As Netflix revisits one of America’s most notorious unsolved murder cases, attention is also turning to the woman who stood beside Lizzie Borden for years, her older sister, Emma Borden. The sisters remained close through the 1892 murders of their father and stepmother, Lizzie’s trial and years of public scrutiny, before a bitter split in 1905 ended their relationship.
Netflix’s fourth season of the Monster anthology, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, premieres September 17. Ella Beatty plays Lizzie, while Billie Lourd portrays Emma, Lizzie’s older sister. Netflix describes the series as a dramatized account of the events surrounding Lizzie Borden and the murders that made her infamous.
Who was Emma Borden?
Emma Leonora Borden was born in 1851, making her the oldest of the Borden children. She was the older sister of Alice Esther Borden, who died before her second birthday, and Lizzie, who was born in 1860.
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Emma’s relationship with Lizzie became especially important after their mother, Sarah Anthony Morse Borden, died. According to the Fall River Herald News, Emma had promised her mother on her deathbed that she would look after Lizzie. She later remained a strong presence in her younger sister’s life.
Emma also defended the memory of her father, Andrew Borden. In a 1913 interview with the Boston Sunday Post, she rejected claims that he was a miser, calling the rumours a “wicked lie,” according to the report.
Where was Emma when Lizzie’s parents were murdered?
Emma was not at the Borden home in Fall River when Andrew and Abby Borden were killed on August 4, 1892.
She was visiting her friend Helen Brownell in Fairhaven, about 17 miles away by train. After Andrew Borden’s body was discovered, Lizzie asked family doctor and neighbor Dr Seabury Bowen to send Emma a telegram calling her home.
Emma’s whereabouts that morning provided her with a strong alibi and distinguished her from her sister, who became the central suspect in the case.
Lizzie was later tried for the murders but was acquitted. Emma remained by her side during the trial and continued living with her after the case ended.
Why did Emma and Lizzie Borden fall out?
The sisters’ relationship changed years after the trial.
After moving out of their family home, Emma and Lizzie lived together at Maplecroft, a large house at 306 French Street in Fall River. Both largely withdrew from the society that had rejected them after the trial.
Their lives eventually began to diverge. Lizzie developed a friendship with actress Nance O’Neil and reportedly began hosting members of the theatre world at Maplecroft.
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In 1905, Emma moved out.
The precise reason for the split has never been established. As per the report, Emma later said in her 1913 interview that she left only after conditions had become “absolutely unbearable”, suggesting that the disagreement had developed over time. Neither sister publicly provided a detailed explanation for the falling-out.
Emma never stopped defending Lizzie
Despite their estrangement, Emma did not publicly accuse her sister of the murders.
The Herald News reported that Emma continued to reject claims that Lizzie was responsible and objected to the continued annual rehashing of the Borden murders in Fall River newspapers.
Emma eventually moved to New Hampshire. Like Lizzie, she never married or had children.
When Lizzie died on June 1, 1927, Emma was too ill to attend her sister’s private funeral. The two sisters never reconciled and Emma died 10 days later.
The sisters’ complicated relationship is now being revisited as Netflix brings the Borden case to a new audience.