On the morning of August 4, 1892, a gruesome fate befell Andrew and Abby Borden within the confines of their own home. This haunting incident sent shivers down the spines of the entire community, casting a sinister shadow over the quaint streets of Fall River, Massachusetts. The morbid discovery of both lifeless bodies was made by none other than their own daughter, 32-year-old Lizzie Borden. But one must wonder: Did she stumble upon the nightmarish scene, or did she, in a dark and sinister twist, create the horrifying site that would later haunt the nightmares of the investigating police?

Join us as we uncover the horrifying details of the murder and the captivating twists of the trial using HeinOnline’s World Trials Library.

Axe of Malevolence

On the fateful morning of Thursday, August 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden found her father,^[1]Edwin H. Porter. Fall River Tragedy. A History of the Borden Murders. A Plain Statement of the Material Facts Pertaining to the Most Famous Crime of the Century, including the Story of the Arrest and Preliminary Trial of Miss Lizzie A. Borden … Continue reading Andrew Borden, lying dead across a sofa where he had been taking a nap covered in a pool of blood. According to Lizzie, she had spoken with him about twenty minutes before she retreated to the family’s barn. She yelled up to the housekeeper, Bridget Sullivan, who came running down from the attic. Lizzie instructed her to find help.

Dr. S.W. Bowen and Alice Russell were the first to arrive. Lizzie began to ask for her stepmother. Bridget and a neighbor began searching the house. But as the minutes passed, the maleficent truth unraveled further, for shortly thereafter, Abby Borden, too, was discovered in a guest bedroom,^[2]Edwin H. Porter. Fall River Tragedy. A History of the Borden Murders. A Plain Statement of the Material Facts Pertaining to the Most Famous Crime of the Century, including the Story of the Arrest and Preliminary Trial of Miss Lizzie A. Borden … Continue reading her body marred by the same nightmarish bloodstains that now cursed the Borden household.

Before we jump to conclusions about who the murderer is, let’s look at the details of each body that was found. You might remember the old nursery rhyme^[3]William Roughead. What Is Your Verdict (1931). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s World Trial Library. about the Borden murders. While this was a popular song, it was actually quite exaggerated:

Andrew Borden

Dr. Bowen, who was the first physician in the house, conveyed a bone-chilling observation. He stated that Andrew was lying on the sofa in a natural position as if he were fast asleep. He was found in a dressing gown with his feet resting on the carpet below him. There was no sign of struggle, no furniture disrupted, and no indication that the body was under stress.

Additionally, Dr. Bowen believed the murder weapon was likely an axe, which struck the left side of Andrew’s head with cuts near the eyes, nose, and ear.^[4]Edwin H. Porter. Fall River Tragedy. A History of the Borden Murders. A Plain Statement of the Material Facts Pertaining to the Most Famous Crime of the Century, including the Story of the Arrest and Preliminary Trial of Miss Lizzie A. Borden … Continue reading Dr. Bowen hypothesized that the murderer attacked Andrew from behind with great speed. What’s more, there was blood on the floor and walls, but nothing to fully represent the 13 strikes to the head that the victim endured. It was clear by the bleeding wounds that the attack was recent.

Abby Borden

Abby Borden’s body was discovered in the guest bedroom. It appeared she was in the middle of making the bed, as John Morse, Lizzie’s uncle, had spent the night in that room while visiting. Her body was found between the bed and a dressing case near a corner.

Dr. Bowen’s analysis of the scene suggested that Abby was initially struck from behind. When she turned, the murderer continued to strike her 17 more times, ensuring her death. In a similar fashion to Andrew, there was no indication of a struggle or disruption to the room.^[5]Edwin H. Porter. Fall River Tragedy. A History of the Borden Murders. A Plain Statement of the Material Facts Pertaining to the Most Famous Crime of the Century, including the Story of the Arrest and Preliminary Trial of Miss Lizzie A. Borden … Continue reading With some further investigation, it was discovered that Abby was dead approximately 2 hours prior to Andrew being slain. Police found it odd that Abby was deceased for 2 hours and yet not discovered by Lizzie or Bridget.

The investigation sent police into a whirlwind. How could someone have murdered Abby silently and then taken Andrew’s life two hours later? Was the murderer in the house the whole time? Furthermore, it was estimated that Dr. Bowen examined Andrew’s body a mere 15 minutes after he was murdered. How was the assailant able to leave the house so quickly without being seen?

The police faced relentless public pressure, with a watchful eye from the community, to apprehend a suspect. They found Lizzie Borden’s behavior to be odd and unemotional. She had given several different reports^[6]William M. Kunstler. First Degree (1960). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s World Trial Library. about the incident to different people. Reports indicate that the family was unwell just before the murders, and a drug store clerk identified Lizzie^[7]Edwin H. Porter. Fall River Tragedy. A History of the Borden Murders. A Plain Statement of the Material Facts Pertaining to the Most Famous Crime of the Century, including the Story of the Arrest and Preliminary Trial of Miss Lizzie A. Borden … Continue reading as a girl who came into the store looking for hydrocyanic acid. On August 5th, police officers apprehended Lizzie and her sister Emma’s clothes, as well as two axes and a hatchet-head with a broken handle. After Lizzie was informed that she was a suspect in the murders, her friend Alice Russell found her ripping up a dress, stating that she was going to burn it because it was covered in paint. By August 11th she was arrested and detained for murder.

Lizzie Borden on Trial

Lizzie Borden pleaded not guilty. Throughout the trial, several people provided testimony including the neighbors, John Morse, and the housekeeper, Bridget. In Bridget’s testimony, she noted that when Andrew returned home that dreadful morning, he was having trouble getting into the house. She let him in and remembered hearing Lizzie laugh upstairs, where Abby was suspected to be lying dead. Shortly after, she left Andrew in the sitting room and heard Lizzie calling for her to get help once she discovered her father.

Alice Russell, Lizzie’s friend, testified that when she arrived at the scene Lizzie had no blood on her hair, hands, or shoes.^[8]Edwin H. Porter. Fall River Tragedy. A History of the Borden Murders. A Plain Statement of the Material Facts Pertaining to the Most Famous Crime of the Century, including the Story of the Arrest and Preliminary Trial of Miss Lizzie A. Borden … Continue reading She also noted that she remembered the police having to break into Lizzie’s room during a search because the door was locked. The defense never challenged Russell on the statement Lizzie made about burning her dress.

The medical examiner closely studied Abby and Andrew’s stomachs for poisoning, as Lizzie had been identified as attempting to purchase poison. However, the medical examiner found no trace of poison in either of the victim’s bodies.^[9]Edwin H. Porter. Fall River Tragedy. A History of the Borden Murders. A Plain Statement of the Material Facts Pertaining to the Most Famous Crime of the Century, including the Story of the Arrest and Preliminary Trial of Miss Lizzie A. Borden … Continue reading He also noted that there was a drop of blood, the size of a pin, found on a white skirt owned by Lizzie, but no blood was found on the hatchets located in the cellar of the home.

In regards to another theory, Lizzie was questioned about her relationship with her stepmother. It was speculated that she had ill will towards her and that she believed Abby married her father for money. Lizzie and her sister Emma were not pleased when their father distributed some of the family’s property to Abby’s family. When asked if she was cordial with Abby, Lizzie stated “That depends upon one’s idea of cordiality.”^[10]Edwin H. Porter. Fall River Tragedy. A History of the Borden Murders. A Plain Statement of the Material Facts Pertaining to the Most Famous Crime of the Century, including the Story of the Arrest and Preliminary Trial of Miss Lizzie A. Borden … Continue reading She continued to say “I did not regard her as my mother, though she came there when I was young. I decline to say whether my relations between her and myself were those of mother and daughter or not.”

On June 20, 1893, the jury was sent to deliberate after hearing closing arguments. They remained there for one hour and ten minutes and finally returned with a not-guilty verdict. When the verdict was read, applause broke out in the courtroom.

Even though the trial had concluded, the unsolved crime continued to unsettle the public, fostering a perception that justice had gone astray. Lizzie passed away on June 1, 1927. Two years after her death, the new residents of her house stumbled upon a mysterious hammer^[11]William M. Kunstler. First Degree (1960). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s World Trial Library. beneath the barn door and cost Bristol County $200.00 to determine it was not the murder weapon. To this day, the mystery of the Borden murders remains unsolved.

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