In an interview with Crime Historian E.J. Wagner on Laura James’ Clews blog, the author of <a href="Science of Sherlock Holmes responds to a question put to her about Lizzie Borden.
In Science of Sherlock Holmes, you neatly highlight the forensic failings of the medical examiner in the Lizzie Borden case. I noticed you cited Victoria Lincoln’s book about the case in your bibliography. So you think Lizzie did it?
Oh yes — I believe Lizzie was seriously lethal. Even if one overlooks the many discrepancies in Lizzie’s account of events, it is telling that Lizzie’s response to finding her father’s battered body was to inform the maid “Someone’s come in and killed father” and then send the maid out of the house while Lizzie remained inside. What made Lizzie sure that the “someone” was no longer in the house, ready to re-use the axe? What made her certain that the maid was not the assailant?
In spite of all this, I gloomily suspect that someone, somewhere, will write a book “proving” that Mr. Borden killed his wife for serving mutton soup at breakfast, and committed suicide in a fit of guilt. Lizzie then hid the weapon to protect her father’s reputation. A perky title and we’re all set.
I have this book. It is next on my “To-Read” list. Will let you know more about this author’s take on the case soon.
