One of the main points in this case was that there was a lack of motive for lizzie borden to commit these crimes. according to lizzie's testimony, she and her step-mother got along very well. she called her step-mother "mother" until one day, when something did not go her way.
1) a few years prior to the murder lizzie's father, andrew, gave a property to his wife, abby. Andrew was not accustomed to giving things to his family, let alone his children. after hearing about the exchange in property, lizzie and emma confronted their father and step-mother, demanding that they also be given something. After brief arguments, their father gave them a smaller house, which they then sold back to their father. from then on, the borden sisters called abby "step-mother" and "mrs. borden" rather than "mother". This also included lizzie not eating meals with her family or spending time with them.
A week before the murder, an argument assumed between the abby and lizzie, causing lizzie to leave and return and stay in a SEPARATE building than her family. "In the week before the murders, following an apparent family argument, Lizzie and her sister Emma left Fall River by coach for New Bedford. When Lizzie returned, she chose to stay in a rooming house for four days, rather than in her own room in the family residence." (Linder).
2) lizzie has never lived the spoiled life prior to the murder of her mother and father. her father never gave her spending money, they lived in a dated home, and made lizzie and emma work for their money and save for things such as a new dress. this aggravated lizzie.
Lizzie has lived a life of crime. she has been shoplifting since she was little from stores and people for things she cannot afford. everything from clothing to jewelry to food. it even got so bad and she became so well known that the store owners ordered their employees to bill lizzie's father if they notice her shoplifting, for her usually pay for it.
"In 1891, cash and jewelry were stolen from the master bedroom in the Borden home. It was an open secret that Lizzie was suspected as having been the thief." (linder). the cash and jewelry BELONGED to abby borden and was kept in her jewelry box on her MANTELPIECE. there was no sign of a break-in, and nothing had been disturbed. after two weeks, andrew borden had called off the police search. Why? who knows, maybe he had figured out it was lizzie stealing from him. every day and night after that, andrew has locked the door leading from his room to lizzie's room, and has left his bedroom key on the MANTLE PLACE in the sitting room every day, as if tempting, daring even someone to pick it up.
3) after the trials and the not guilty verdict, lizzie was allowed access to her fathers wealth. not even six weeks after the murders OCCURRED, lizzie and emma sold their house and built a new home on "the hill". (the rich part of fall river). it was a manor, CUSTOM built with fine china, hardwoods, and even naming the home "maplecroft", which lizzie had carved into the concrete steps in the front of the house. Inside, she enjoyed her MAGNIFICENT spelders: servants, GOURMET foods, fine china, paintings, and lavish parties for famous actors and actresses.