Did John Morse and Abby Borden Really Have an Affair?

Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story does not limit its speculation to the question of who killed Andrew and Abby Borden. The series also reshapes several relationships inside the Borden household, giving characters private motives and secrets that were never established during the original investigation. One of its more surprising additions involves John Morse, Lizzie and Emma’s maternal uncle.

In the series, Morse arrives at the Borden home seeking financial help from Andrew and becomes sexually involved with Abby. The affair consequently gives the investigation another possible motive and briefly directs suspicion toward Morse after Abby and Andrew are murdered. Netflix’s own explanation of the finale confirms that this relationship is part of the show’s version of events.

Related: Were Lizzie Borden and Bridget Sullivan Really Lovers? The True Story Behind Monster

There Is No Evidence John Morse and Abby Had an Affair

There is no credible historical evidence establishing a sexual or romantic relationship between John Morse and Abby Borden.

The real John Vinnicum Morse was the younger brother of Sarah Anthony Morse, Andrew Borden’s first wife and the mother of Emma and Lizzie. That made him Lizzie and Emma’s maternal uncle and Andrew’s former brother-in-law. Historical records identify Morse as a man who periodically returned east after spending much of his adult life elsewhere, including Iowa.

Surviving accounts of the Borden case extensively document Morse’s presence immediately before the murders, his movements on August 4, 1892, and the suspicion that temporarily surrounded him. They do not establish an affair between him and Abby.

Monster therefore appears to be using the affair as a dramatic invention rather than dramatizing a documented relationship.

Why Was John Morse at the Borden House?

Morse really was staying at 92 Second Street when the murders occurred, which is one reason he has remained such a fascinating figure in the case.

He arrived at the Borden residence on August 3, the day before Andrew and Abby were killed, and spent the night in the upstairs guest room. The following morning, Morse ate breakfast with Andrew and Abby before leaving the house to visit relatives on Weybosset Street. Abby later went upstairs to clean the same guest room where Morse had slept and was killed there.

The timing was suspicious enough to attract investigators’ attention. Morse had appeared just before two murders and was one of the relatively small number of people directly connected to the household that morning. That does not mean the affair shown in Monster was part of the real investigation.

Was John Morse Suspected of the Murders?

Yes. Morse was considered a possible suspect for a period, although suspicion did not lead to charges.

His unusually detailed account of his movements became one of the most discussed aspects of his involvement. After leaving the Borden home at around 8:45 a.m., Morse said he visited his niece and nephew before returning around lunchtime. Later historical accounts note that investigators checked his story and found support for his whereabouts.

His arrival the previous evening nevertheless generated theories that have survived alongside the countless other alternative explanations for the murders. Modern examinations of the case still routinely include Morse among the people who have been proposed as possible suspects, although no convincing evidence has emerged proving his involvement.

Monster Gives Morse a New Motive

Monster takes those real suspicious circumstances and adds something the historical case does not provide: a secret relationship with Abby.

That change gives Morse a more personal connection to one of the victims while also expanding Abby’s storyline. In the series, she is presented as a deeply unhappy woman trapped in a difficult marriage to Andrew, and the affair becomes another expression of the frustration and isolation the drama builds around her.

It works as part of Monster’s interpretation of the Borden household, but viewers should not mistake it for an established part of the 1892 case.

John Morse really did arrive shortly before the murders. He really did sleep in the room where Abby would be found dead the following morning, and police really did examine his movements. His affair with Abby Borden, however, belongs to the Netflix dramatization rather than the known historical record.