Borden, Lizzie (1860-1927), was the defendant in one of the most celebrated murder trials in United States history. She was accused of killing her father and stepmother with an ax. A jury found her not guilty.
Lizzie Borden was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, on July 19, 1860. She was the youngest daughter of Andrew J. Borden, a prominent banker, and Sarah Morse Borden. Sarah died when Lizzie was 2 years old. Two years later, Borden married Abby Gray, whose father was a tin peddler. Lizzie grew up with an elder sister, Emma. Neither ever married. The sisters scorned their stepmother, partly because of her family’s inferior social position.
The bloody corpses of Andrew and Abby Borden were found on Aug. 4, 1892. Suspicion fell on Lizzie, especially because she was in the house and had the best opportunity to commit the crime. Lizzie had been active in charitable and religious groups, and many wealthy townspeople, women’s rights organizations, and other groups supported her. Many other people felt sure of her guilt, and rumors about Lizzie became widespread. The case attracted national attention.
The trial began on June 6, 1893. Defense witnesses told of Lizzie’s good reputation. The prosecution presented evidence that Lizzie hated her stepmother, resented her father’s gifts to Abby’s relatives, and tried to buy a poisonous chemical the day before the murders. The Lizzie Borden case has been the subject of books, a ballet, a ballad, and plays. Borden died on June 1, 1927.
