The main suspect in the historic 1892 murders of Andrew and Abby Borden was Emma Borden’s older sister. Emma’s father and stepmother were discovered dead at their Fall River home on August 4, 1892. Emma’s dad belonged to the eighth generation of men in upper society. When she was twelve, her biological mother passed away. The connection between Emma and Lizzie and their father and stepmother was turbulent. Their frequent disagreements about inheriting property were thought to be the main cause of the killings. Emma was implicated of the murders along with Lizzie. She did, however, stand by Lizzie throughout the trial. Until their deaths, the sisters led solitary lives and never got married. A few days after Lizzie’s passing, Emma passed away.
Birth and Formative Years
On March 1, 1851, Emma Lenore Borden was born in Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts. Her parents were Andrew Borden and Sarah Morse. Her father’s side gave her Welsh and English ancestry. Out of her three siblings, Emma was the oldest. Alice, one of her younger sisters, passed away at the age of two. Later on, Lizzie, Emma’s other younger sister, emerged as the main suspect in the deaths of her father and stepmother. Their father controlled three textile factories in addition to serving as head of a sizable bank in Fall River. Emma came from an affluent household; her father held a sizable portfolio of real estate.
Emma was a devout Christian who was brought up in a religious setting. Her place of worship was the “Central Congregational Church.”
At the age of twelve, Emma experienced the loss of her mother. Lizzie was deeply affected by their mother’s passing. After that, Emma turned into her only companion and adopted a maternal role.
After then, Emma’s father wed Abby Borden. Bridget Sullivan, their live-in housekeeper, made reference to Abby and the sisters’ chilly relationship in a statement. Lizzie and Emma, she said, hardly ever ate with their parents.
The killings and the trial
It was believed that Emma and Lizzie’s turbulent connection with Abby and Andrew was the main cause of the killings. They allegedly quarreled with their parents about property inheritance on a regular basis. Sources claim that months prior to the killings, Andrew had given several Abby’s family members gifts of his real estate. Later, Lizzie and Emma also made their share of demands. But the house they were residing in till Sarah passed away was given to them. The Borden sisters paid merely $1 to purchase the rental property from their father a few weeks prior to the killings. They gave him the land back for $5,000 afterward.
In July 1892, following a family quarrel, Emma and Lizzie took a long vacation to New Bedford. A week prior to the tragic event, Emma went back to Fall River. However, Lizzie spent four days at a nearby rooming house before leaving.
John Vinnicum Morse, Emma and Lizzie’s biological maternal uncle, paid them a visit the night before the killings. Andrew had invited him to talk about business. It’s possible that they disagreed on the transfer of property.
Despite Lizzie being the main suspect in the killings, other reports said Emma was the true culprit. Nevertheless, this notion is unsupported by any data. Emma, in contrast to Lizzie, was never unsatisfied in her life. She seemed content all the time. According to reports, Emma wasn’t home when the killings occurred. There are a few reports, though, that dispute this. Later on, the true story came to light. Emma had visited a few of her pals that day, it was discovered. A family friend telegraphed her the news of the catastrophe. Emma was in love with a man whose standing was significantly lower than hers, and this information was also made public during the trial. Her father had not approved of their union. This fact was also seen to be contributing to Emma’s animosity toward her parents. Crime novelist Frank Spiering’s 1984 book “Lizzie” claims that even though Emma had an alibi, she might have been the murderer. According to the book, she was at Fairhaven, which is roughly fifteen miles from Fall River. It’s possible that she killed her parents there in secret before leaving to go back to Fairhaven.
Emma helped Lizzie through all of the difficulties. Emma became the only beneficiary of the Borden estate after Lizzie was charged with the killings. She used the wealth to establish Lizzie’s innocence. At last, Lizzie had a clean sheet. She was turned down by Fall River society in spite of this. Emma left the Fall River community as a result, and she never saw Lizzie again.
Demise of Emma Borden
Emma was a recluse who lived in Newmarket, New Hampshire, near Merrimack. In Fall River, Lizzie passed away from pneumonia on June 1, 1927. Emma fractured her hip in an accident the day Lizzie passed away. She passed away on June 10, 1927, nine days later, from chronic nephritis. The Borden sisters are interred next to one other in the family cemetery at Fall River’s “Oak Grove Cemetery” alongside the rest of the family.
Emma’s net worth at the time of her passing was $450,000. The majority of her belongings were given to charities.
Random Facts of Emma Borden
“The Legend of Lizzie Borden,” an ABC TV film from 1975, focused on the horrific murder of Emma’s parents. Katherine Helmond played Emma, and actress Elizabeth Montgomery played Lizzie.
Net worth of Emma Borden
The estimated net worth of Emma Borden is about $1 million.