She Had Blood On Her Hands—Or Maybe Not
Lizzie Borden was the upper-class Sunday school teacher who became the prime suspect in the brutal axe attack on her father and stepmother. Ultimately, a jury acquitted her of all the charges—but questions around her involvement still linger. Money, madness, and manipulation swirl around this macabre mystery.
1. She Was Born In A Peaceful Town
Lizzie Andrew Borden was born in 1860 in the prosperous town of Fall River, Massachusetts—a place where nothing so heinous as an axe attack was even thought possible. Despite coming from a wealthy family, her father, Andrew Borden, struggled to find his own fortune in his youth. However, by the time he married Sarah Borden and had Lizzie, things had changed—drastically.
2. Her Father Turned Caskets Into Cash
Lizzie’s father, Andrew Borden, found fortune in furniture and coffin sales before expanding into real estate, textiles, and banking. In other words, by the time that Lizzie came around, he was just as rich, if not richer, than the other residents of Fall River. In fact, at the time of his demise, his estate was worth $300,000—roughly $10 million today.
But if they were rich, Lizzie didn’t live like a princess.
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014 TV Movie)
3. Her Father Was An Infamous Miser
Despite his riches, Andrew Borden was notoriously frugal—perhaps even frustratingly so. Much to Lizzie’s chagrin and embarrassment, her father refused to relocate to Fall River’s fashionable Hill district—choosing instead to live near the industrial center of town. Worse yet, the family home lacked indoor plumbing.
Still, Lizzie seemed happy.
4. She Was Very Devout
Lizzie and her older sister, Emma, would have been the last suspects for any wrongdoing. Their parents had raised them both with strong Christian values. Lizzie taught Sunday school, supported charitable causes, and held leadership roles in religious groups like the Christian Endeavor Society and the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.
But not everything was as it seemed.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015), Sony Pictures Television
5. She Got A New “Mom”
Tragically, Lizzie’s mother, Sarah, had passed shortly after giving birth to her. Three short years later, her father remarried to a woman named Abby Gray. But Lizzie and her sister, Emma, had dark suspicions about their new “mother”. They thought she was only after their father’s considerable fortune. In fact, they only ever referred to Abby as “Mrs Borden”, refusing to call her “mother”.
Things were frostier than anyone knew.
6. She Didn’t Dine With The Family
Despite living under the same roof, Lizzie and her sister Emma kept a “polite” distance from their father and stepmother. According to the family maid, Bridget Sullivan, the sisters often avoided meals with them—an ominous sign of just how tense things had become inside the Borden household.
It seemed Lizzie preferred the company of winged rats.
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014 TV Movie)
7. Her Father Slaughtered Her Pets
Just a few months before the brutal axe attacks that would gripe the nation, Lizzie had reportedly taken a shine to some pigeons nesting in her father’s barn. She had even gone so far as to build them a roost. But when Andrew discovered that neighborhood boys were sneaking in to hunt them, he slaughtered the birds with a hatchet.
It was a move that allegedly left Lizzie seething—and, perhaps, plotting a little hatchet revenge of her own.
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014 TV Movie)
8. She Ran Away From Home
In July 1892, the tensions that had been building up in the Borden family reached a boiling point. After a massive family argument, both Lizzie and her sister Emma left Fall River for a break in New Bedford. Even after returning to town, Lizzie didn’t go straight home—she stayed at a boarding house for four days. Only one thing seemed to bring her back home: money.
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014 TV Movie)
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9. She Had Plenty To Be Angry About
Money, not malice, may have been at the heart of the Borden family drama. Just as Lizzie and Emma had suspected, their stepmother Abby seemed to only be after their father’s money—and he seemed only too happy to give it to her. Andrew had been gifting real estate to Abby and her relatives. Furious, the sisters demanded their share and eventually received a rental property.
But the damage had already been done.
10. She Had Company That Night
On the eve of the bloodbath, Lizzie’s maternal uncle, John Morse, dropped in for a visit and stayed the night. According to reports, he and Andrew were discussing “business matters,” which only fueled speculation that the conversation—likely about inheritance—may have been the final straw that made Lizzie snap.
But there was evidence that she had already laid a terrible plan in motion.
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014 TV Movie)
11. Her Whole Family Got Mysteriously Sick
In the days leading up to the terrible axe attack, everyone in the Borden household fell mysteriously ill. Some blamed spoiled mutton left simmering on the stove, while others—especially Abby—feared a more sinister cause: deliberate poisoning. After all, Andrew Borden didn’t have many friends in Fall River. Later on, this mysterious illness would have people looking curiously at Lizzie.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015), Sony Pictures Television
12. She Had A Family Breakfast
The morning of August 4, 1892, had begun like any other. After a heavy breakfast with the entire family, Lizzie’s father Andrew and maternal uncle, John Morse, sat down for a long chat, presumably to conclude their business. By 8:48 AM, Morse left to run errands—and by 9:00, Andrew went for his daily walk. But it was Lizzie’s actions that sparked interest.
Lifetime - Lizzie Borden Chronicles, TKS easyTV
13. She Skipped Her Chores
Usually, despite having a live-in maid, the chore of tidying up the guest room was usually Lizzie and Emma’s responsibility. However, for unknown reasons, Abby Borden took it upon herself that morning. Sometime between 9:00 and 10:30 AM, she made her way upstairs—and came face-to-face with a horrifying fate.
14. She May Have Attacked Her Stepmother
Just as Lizzie’s stepmother Abby reached the landing at the top of the stairs, she came face-to-face with her attacker. However, before she could even react, she felt a devastating blow as her assailant smacked her on the head just above the ear with a hatchet. The vicious attack sent Abby spiraling to the floor where she landed face down.
Horrifyingly, her attacker wasn’t done yet.
15. She Made It Personal
Whoever stood over Abby’s body delivered a bone-chilling 17 more strikes to the back of her head. The attacker wielded the axe with such force and dealt so many blows to the head that it left little doubt: This was personal. And there was just one person with that much animus towards Abby: Lizzie.
The gruesome attack was just the opening salvo.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015), Sony Pictures Television
16. She Thought It Was All Very Funny
When Andrew Borden returned home at 10:30 AM on the morning of the attack, something already seemed off. First, the front door jammed as their maid, Bridget Sullivan, tried to let him in. But, as Sullivan cursed in frustration, she heard a chilling sound.
She reportedly heard Lizzie laughing from upstairs. Sullivan never claimed to have seen Lizzie—but the sound of that laughter was unforgettable.
Lizzie (2018), Powder Hound Pictures
17. She Had A Clever Excuse
By the time Andrew finally made his way inside, his wife’s horribly hacked and lifeless body was already lying on the second floor—clearly visible from the staircase. Yet when Lizzie’s father Andrew asked her where Abby had gone, Lizzie claimed a messenger had summoned her to visit a sick friend. The next set of events only added to the confusion.
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014 TV Movie)
18. She Saw Her Father’s Body First
The maid, Sullivan, later testified that she had helped Andrew into his slippers before he lay down on the sofa for a nap. However, Sullivan’s story was less convincing than Lizzie’s. Photos from the brutal scene later revealed that Andrew was still wearing his boots, not slippers. Either way, it was only minutes later, at around 11:10 AM, that Lizzie allegedly shouted from downstairs.
“Come quick! Father’s dead! Somebody came in and [butchered] him.”
19. She Walked In On A Bloodbath
Lizzie’s scream, guilty or not, must have been blood-curdling. Her father, his lifeless body slouched in the sitting room, had suffered an even more gruesome fate than Abby. His assailant had struck him at least ten times with a hatchet-like weapon, directly to the face such that one blow cleanly split his eye in two.
When Sullivan arrived, the fresh body, still gushing blood, suggested that the attack had occurred only moments before Lizzie called out.
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014 TV Movie)
20. Her Parents Were Both Gone—For Good
Despite the obvious fact that her father was no longer alive, Lizzie ordered Sullivan to fetch the family physician, Dr Bowen. Thankfully, he lived just across the street. However, a quick response time wouldn’t matter. Both Andrew and Abby Borden were gone—the victims of a brutal attack whose savagery was only surpassed by its apparent senselessness.
Lizzie’s behavior only further confused things.
Lizzie (2018), Powder Hound Pictures
21. She Changed Her Story—A Lot
When detectives arrived on scene, they began questioning Lizzie to find out what had happened. But, instead of answers, she only gave them more questions—and a lot of suspicion. Lizzie’s answers were oddly inconsistent. At one point, she claimed she heard a moan or scraping sound before entering the house. Just two hours later, however, she said she’d heard nothing at all.
That wasn’t the thing that seemed off.
Serie | The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, Claro video Uruguay
22. She Had An Attitude
It didn’t take long for the detectives interviewing Lizzie Borden to notice her unsettling composure and apparent “attitude”. Despite the fact that her father and stepmother had just been hacked beyond recognition, Lizzie didn’t shed a tear. Some officers thought she seemed suspiciously “calm and poised” given the circumstances.
They should have listened to their instincts.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015), Sony Pictures Television
23. She Got Special Treatment
Despite her erratic statements and odd behavior, the officers didn’t seem to suspect Lizzie at first. In fact, they were so confident in her innocence that they never searched her for blood. They performed only a half-hearted search of her room, later admitting they didn’t want to press too hard because she claimed she wasn’t feeling well.
The search of the rest of the house, however, proved very interesting.
Lizzie Borden Chronicles 2015 Lifetime MiniSeries, Milad AL-SHORJI
24. She Had Easy Access To A Hatchet
As Lizzie retired to her room, down in the basement, officers made a startling discovery. There, they found two axes, two hatchets, and one particularly damning hatchet-head with a broken handle. Unlike the others, the hatchet head appeared to have been dusted with ash—possibly to make it look like no one had used it in a long time.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015), Sony Pictures Television
25. Her Parents Were…Poisoned?
In the wake of the double tragedy, authorities considered an unsettling possibility: poisoning. After all, everyone in the Borden household had been terribly ill just days before the attack. To put their fears to bed, investigators performed autopsies in the family’s dining room and tested the victims’ stomach contents.
While their examination didn’t turn up any signs of poison, one theory remained on the table.
26. She Tried To Buy Something Suspicious
Just days before the attacks, around the time of the family’s unexplained illness, a local druggist claimed Lizzie Borden had come in asking to purchase hydrocyanic acid, allegedly to clean a fur coat. But there was a problem with that story. A medical examiner later testified that hydrocyanic acid had no antiseptic value—suggesting a far more sinister motive.
27. She Couldn’t Bear To Be Alone
As the sun set on the horrific day, Lizzie and her sister couldn’t bear to be alone. Fortunately, they had a close friend, Alice Russell, stay at the house with them, while their visiting uncle, John Morse, reportedly slept upstairs. Notably, he did not sleep in the same room where Abby had perished, as later rumors would suggest.
It was, however, not necessarily a peaceful night.
28. She Snuck Into The Cellar
For the protection of the family (or what was left of it), officers were stationed outside of the house. But the attacker may already have been inside. One of the stationed officers claimed to have seen Lizzie Borden and her friend Alice Russell heading into the cellar with a lamp and a slop pail. What happened next baffled him.
Lizzie Borden Took An Ax Trailer 1 (2014) HD - LIfetime, Christina Ricci, FilmBookdotComTV
29. She Returned…Alone
The stationed officer claimed that he witnessed Lizzie and Sullivan exit the cellar only for Lizzie to return shortly after…alone. While the officer claimed that he knew why Lizzie was in the cellar, or what she was doing, he did give puzzling testimony. To the best of his knowledge, Lizzie appeared to be hunched over the sink.
It was just the kind of behavior that raised eyebrows.
Serie | The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, Claro video Chile
30. She Was A Suspect
The following morning, detectives returned for a more thorough search of the house. This time, they paid close attention to Lizzie and Emma’s clothing and took the broken-handled hatchet with them. Well, whatever else they found must have been compelling. Because that evening, detectives returned with the mayor of Fall River and gave Lizzie the bad news: she was officially a suspect.
Paramount Television, Wikimedia Commons
31. She Burned The Evidence
The morning after Lizzie Borden became a suspect, her friend Alice Russell walked into the kitchen to find a curious scene. Lizzie was standing there, tearing up a dress. When asked what she was doing, Lizzie said she was planning to burn it because she had stained it…with paint. Unfortunately, authorities never determined whether it was the same dress she wore the day of the bloodbath.
Lucky for Lizzie, they continued bungling their investigation.
Serie | The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, Claro video Chile
32. She Gave Bizarre Testimony
On August 8, Lizzie testified at an inquest—and left everyone scratching their heads. Her demeanor and answers to basic questions were strange, even erratic. Stranger still, she refused to answer questions that could have helped her defense. The only explanation for her behavior was that a doctor had prescribed her with morphine to calm her nerves.
It seemed she barely remembered anything.
F. E. Willard & M. A. R. Livermore, Wikimedia Commons
33. She Couldn’t Keep Her Story Straight
Throughout the inquest, Lizzie Borden gave conflicting accounts of where she was and what she was doing that dreaded morning. At one point, she said she was reading in the kitchen. Later, she claimed she had been ironing in the dining room. Then she changed it again—this time, she said she was on the stairs.
That was enough evidence for the authorities to make a drastic move.
34. She Ended Up Behind Bars
The inquest took a turn when the district attorney began hammering Lizzie Borden with aggressive, confrontational questions. It was a risky tactic that paid off. Just three days later, on August 11, authorities placed Lizzie under arrest and threw her behind bars. The seemingly faithful heiress would spend the next nine months in a cold, cramped cell.
35. Her Testimony Was Tossed Out
A large part of the case against Lizzie was her testimony. But, thanks to her morphine prescription, the judge ruled it inadmissible in court. Still, that didn’t stop the public from drawing their own conclusions. Newspapers wrote scandalously about Lizzie’s disastrous testimony, highlighting her “stolid demeanor” and demurring body language.
That wasn’t the worst of it.
36. She Lost Her Support
Until the inquest, Lizzie’s closest friends and family members, including her sister Emma, never believed that she had been the assailant. However, once the details of her testimony leaked out it “caused a change of opinion among her friends who have heretofore strongly maintained her innocence”. Ultimately, it would be up to a jury of her peers.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles: Twisted Sisters (S1, E6) | Lifetime, Lifetime
37. She Inspired A Copycat
Just five days before Lizzie’s trial began in June 1893, Fall River was rocked by yet another axe attack. This time, the victim was a woman named Bertha Manchester—found slain in her kitchen in a scene disturbingly similar to the Borden case. The timing sent shockwaves through the courtroom.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles: Identifying with the Powerless (S1, E7) | Lifetime, Lifetime
38. She Definitely Didn’t Do It
While Lizzie was the prime suspect in the savage attacks on her father and stepmother, no one believed that she had anything to do with poor old Manchester's case. She was, after all, sitting behind bars. In 1894, authorities convicted Jose Correa de Mello, a Portuguese immigrant, for Manchester’s savage end.
Crucially, de Mello had not been in Fall River at the time of the Borden tragedy, eliminating him as a suspect in Lizzie’s case—but leaving lingering doubts for the jury.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles: Identifying with the Powerless (S1, E7) | Lifetime, Lifetime
39. She Was Gone For “Twenty Minutes”
Given her inconsistent statements, one of the most debated elements of the case was Lizzie’s whereabouts at the time of her father’s demise. Sullivan, the family’s maid, claimed that she had left Lizzie downstairs at around 10:58 AM with her father. However, Lizzie countered this claim by revealing that she had gone into the barn for “20 minutes or possibly a half an hour”.
For once, Lizzie’s story seemed to hold up.
Lizzie Borden's Hit List, Slippery Nipple
40. She Had Witnesses
According to a witness, Hyman Lubinsky, Lizzie was telling the truth about her whereabouts. Lubinsky claimed to have seen Lizzie Borden leaving the barn at 11:03 AM—just minutes after, according to detectives, the time her father passed, and before she called for help. Another witness, Charles Gardner, confirmed the time. Plus, Lizzie could barely stomach the sight of blood.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles: Official Clip | Lifetime, Lifetime
41. She Fainted In Court
On June 5, 1893, Lizzie’s trial reached it macabre and morbid crescendo. The prosecution, playing for effect, brought into the courtroom the skulls of both victims as evidence. At the mere sight of her father’s shattered skull Lizzie was overcome, and fainted in the courtroom.
With such a powerful reaction, hardly anyone could believe she was guilty.
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014 TV Movie)
42. She Was “The Happiest Woman In The World”
After just 90 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned with a verdict that would sharply divide opinions in Fall River and across the nation. Lizzie Borden, they said, was not guilty. When reporters asked for her reaction outside the courthouse, Lizzie gave a heartfelt, if a little chilling, response. She said she was “the happiest woman in the world”.
She would also be one of the richest.
43. She Bought Her Dream House
Following the trial, Lizzie Borden and her sister Emma left their old home and all of its bloody memories behind and moved to Fall River’s upscale Hill neighborhood. It was precisely where Lizzie had always wanted to live. Their new residence, which Lizzie dubbed “Maplecroft,” had all the modern luxuries—including a staff of maids and a coachman. And indoor plumbing.
She was practically a new woman.
44. She Got A New Name
Perhaps in an effort to move on—or to leave the scandal and the stain on her reputation behind her—Lizzie adopted a new name. She dropped the diminutive “Lizzie” and, instead, went by the more adult-sounding “Lizbeth” A Borden. Of course, it would take more than a name change to erase her past.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015), Sony Pictures Television
45. She Still Had To Pay
Although the court had found her not guilty, Lizzie Borden would still end up having to pay for her freedom. Because Abby fell to the attacker first, her estate (quaint as it was) technically passed to Andrew…and then to Lizzie and Emma. To avoid nasty court battles and unwanted questions, the sisters agreed to pay a hefty settlement to Abby’s relatives.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles: Twisted Sisters (S1, E6) | Lifetime, Lifetime
46. She Was Branded For Life
Though a jury found Lizzie not guilty of the heinous axe attacks, Fall River society never forgave her. But, she didn’t exactly help herself, either. In 1897, Lizzie once again made headlines when she was accused of shoplifting in Providence, Rhode Island. After that, she became a true pariah—snubbed, whispered about, and shunned by her former social circles.
At least she still had her sister—or did she?
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015), Sony Pictures Television
47. She Lost Her Closest Ally
In 1905, Lizzie Borden hosted a party for the actress Nance O'Neil. But there was little festivity in the gathering. For unknown reasons, the event caused a major rift with her sister Emma. Whatever the dispute, shortly after, Emma moved out of Maplecroft and never spoke to Lizzie again.
Her final years would be lonely ones, with nothing but her father’s money to keep her company.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015), Sony Pictures Television
48. She Passed On Alone
Following gallbladder surgery, Lizzie's health deteriorated rapidly—but at least she stayed out of trouble. Lizzie Borden drew her last breath on June 1, 1927, succumbing to pneumonia in her beloved Maplecroft estate. Given her status as a pariah, her funeral was a quiet affair that few attended. Nine days later, her estranged sister passed away from kidney disease.
So, where did all that money go?
49. She Left Behind A Fortune
At the time of her passing, Lizzie's estate was valued at over $250,000—more than $6 million today. Her assets included multiple real estate holdings, an enviable jewelry collection, and a few other investments. But, of all her bequeathments to various relatives and charities, the most puzzling was a trust fund for “the perpetual care of her father’s grave”.
50. Her Story Became A Macabre Myth
Though Lizzie Borden was found not guilty, many people continued to doubt the verdict—and recently, an author and researcher, Rebecca F Pittman, uncovered startling new evidence. Though Pittman claims to have identified two mystery men who were spotted near the Borden home at the time of the grisly attacks, she actually fully believes that Lizzie was responsible, and that she exhibited signs of sociopathy.
Pittman believes the two men were distant relatives of the Borden family, which fits into a theory that Andrew Borden was preparing to make a deal to transfer ownership of one of the family farms to his wife Abby, cutting into Lizzie’s inheritance. Pittman’s husband also performed experiments to prove that Lizzie could have, in fact, been responsible for breaking off the handle of one of the hatchets used in the crime.
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