Isabella Mueller (crime writer)
The Lizzie Borden murder case is one of the most controversial in US history and continues to fascinate people around the world to this day. This young woman was accused of brutally murdering her father Andrew and her stepmother Abby with an axe – and yet she was acquitted. What led to this surprising verdict? On August 4, 1892, the tranquil textile town of Fall River in the US state of Massachusetts became the scene of a crime that is not only considered one of the most brutal in 19th-century America, but also one of the most famous in American history. On that day, two residents of the town were found dead in their home at 92 Second Street. They were 64-year-old Abby Borden, who was lying in the guest room on the first floor with 17 axe wounds to her back, and her 69-year-old husband Andrew Borden, who was found on the ground floor with 11 axe wounds. No one had noticed anything suspicious, no strangers had been seen on the property, and yet these brutal murders had taken place. Investigators assumed that Abby had been murdered between 9 and 10:30 a.m. and Andrew about an hour later. The murder weapon was a hatchet found in the house. It had been cleaned with ashes, leaving no clues as to the identity of the murderer. At the time of the murders, 25-year-old Irish maid Bridget Sullivan and 32-year-old daughter Lizzie Borden were on the property. While Bridget had been sleeping in her room because she was feeling unwell, Lizzie had been in the secluded barn on the property. Lizzie Borden quickly became a prime suspect, as she repeatedly contradicted herself during police questioning. She claimed to have discovered her father’s body and immediately called the housekeeper, Bridget Sullivan, to fetch a doctor. Strangely, she did not choose the neighboring Irish immigrant doctor, but a French-Canadian physician. Lizzie also stated that she had been in the barn at the time of the crime, even though the thick layer of dust there showed no footprints. She was also said to have attempted to purchase lethal prussic acid in a store shortly before the murder. In addition, no bloody clothing was found. It was strange that Lizzie had burned one of her dresses two days after the murders, claiming that it was stained with paint. But why would Lizzie kill her father and stepmother in such a brutal manner? The police believed the motive was the money that Lizzie and her older sister Emma would inherit, which would finally allow them to move into a house in the more exclusive hills on the outskirts of Fall River. Nevertheless, no one really wanted to believe that Lizzie, who was considered pious, could be capable of such a heinous act. Lizzie was born on July 19, 1860, in Fall River. She grew up in a wealthy family that provided her with a privileged life. However, Lizzie’s mother died when she was only 2 years old, and her father Andrew soon remarried 37-year-old Abby Durfee Gray. From the outset, Lizzie did not get along well with her new stepmother, preferring to confide in her older sister Emma, who became a constant anchor in Lizzie’s life. Lizzie was considered a polite and religious woman who was an active member of the church and very involved in charitable projects. Lizzie was considered a good match because of her background, but she remained unmarried, not only because of her lack of attractiveness, but also because of her father, who did not consider any man good enough for her. According to the police, Lizzie was the only suspect who had a motive. Her uncle, John Morse, was visiting at the time of the murders, but he had left the house before the murders took place, which he was able to prove with a watertight alibi. Lizzie’s sister Emma also had a watertight alibi. Only Lizzie had no alibi for the time of the crime. There were various theories that Lizzie’s motive was not only her father’s money, but that she wanted revenge because he had allegedly sexually abused her. Another theory was that Lizzie had a lesbian relationship with the maid, Bridget Sullivan. When both of them found out about Lizzie’s father and his wife, they had to die. Just five days after the murders, Lizzie Borden had to testify in court. Her family doctor stated that he had administered morphine to calm her down, which could explain her contradictory statements. Her sister Emma also confirmed that neither of them had any grudge against their stepmother. Despite numerous pieces of evidence, the judge ruled that Lizzie was “probably guilty” and she was arrested on August 11. Her nine-month imprisonment sparked widespread protest, particularly from women’s groups, who criticized the fact that Lizzie had not had a fair jury, as women were not allowed to vote or serve on juries at that time. With a robust defense and the support of numerous female supporters who defended her as a virtuous Victorian woman, Lizzie succeeded in sowing doubt about her guilt. Her lawyers also successfully argued that no bloodstained clothes had been found. The attempted purchase of prussic acid was portrayed as a misunderstanding. Ultimately, Lizzie Borden was acquitted on June 20, 1893, by a jury of 12 white men, most of whom were Protestant. Despite the cheering courtroom when the verdict was announced, Lizzie remained isolated in the community after the trial. After the trial, Lizzie continued to live in Fall River, but moved to a larger house in a more affluent neighborhood. Lizzie changed her name to Lizbeth A. Borden and, together with her sister Emma, was able to afford a luxurious lifestyle thanks to the fortune she inherited from her murdered father. Lizzie now had several domestic servants who took care of her and her sister. But the children often played tricks on her and sang the following song: “Lizzie Borden took an axe. And gave her mother forty whacks, when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.” Despite Lizzie’s acquittal, the neighbors shunned her. Even her beloved sister Emma moved out of their shared home in 1905 after an argument. Lizzie died of pneumonia on June 1, 1927, at the age of 67, just nine days before her sister Emma also passed away. Both were buried next to their father. Although the crime was never properly solved, the Lizzie Borden case remains a fascinating mystery in American criminal history to this day.
