# Lizzie Borden's Ax Mystery: Innocent or Murderer? > Lizzie Borden may not have killed her parents with an ax, her real story is stranger than Netflix's show. - Title: Lizzie Borden's Ax Mystery: Innocent or Murderer? | Shortify - Summary: Lizzie Borden may not have killed her parents with an ax, her real story is stranger than Netflix's show. Lizzie Borden likely didn't murder her parents with… - Keywords: lizzie borden, ax murder, netflix show, lizzie borden show, rachel mccarthy james, whack job, fall river, massachusetts, true crime, netflix monster, Lizzie, Borden's - Source: Slate Magazine — https://slate.com/culture/2026/09/lizzie-borden-monster-netflix-show-true-story.html?via=rss - Author: Rebecca Onion - Published: 2026-09-24T19:47:55+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: lizzie borden, ax murder, netflix show, lizzie borden show, rachel mccarthy james, whack job, fall river, massachusetts, true crime, netflix monster ## 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. ## Key takeaway Lizzie Borden likely didn't murder her parents with an ax; the weapon used remains unproven, and she maintained innocence throughout her life.