The savage 1892 killings of Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother gripped the nation, fueled in large part by the unlikely woman at the heart of the case.
Lizzie, a 32-year-old Sunday school teacher at the time, was accused of killing her stepmother, Abby Borden, with a hatchet before allegedly attacking her father, Andrew Borden, a bank president.
Following a trial that drew intense national attention, the Massachusetts native was acquitted of both murders.
More than 100 years later, the Borden murders have never been solved. Yet questions and speculation continue to surround Lizzie Borden, whose infamous story inspired Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.
Here is what to know about the true story behind Netflix’s fictionalized retelling and one of the most notorious crimes in American history:
Who Was Lizzie Borden?
When the murders occurred, Lizzie was unmarried and lived with her family in Fall River, Mass. She taught Sunday school and was an active member of Central Congregational Church, according to The Smithsonian Magazine.
Novelist Victoria Lincoln, who lived on Borden’s street as a child, later described her former neighbor as “tall, stocky, jowly, dressy and unremarkable,” per The New York Times.
Lizzie’s unmarried sister, Emma Borden, also lived in the family’s modest house. But the 41-year-old was away visiting friends when the killings took place.
What Happened to Abby Borden and Andrew Borden?
On the morning of Aug. 4, 1892, Lizzie’s visiting uncle, John Morse, left the house at about 9 a.m. to see other relatives in town, according to CBS’ 48 Hours.
Andrew Borden then went out for a walk to inspect his property, while his wife went upstairs to tidy the guest room.
Lizzie prepared to do some ironing in the dining room, she later testified in an inquest, while the family’s housekeeper Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan went outside to wash the windows.
Authorities suspected that Abby was killed sometime around 9:30 a.m., 48 Hours reported.
Lizzie “claims not to have heard anything” inside the home, The Trial of Lizzie Borden author Cara Robertson told the outlet.
Andrew returned home around 10:45 a.m. and went into the sitting room to take a nap.The medical examiner concluded that he was killed about 45 minutes later, per 48 Hours.
Lizzie claimed to have discovered her father lying dead on the couch, according to History.com.
“I did not notice anything else, I was so frightened and horrified,” she testified at the inquest, according to a transcript on FamousTrials.com. “I ran to the foot of the stairs and called Maggie.”
Lizzie then ran to the home of her neighbor Adelaide Churchill to report that her father had been killed. Adelaide later told investigators that there was no blood anywhere on Lizzie.
After Lizzie made a remark that she may have seen her stepmother go upstairs, Adelaide and Maggie discovered her dead in one of the upstairs bedrooms.
“That scene is, if anything, more horrible,” Robertson told 48 Hours of the 19 blows Abby suffered. “She’s face down and much of the back of her head has been hacked.”
Why Was Lizzie Borden Suspected of the Murders?
Though police looked at other possible culprits, Lizzie quickly became the main suspect, in part, because she had been the only person known to be inside the home at the time of the murders and there were no apparent signs of forced entry.
Investigators also capitalized on the apparent discrepancies in her story of what happened that day. During the inquest, Lizzie provided different accounts of where she was when her father came home. While she told prosecutors that she had been making her way down the stairs from the upstairs floor of the house—which would have given her an opportunity to see Abby dead on the floor—other times she claimed to have been downstairs in the kitchen.
Bridget also claimed to have heard Lizzie upstairs laughing, per The New York Times.
ALSO READ: Gainesville Man Arrested After Second Hit-and-Run in 3 Weeks
Police learned during the investigation that Lizzie—who’d seemed strangely unemotional after the murders—had allegedly tried to purchase deadly prussic acid from a drug store the day before, according to The Smithsonian Magazine.
She told the pharmacist she was hoping to use the acid to put an edge on a seal-skin cape, Robertson said, but the pharmacist had never heard of using the lethal acid this way and opted not to sell it to her.
Police also discovered a bucket of bloody cloths in the cellar, but Lizzie explained the discovery by telling officers that she was menstruating, according to CBS News. They also found the head of a hatchet, appearing to be consistent with the victims’ wounds, in a box of tools in the cellar that looked as though the handle had recently been broken off.
Suspicion continued to grow after reports emerged that Lizzie and her sister had burned one of Lizzie’s dresses the day after the murders.
“Lizzie and Emma claimed that the dress had been stained with paint and…needed to be burned,” Robertson explained. “And they thought that was as good a time as any.”
What Was Lizzie Borden’s Alleged Motive?
As for why Lizzie may have wanted her family members dead, there have been many theories over the years.
Some point to Andrew’s notorious frugality, despite his wealth, and his daughters desire to move to the wealthy portion of town.
“Lizzie and her sister, Emma, both really desired to live a way better life,” crime scene investigator Erin Rubas told 48 Hours, “and they really resented their father for not providing that for them.”
Lizzie also reportedly had a strained relationship with her stepmother after Andrew purchased a home for Abby’s sister.
Was Lizzie Borden Convicted of Killing Her Father and Stepmother?
Lizzie was arrested one week after the murders and spent nine months confined to a jail cell, The Smithsonian Magazine reported.
She went on trial in June 1893 in New Bedford, Massachusetts in front of a packed courtroom.
“This was the trial of a woman who seemed to have transcended the limits of her sex in such a violent way,” Robertson explained to 48 Hours of the public fascination. “The women, I think, were curious to see…the monster.”
When the prosecutor claimed to have brought the victims’ skulls into court, Lizzie fainted, per the news outlet.
During other legal proceedings, her attorneys called an expert witness who testified there was no evidence of blood on the hatchet head and noted the dress Lizzie said she was wearing that day only had a small drop of blood, per The Smithsonian Magazine.
Her sister Emma also testified at trial on her behalf, telling the jurors she had been the one to suggest they burn the dress, per CBS News.
The evidence about the prussic acid was never allowed in trial.
A jury of 12 men acquitted Lizzie on June 20, 1893, History.com reported.
What Happened to Lizzie Borden After Her Trial?
With the legal case behind her and access to her father’s inheritance—which 48 Hours reported would be equivalent to $10 million today— Lizzie and Emma moved into a large Victorian house in the wealthy part of town two months after the murder.
Still, there were many in the community suspicious of her and, according to The Smithsonian Magazine, she was shunned from the church that had once been a central focus in her life.
After the two sisters had a falling out in 1904, Emma moved out of the house and cut off contact with her sister. Lizzie became a recluse and died in 1927. Emma died nine days later. The sisters were buried in a plot alongside their father and stepmother.