Did Lizzie Borden Really Kill Her Parents? What Evidence Shows

Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is revisiting one of America’s most notorious unsolved murder cases, more than 130 years after Lizzie Borden was accused of killing her father and stepmother with a hatchet.

The fourth season of the Monster anthology, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, premiered on Netflix on Sept. 17, 2026, with Ella Beatty playing Borden. The series dramatizes the 1892 murders of Andrew and Abby Borden and the sensational trial that followed.

But did Lizzie Borden really kill her parents?

Borden was charged with the murders, tried in 1893 and acquitted by a jury after about 90 minutes of deliberation. No one was ever convicted of killing Andrew and Abby Borden.

What Happened to Lizzie Borden’s Parents?

On Aug. 4, 1892, Andrew Borden was found dead on a sofa inside the family’s home in Fall River, Massachusetts. He had suffered numerous blows to the head with a sharp weapon. His wife, Abby Borden, was found dead upstairs. She had also been repeatedly struck with a hatchet-like weapon.

Lizzie and her older sister Emma were the daughters of Andrew’s first wife. Abby was their stepmother.

At the time of the killings, Lizzie was at the family home, as was the family’s live-in maid, Bridget Sullivan. Emma was away from the house. Lizzie soon became the focus of the investigation.

Why Did Police Suspect Lizzie Borden?

Investigators did not have a straightforward piece of physical evidence tying Lizzie to the killings. Instead, prosecutors built their case largely around circumstantial evidence and questions about her behavior.

One issue was Lizzie’s account of where she had been around the time her father was killed.

She initially told people that she had been in the barn. Questions were later raised about the timing of her movements and her statements to investigators.

Her relationship with her stepmother also became part of the prosecution’s case. There had been tensions within the Borden family, including disagreements involving property and money. But suspicion was not the same as proof.

Was the Murder Weapon Ever Found?

A hatchet head was discovered in the Borden family’s basement and became an important piece of evidence.

Prosecutors argued that it could have been the murder weapon and suggested that its handle may have been removed because it would have contained blood.

However, the prosecution never conclusively established that the hatchet head was the weapon used to kill Andrew and Abby.

There was also conflicting testimony about a handle found near the hatchet head.

That weakness became significant during the trial because the prosecution needed to connect the object to the murders rather than simply establish that a hatchet existed in the Borden home.

What About Lizzie’s Burned Dress?

Another major piece of evidence involved a dress Lizzie was accused of burning several days after the murders.

Alice Russell, a friend of Lizzie’s, testified that she had seen Lizzie put the dress into the kitchen stove.

Lizzie reportedly said the dress had been damaged by paint.

Prosecutors argued that the destruction of the dress was suspicious because blood evidence might have been present on clothing worn during the murders.

However, the dress itself did not establish that Lizzie had committed the killings. The evidence remained circumstantial.

Did Lizzie Try to Buy Poison Before the Murders?

The prosecution also wanted to introduce evidence that Lizzie had allegedly attempted to obtain prussic acid, a form of hydrogen cyanide, from a local druggist shortly before the murders.

The judge ultimately excluded that evidence because it was considered too remote from the killings to establish a connection.

That meant jurors did not hear the allegation as part of the prosecution’s case.

Why Was Lizzie Borden’s Inquest Testimony Not Used?

One of the most important limitations facing prosecutors was Lizzie’s earlier testimony to investigators.

Borden had been questioned during an inquest shortly after the murders. However, her statements were ultimately ruled inadmissible at trial.

According to historical accounts, she had been given morphine and was not represented by a lawyer when questioned.

That prevented prosecutors from using some of the statements that could have been used to challenge her account of what happened.

No eyewitness testified that they actually saw Lizzie kill Andrew or Abby.

The prosecution instead relied on a combination of circumstances, including Lizzie’s presence at the home, her statements about her movements, tensions within the family and evidence surrounding the alleged murder weapon and burned clothing.

Why Was Lizzie Borden Acquitted?

Borden’s defense argued that the prosecution’s case was based too heavily on circumstantial evidence.

Her lawyers also challenged the reliability and admissibility of evidence presented against her.

The jury ultimately found her not guilty of both murders after approximately an hour and a half of deliberation.

The verdict meant that, legally, Lizzie Borden was acquitted. She was never convicted of killing her father or stepmother.

But the acquittal did not end the public fascination with the case.

What Does Netflix’s Monster Change or Dramatize?

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is a scripted dramatization rather than a new criminal investigation.

The series uses the historical case as its foundation but explores theories and relationships that cannot necessarily be treated as established historical fact.

The show’s creators have said the season is interested not only in the murders but also in the social restrictions placed on women in the 1890s. Reuters reported that the series examines the pressures surrounding Borden and the concept of “female rage.”