Did She Do It?
Fall River, Massachusetts. August 4, 1892. A hot summer morning.
69-year-old Andrew Borden and his 64-year-old wife Abby are found dead inside their home at 92 Second Street. Both were struck dozens of times with a hatchet — Abby 19 times, Andrew 10-11 times. Their skulls smashed. Their faces unrecognizable.
No forced entry. No intruder. No murder weapon found.
The only person in the house without an alibi? Their 32-year-old daughter, Lizzie Andrew Borden.
She claimed she was in the barn eating peas. She burned a dress the next day. She tried to buy prussic acid (a deadly poison) the day before the murders. She lied about key details. She inherited most of the estate.
But she was acquitted after a trial that became a national sensation.
So — did Lizzie Borden do it?
In this BONUS deep-dive episode, we break down ALL 9 major theories about who killed Andrew and Abby Borden:
1. Lizzie did it alone
2. Emma (Lizzie’s sister) did it
3. An intruder did it
4. A hired killer did it
5. It was an accident that got out of hand
6. Someone else in town did it
7. Uncle John Morse did it
8. The poisoning theory
9. Bridget Sullivan (the maid) did it
Plus 3 fringe theories (Mackenzie, Dr. Bowen, servant conspiracy) and what historians actually believe about this case.
We cover:
• The full timeline of August 4, 1892
• What really happened to Abby and Andrew
• The trial that shocked America (all-male jury, skulls displayed in court, Lizzie never testified)
• The dress she burned (blood or paint?)
• The prussic acid attempt
• The family history of violence (Eliza Borden & the “Children in the Well”)
• The infamous rhyme (“Lizzie Borden took an axe…”)
• The house today (America’s Most Haunted Bed & Breakfast)
• Why this case remains unsolved 130+ years later
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