Li on August 4th 1892 in Fall River Massachusetts Andrew bordon and his wife Abby were brutally murdered their deaths were caused by a vicious attack with a sharp heavy weapon such as an axe or Hatchet Mr boron's daughter Lizzie was accused of both murders today the home of the bordon family is a museum and a popular bed and breakfast visit ERS from around the world come to examine the scene of the most famous crime of the 19th century Andrew Borton was a wealthy self-made man in 1845 he married a farm girl Sarah Morris their first daughter was Emma their second child died in infancy Lizzie bordon was born in 1860 her mother passed away when she was just 2 years old her father remarried to Abby Gray the spinster daughter of a local family most of the wealthy residents of Fall River built their homes in a region known as the hill here they could live their lives in a manner befitting their place in society but despite his wealth Andrew bordon chose a modest House close to the downtown area Andrew bordon certainly was living a lifestyle well below his means a man with A4 million dollar Fortune could have lived on a far grander scale than he chose to unlike the homes of other successful businessmen the bordens did not have gas lights or modern inventions like the telephone uh his decision that is Andrew Borden's decision to live where he did and the lifestyle that he did um affected his daughter's future she's in a neighborhood where there certainly there are single men but I doubt very much whether she would have accepted any of them on the morning of the murders five people began their day at the residence on Second Street Andrew bordon and his wife Abby Bridget Sullivan an Irish housemaid who had been working for the bordons for about 3 years John Morris Andrew's brother-in-law who was visiting the family and Lizzie bordon her sister Emma was out of town staying with friends Lizzie ate alone after finishing her breakfast she giant handkerchiefs John Morris had left the house to see relatives across town Bridget Sullivan was instructed to wash the windows both inside and out by Abby bordon Abby climbed the front stairs and began cleaning the guest room where John Morris had slept the night before Andrew bordon was retired but still had considerable Investments to oversee he went downtown to attend to business matters between 9 and 9:30 that morning someone entered the guest room and attacked Abby bordon 18 blows to the head from a sharp instrument were the cause of death shortly before 11:00 a.m. Andrew bordon returned home Bridget Sullivan unlocked the front door and led him into the house Bridget went up the back stairs to lay down and rest a while Mr bordon made his way to the sitting room according to Lizzy she helped him take off his shoes and he relaxed on the couch Lizzie claimed she then went out to the barn later she gave various reasons for doing so to the police as he rested on the couch someone struck Andrew bordon 10 times in the head with a sharp instrument at approximately 11:15 Lizzie bordon shouted up the stairwell to bridge it come down quick father's dead someone came in and killed him the police were called but many officers were attending the annual outing at Rocky Point the house was searched police could find no signs of forced entry or robbery the brutal nature of the killings convinced them that these were not convention homicides the police asked Lizzie if she knew anyone who might have killed her mother and father she is not my mother sir Lizzie responded she is my stepmother my mother died when I was a child two days after the brutal murders of her father and stepmother Lizzie bordon was informed that she was a suspect I am ready to go now she replied but the police did not take her into custody fall for in 1892 was not Fall River today the police and fiver were used to arresting drunks and prostitutes things like this didn't happen in fiver and certainly not in a board and household the police at the crime scene did not find blood on lizz's hands or clothing but the day after being named as a suspect Lizzie burned a dress that she claimed was ruined by paint stains she said that that that doesn't make it uh true do I think that was the addess yes remember they didn't search Lizzie pon they didn't ask her to take her clothing off they didn't Frisk her as we do today none of that an inquest was held at the Fall River Central police station under questioning by the district attorney Lizzie gave somewhat confused and contradictory testimony on August 11th 1892 one week after the murders Lizzie bordon was arrested and charged with the crime she was taken to a jail in Taunton the nearest town with facilities for women prisoners rumors gossip and arguments over her guilt or innocence swept across the city of Fall River of course at that time it would have made sense to to most new englanders to these old Yankees that the only person who could do something like this would have to be one of two things a maniacal person a mad man or or an immigrant controversy over who committed the crime continues to this day people believe she hired someone well if she hired someone why would you stay in the house she'd go downtown and make make sure somebody had seen her why stay there Mr moris typically slept up in the attic so why the night before the murders was he sleeping in the guest room where Mrs Bourne's body was found the next morning who would Mrs bour not have been surprised to have seen that morning in the guest room but the person who had spent the night there previously which was John Morris actually I'm surprised that more people have not written more about him possibly being involved in more those who embrace the lesbian Affair Theory feel that it's um due to you know being caught having an affair physical affair with the maid and that caused Lizzie to LEAP up in a lesbian rage kill her stepmother and then wait for an hour and a half and still in this supposedly typical lesbian rage kill her father you hear the sarcasm and my voice and it's deliberate because I think it's ridiculous Lizzie boron's trial opened at the New Bedford courthouse on June 5th 1893 and this was the OJ Simpson trial of the 19th century the prosecution claimed that Lizzie had killed her stepmother after years of smoldering hatred and that she had silenced her father because he would have realized that she was the murderer but the defense argued that there was no blood found on lizz's clothing and they challenged the all jury to imagine a proper lady like Lizzie bordon committing such atrocities and the defense attorney made sure that um he likened Lizzie bordon to their own wives their own daughters you know to drive that point home most of these men had one thing in common they had daughters or sisters or Maiden aunts living at home unmarried and the idea that their own kin could turn on them in such a vicious manner it was not done it only took the jury an hour to return with a verdict it was their unanimous conclusion that Lizzie bordon was not guilty no one else was ever charged with the murders of Abby and Andrew bordon speculation about the identity and motive of the killer has continued for over 100 years I think that all of us if we dig deep and we're honest about it can remember times when we have said about our own parents I hate hate her I wish she was dead you know I could kill her I I hate her so much or him so much but we don't act on those feelings and Lizzie bordon if she's guilty did and I think that is the fascination a jury had found Lizzy bordon not guilty but the people of Fall River seemed inclined to render a harsher verdict there was a very strict code of ethics there was a code of rules that you lived by never published of course but you knew what was done and what was not done and certain being involved in murder was not done using the money she inherited from her father Lizzie purchased a luxurious home with maids and a chauffeur but she was shunned by most of society she died in 1927 and was buried in the family plot at Oak Grove Cemetery the final resting place of her father and stepmother despite the death of all the key players the bordon mystery seems to have taken on a light of its own