The Netflix Show

Netflix's Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story shows Lizzie and Bridget planning an ax murder.

“A knife is too sexual. It’s like sliding it into them. It’s almost too kind a way to go.”

The Real Case

Lizzie Borden was acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892.

The Ax Debate

The ax used in the crime is unconfirmed; investigators found a handleless hatchet.

“The ax that Lizzie was accused of using at her trial almost certainly was not the ax that was used in the crime.”

The Ticking Clock

Lizzie had less than two hours to commit the murders and hide evidence after her father's death.

“Andrew Borden walked into the house as late as 10:40 that morning. A half-hour later, his very fresh corpse was seen by dozens of people.”

The Hatchet Mystery

The hatchet investigators found had no handle and was later revealed to be a fake evidence.

“They found several hatchets in one box, and they got fixated on this one hatchet.”

The Real Lizzie

Lizzie was 19 when her father died, not 10 as in the show.

“Lizzie was already settled into her life as an unmarried woman.”

The Alternate Theory

Andrew Borden's financial troubles may have led to a hitman killing him and his wife.

“Something was hinky with Andrew Borden’s finances. He was very close with the dollar, extremely cheap.”

The Innocence Claim

Lizzie's sister Emma said she didn't kill her parents, citing the missing ax.

“I don’t think she did it. The main reason was the ax they never found.”

The Ax Murder Term

The term 'ax murderer' became a joke in the 1950s, not a real crime category.

“The term ax murderer was first used in the 1910s, 1920s, as a grabby newspaper headline.”

The Real Story

Lizzie maintained innocence throughout her life and never committed another crime.

“She always maintained that she didn’t do it.”

The Unanswered Question

No one knows who killed Lizzie's parents, her innocence remains unproven.

“I don’t think she did it, and I don’t think anybody else did it.”

The Netflix Show's Flaw

The show skipped real details like the hatchet handle and Lizzie's clothing.

“They showed her burning it, but they didn’t show her quick-change and how she got clean.”

The Historical Context

Axe murders were rare by the 1890s, with guns becoming more common.

“A gun, which was becoming more available, was more convenient, a much more surefire way to kill someone.”

The Book's Claim

Rachel McCarthy James says Lizzie likely didn't kill her parents with an ax.

“I do not think she did it. I’m not completely convinced.”

The Missing Evidence

Investigators never found the murder weapon, leaving the case unsolved.

“They tore that house apart. They looked in the cistern. They looked in the walls.”

The Final Answer

Lizzie Borden's true story remains a mystery, she didn't kill her parents.

“I don’t think she did it, and I don’t think anybody else did it.”