Were they killed for a business affair?

[Franz]

Some members, when considering the guilty someone other than Lizzie, think that the killer might have acted for a business affair. It is certainly possible, but in my opinion not very probable. I wonder why, in this case, the killer wanted to kill Abby as well? If I were a victim of a PURE business affair of which Andrew was the responsible, I would hardly think of kill Andrew’s wife too, who had nothing to do with my loss of money. And if Abby didn’t need to be killed, why didn’t the killer choose a place other than Borden house to kill Andrew? In another (open) place the killing could be done in more safety, isn’t it?

But the fact is that Abby and Andrew were both killed that morning, and this makes me think that they were killed more probably for a family affair.

Any thought?

[snokkums]

You've ma de some very good points If the intended victim was Andrew for business reason, why kill Abby. Only thing I can come up with is that the person didn't want to leave a living witness, maybe she answered the door and the killer knew she was there. Get rid of her. The person might not have known that Lizzie and Bridget were there. But, that situation is alittle girls hard to believe because both theaffair. girls were I and out of the house.
So I think it was the second point that you have come up with, it was a family

[twinsrwe]

I agree, Franz. It is not very probable for a person who is disgruntled over a business deal gone wrong to kill Abby. Let alone the fact that she received almost twice the number of blows that Andrew did. Furthermore, why choose to murder Andrew in his home, where there is the very good possibly of at least three woman to witness their actions? If Andrew were the intended target, why arrive at the house by 9am, when it was Andrew’s habit of going around checking on his business affairs every morning after breakfast? How did an intruder get into the house unseen? How did the killer get out of the house unseen?

I believe it is possible that the Borden murders occurred because of a business affair between Andrew, Abby and John Morse. I think it is very possible and probable that Andrew intended to put the Swansea farm in Abby’s name, and John Morse would oversee the operation of the farm. For me it is obvious that these murders were an inside job, and there was only one person who had the motive, means and opportunity to stop them dead in their tracks.

[MysteryReader]

The only way I see it as being because of a business affair gone wrong and Abby was killed, would be adding insult to injury. How many murders have we read about where one person was the intended victim but there were more than one person killed? Why? Insult to injury? Rage? Collateral?

[twinsrwe]

I agree, Mystery. It's obvious that both victims involved overkill, but Abby's murder was downright brutal. Insult to injury = rage!

[violette]

I don't think that they were killed due to a business affair. Lizzie told officers that Mrs. Borden had received a note from a sick friend that morning. If Mrs. Borden was killed by an enemy of Andrew's then why wouldn't Lizzie say "I haven't seen her this morning, maybe she isn't feeling well. Maybe she's lying down." Lizzie would have went to check on her or at least sent Bridget to do so, since Lizzie and Abby weren't on very good terms with one another. Instead she invented a place for Mrs. Borden to be.

[Franz]

I don't think that they were killed due to a business affair. Lizzie told officers that Mrs. Borden had received a note from a sick friend that morning. If Mrs. Borden was killed by an enemy of Andrew's then why wouldn't Lizzie say "I haven't seen her this morning, maybe she isn't feeling well. Maybe she's lying down." Lizzie would have went to check on her or at least sent Bridget to do so, since Lizzie and Abby weren't on very good terms with one another. Instead she invented a place for Mrs. Borden to be.

The killer --- if not lizzie --- could have killed Mrs. Borden, either for famiy affair or business affair, with the help of the note and then he recuperated it.

If Lizzie herself were the killer, why did she invent the note story? Only for being discovered afterwards that she was lying?

[debbiediablo]

We now live in a time when killing an entire family happens...mostly due to drug related crime but otherwise, too. This isn't uncommon in history either (Roman Empire and Republic, the Bolshevik Revolution, Nazi Germany, Pol Pot in Cambodia, the list goes on) but this kind of revenge was far from common in 1892 Massachusetts. Two reasons I don't see this related to business: if Abby was deliberate or collateral damage then why wasn't Lizzie killed, too? And, even though I think it was entirely possible for the killer to hide in the foyer closet or in Emma's bedroom or in the recesses of the basement for two hours, I don't see this as probably. A far safer and more logical plan would be to kill Lizzie and then Bridget, unlock the front door, and then attack Andrew the moment he stepped through it.

[violette]

I don't think that they were killed due to a business affair. Lizzie told officers that Mrs. Borden had received a note from a sick friend that morning. If Mrs. Borden was killed by an enemy of Andrew's then why wouldn't Lizzie say "I haven't seen her this morning, maybe she isn't feeling well. Maybe she's lying down." Lizzie would have went to check on her or at least sent Bridget to do so, since Lizzie and Abby weren't on very good terms with one another. Instead she invented a place for Mrs. Borden to be.

The killer --- if not lizzie --- could have killed Mrs. Borden, either for famiy affair or business affair, with the help of the note and then he recuperated it.

If Lizzie herself were the killer, why did she invent the note story? Only for being discovered afterwards that she was lying?

You bring up great points Franz.

How would the killer have gotten the note back? Did aprons or dresses have pockets during that time? She could have left the note on her and went upstairs to get changed into something quickly.