's writer name- John Blosser

Robert Flynn was used as a source in this article.
I have not fact-checked these statements- they are typed here "as is."

Also, they had birthdays not far apart: Lizzie July 19, OJ July 9. 2 victims: a man and a woman. Family member nearby. Also a bladed weapon was used.

Here's another similarity between the two:

“…the judgment of the Court is that you are probably guilty, and you are ordered committed to await the action of the Superior Court.”

Josiah C. Blaisdell, September, 1892
---
"It appearing to me from the evidence presented that the following offenses have been committed, and there is sufficient cause to believe this defendant guilty of Count 1, a violation of Penal Code section 187(a), with a special allegation pursuant to Penal Code section 12022(b); and Count 2, a violation of Penal Code section 187(a), with a special allegation pursuant to Penal Code section 12022(b); and also that there is sufficient evidence of a special allegation pursuant to Penal Code section 190.2(a)(3), the court holds that the defendant be held to answer therefor, that there be no bail allowed in this case, and that the defendant be committed to the custody of the Sheriff of Los Angeles County.”

(Judge Powell's stated finding of Probable Cause as to Case No. BA097211, The People vs. O. J. Simpson 8 July 1994.)

I forgot to add that they were casting the characters for a fantasy projected film- just as we do with our Lizzie- and a (TV) movie was made about the Borden crimes, with Elizabeth Montgomery.

The fantasy-cast:
Mark Fuhrman = Kevin Bacon
Ron Goldman = Johnny Depp
Nicole Brown Simpson = Nicole Kidman
Marcia Clark = Ellen Barkin
Judge Ito = Pat Morita
Chris Darden = Wesley Snipes
Johnnie Cochran = Billy Dee Williams
Kato = Keanu Reeves
OJ = himself

Of course, some of these actors may no longer be alive- I think Pat Morita has passed on, for example. They also name Martin Landau for Shapiro, and I think he has passed on as well.

Ooops Doug-Oh... I didn't see you there while I was writing my post.

S'okay... That big rubber plant does wonders for camouflage!

Kat @ Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:05 pm wrote:Of course, some of these actors may no longer be alive- I think Pat Morita has passed on, for example. They also name Martin Landau for Shapiro, and I think he has passed on as well.

I just checked on imdb. Pat Morita is indeed dead; Martin Landau is alive and well.

Kat @ Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:40 pm wrote:I have a copy of The Enquirer from the era (sorry no date) that compares the two crimes and their aftermath:

'What O.J. & Lizzie Borden Have In Common"
(from the article)
^
--Poor police work
--No bloody garmets
--No murder weapon found
--Socks for OJ and stockings for Lizzie
--Lizzie remained free but suspect- OJ remained free tho suspect
--The Dream Team: [and states Lizzie's costs for her defense were $32,615 per day, adjusted for inflation- and OJ's were $20,000 per day].
--Demonstrators got involved
--Lizzie was "sedated", OJ was "sedated"
--Jury returned "with lightning speed" (one hour for Lizzie, four hours for OJ)
--Afterwards many people thought they were guilty
Edit Here: To add the article's writer name- John Blosser

Robert Flynn was used as a source in this article.
I have not fact-checked these statements- they are typed here "as is."

Also, they had birthdays not far apart: Lizzie July 19, OJ July 9. 2 victims: a man and a woman. Family member nearby. Also a bladed weapon was used.

Thanks Kat. That's an awsome list. I had forgotten about how long it took the jury in both cases. And there wasn't much blood in either case, and slopply police work. That's a cool list!!