Borden Curse: New Shock Docs Explores Demonic Possession Theory

The Curse of Lizzie Borden, the next installment in the Shock Docs series, premieres on discovery+ on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. Paranormal investigator Dave Schrader assembles a team of paranormal experts to investigate whether a dark entity helped facilitate one of the most infamous ax murders of all time. The team operates under the theory that a Borden family curse is responsible for the murders Lizzie was accused —and acquitted— of.

Because prior to Lizzie’s well-publicized trial, the Borden family endured other tragedies over the years. Well, sort of. Even though Schrader and crew call it the “Borden Curse” during the Shock Docs, it might not originate in the Borden line. Rather, it might hail from her mom’s side, Sarah Morse, who was Andrew’s first wife.

If a curse even exists, that is.

However, if one does, is it because a certain family member brought it on? Namely one with witchcraft in his lineage and who may have been dabbling in the occult? (Although, since he’s a blood relative of Lizzie’s, the witchcraft lineage belongs to her too.)

Let’s take a look at what you’ll see in The Curse of Lizzie Borden, and why the investigators are so keen on the Borden Curse/demonic possession theory. Which I guess also makes this a good time to warn you that there are minor spoilers ahead.

The Curse of Lizzie Borden Cast

Before we jump into the curse, let’s look at the cast of the Shock Docs. It helps to understand their connection with both the Lizzie Borden case and the investigation of a possible haunting/curse on the family.

• Dave Schrader – Darkness Radio host and star of The Holzer Files
• Chris Fleming – Television personality, paranormal researcher, and medium
• Sam Baltrusis – Author and paranormal expert
• Luann Joly – Paranormal investigator

Sam is related to Lizzie and other relatives on her mother’s side. Along with Schrader and team, Baltrusis theorizes that Lizzie’s (and his) other ancestors may have also fallen victim to the Borden Curse and the dark entity possibly attached to it.

Other Borden-Connected Tragedies

Sarah Maria Cornell, who would’ve been Lizzie’s fifth cousin on her mother’s side, was brutally murdered in 1832. At first, however, it was thought she had committed suicide when she was found hanging from a tree on a farm in Tiverton, Rhode Island. But Sarah Cornell worked in a Fall River mill.

It turned out she was pregnant. Methodist minister Ephraim K. Avery was suspected of both her pregnancy and her murder. He was tried but acquitted.

Then there’s the tragic case of Eliza Darling Borden. She was the second wife of Lawdwick Borden, Lizzie’s great uncle. (His brother, Abraham Bowen Borden, was Lizzie’s dad’s dad, a.k.a. her grandfather.)

In 1848 Lawdwick and Eliza lived next door to what would become Andrew Borden’s home in 1872 —and his place of death in 1892. But in 1848 Eliza killed two of her three children before borrowing Lawdwick’s straight razor to cut her own throat. (Some believe it’s those children who haunt the Lizzie Borden house.)

That is some pretty sad and tragic history to have in one family, which is why Schrader, Baltrusis and the other team members in The Curse of Lizzie Borden believe a curse haunts the family. One where a demonic entity possesses people to commit heinous acts of violence.

The Borden Curse: Where did it start?

Schrader and team aren’t entirely positive but they have some suspicions that perhaps the curse comes from Lizzie’s mom’s side of the family.

John Morse, Lizzie’s uncle was also briefly a suspect at the time her father and step-mother were killed. He was there that day but had left before the murders occurred. In fact, he’d spent the night and had slept in the room where Abby would end up being murdered.

John was the brother of Lizzie’s biological mom, Sarah Morse. They were descendants of a man named Anthony Morse, whose brother William, and his wife Elizabeth, were tried for witchcraft in 1679 in Salem. William was acquitted but his wife served two years in prison, but not because she really was a witch. Poor “Goody Morse” had a grandson who testified that she caused certain phenomena that happened at her house. Turns out it was him and a friend playing pranks. (Jerks!)

So, yes, there is a Salem witchcraft connection in Lizzie’s family line,  but there isn’t solid proof her Uncle John dabbled in the occult, as is brought up in the Shock Docs.

Did a demon make Lizzie do it?

There are a lot of theories why Lizzie Borden may have wanted her father dead. Many believe good old-fashioned greed drove her to it. They claim she was anxious to get her hands on her inheritance. Incest is often also alluded to. Had she had enough, snapped, and wrought her vengeance with the ax?

Less often do you hear anyone pull out an Arne Cheyenne Johnson explanation —ie. the devil made her do it.

One of the ways the whole cast of The Curse of Lizzie Borden describes the house during their investigation is dark and heavy. They’re all convinced something malevolent lurks there. Something demonic. And if so, they’re convinced that’s what made Lizzie kill her father and stepmother.

If she was the murderer, that is.

But not just her. They’re convinced that’s also what compelled Eliza to kill herself and her children 44 years before Andrew and Abby Borden were killed.

Possible, but not probable.

Granted, Schrader admits he’s not there to solve a whodunit. He’s there to ascertain whether or not a dark, demonic entity was responsible for Lizzie’s actions. Did it take her over, give her supernatural strength to brutally kill Andrew and Abby? If, of course, she was in fact the one who committed the crime.

He says that might also explain why Bridget, the Borden’s maid, felt the need to suddenly lay down and claimed she heard nothing. Was she, too, under some sort of demonic spell that possessed her to stay out of the way so the evil deed could be done?

Who knows?

From a Woman’s Perspective

Even though The Curse of Lizzie Borden includes a female on the investigation team, they still approach the case from a male-centric standpoint. Which means they miss out on looking at the case from a woman’s perspective.

Someone killed Andrew and Abby Borden. It’s more sensational to say a demon must be involved, but that’s dangerous ground to tread upon because then anyone who wants to kill can just forgo accountability and responsibility by saying, “Nope. Wasn’t me. Something else made me do it.”

The fact of the matter is, demons live inside all of us. We never know what might trigger them. Hopefully we make it through our entire lives never discovering that answer.

If Lizzie did it, greed, anger or humiliation, or some combo thereof could’ve been the demons to drive her.

And then there’s Eliza Borden. I’d like to know how it was determined she killed herself. I’d also like to know how Lawdwick Borden’s first and third wives died. His fourth wife survived him in death, that I do know.

But if Eliza did kill herself, it sounds like postpartum depression is the more likely culprit —a demon unto itself. As Lizzie Borden Warps & Wefts points out, Eliza “had three children in rapid succession.” That’s a lot of hormones. Something men can’t understand and which they didn’t touch upon at all during the show.

Which is unfortunate because postpartum depression is a real condition many mothers suffer from. One that shouldn’t be diminished or stigmatized or written off as simple “demonic possession.” People wouldn’t have had much sympathy for such a condition back in 1848 —if they even knew what it was. But we know now and should endeavor towards awareness and destigmatization.

Also, who’s to say Lawdwick didn’t play some part in Eliza’s demise? How fast did he marry his next wife? Has anyone ever explored that avenue?

I don’t know. All I know is that since it’s been 129 years since the Borden murders, this case is likely to remain unsolved in perpetuity.

Check-In

Had you ever considered the idea that Lizzie Borden was possessed by a demon?

I personally like the idea that she was a zombie hunter, as my friend C. A. Verstraete envisioned in her Lizzie Borden Zombie Hunter series of books.

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