Why Was Lizzie Borden Acquitted? The True Story Behind Netflix’s Monster

Lizzie Borden may be the new focus of Netflix’s Monster, but unlike past subjects Ed Gein and the Menendez brothers, she was never actually convicted of murder.In August 1892, Lizzie was indicted for the murders of her parents, Andrew and Abby Borden, who were the victims of a brutal hatchet attack that same month. Since she was the only person home at the time of the killings, besides the family’s maid, she quickly became the prime suspect.Prosecutors and authorities were convinced of her guilt, but a 12-man jury ultimately decided a lady of her stature wasn’t capable of committing such violence. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story revisits the Borden murders and the shocking verdict of what became known as the “trial of the century.”Here’s everything we know about why Lizzie Borden was acquitted.What Was the Evidence Against Lizzie Borden?Lizzie Borden was arrested and charged for the murders of her father Andrew and stepmother Abby on August 11, 1892—exactly one week after they were found dead in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. This indictment immediately followed her police inquest testimony.The then-32-year-old gave inconsistent accounts of her whereabouts and recollection of events, first telling authorities she was in the hot, unventilated barn looking for fishing sinkers when her parents were killed. Later, she claimed she was in the barn eating pears.Afterward, she said she went back in the house, where she found her father dead on the sitting room sofa, but admitted she didn’t look for her stepmother. Lizzie told police she thought Abby was tending to a sick friend in town but then backtracked and claimed she was sewing upstairs, where her stepmother’s body was eventually found.Lizzie also implied she had a strained relationship with Abby, revealing she stopped referring to her as “Mother” years earlier after a disagreement over property, instead calling her Mrs. Borden.Authorities found a hatchet with a broken handle in the Borden’s cellar and a bucket of bloody rags in the basement, though there was no blood or evidence on the hatchet to conclusively prove it was the murder weapon. Lizzie claimed the rags were used for her menstruation.What Happened During Lizzie Borden’s Trial?Lizzie’s high-profile trial kicked off nearly a year later, on June 5, 1893, in New Bedford, for which she hired prominent defense attorneys George D. Robinson and Andrew Jennings. Since there was no murder weapon or physical evidence, the prosecution, led by Hosea M. Knowlton and William H. Moody, relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and witness testimony, arguing Lizzie killed her parents for financial gain.Though the strongest evidence against Lizzie was her inquest testimony, this was ruled inadmissible because her lawyer had not been present. Additionally, Dr. Seabury W. Bowen testified that Lizzie under the influence of morphine when she was questioned, which he had prescribed to help with her grief.The prosecution’s star witness was Bridget Sullivan, the family maid, who testified that Lizzie was in the Borden home at the time of Andrew and Abby’s murders. The other key witness was Lizzie’s friend and neighbor Alice Russell, who said she saw Lizzie burn a blue dress three days after the murders. Prosecutors suggested the dress may have been bloody evidence Lizzie destroyed, but the defendant insisted the fabric had been ruined with paint. (A story her sister, Emma, later backed up.)Eli Bence, a clerk at S. R. Smith’s drug store also claimed Lizzie tried to buy prussic acid—a powerful poison—the day before the murders, but this was determined to be unrelated.Why Was Lizzie Borden Found Not Guilty?In Lizzie’s defense, Jennings delivered an opening statement criticizing the prosecution’s reliance on circumstantial evidence, but it was Robinson, the former governor of Massachusetts, who led the defense team.Robinson argued Lizzie was a respectable woman who was incapable of committing violence, which was only further exemplified when she fainted after District Attorney Knowlton produced Abby and Andrew’s skulls in court. He also successfully argued for the exclusion of her police inquest testimony and highlighted the emotional bond Lizzie had with her father during closing arguments.Lizzie did not take the stand in her own defense, which prevented her from further incriminating herself under cross-examination.Another element that worked in her favor was the conflicting testimony of the prosecution’s main witnesses. Sullivan revealed she never witnessed any fights or disagreements between Lizzie and Abby, while Russell said Lizzie told her the whole Borden family had been ill the day before the killings and suspected their milk had been poisoned. According to Russell, Lizzie’s suspicions stemmed from her fear that someone might want to harm her father over his “discourteous” demeanor.In the end, partially due to lack of physical evidence, the prosecution was unable to prove her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. On June 20, 1893, Lizzie was acquitted of the murders by an all-male jury after 90 minutes of deliberations. No other suspects were ever charged in the case, and the Borden murders remain an unsolved mystery.How to Watch Monster: The Lizzie Borden StoryMonster: The Lizzie Borden Story explores Lizzie’s case through a modern lens. Taking creative liberties to explore female rage, the new show from executive producer Ryan Murphy frames the Borden murders as a deliberate conspiracy between Lizzie (Ella Beatty) and her maid, Bridget Sullivan (Vicky Krieps). The eight-episode series is now streaming on Netflix.