Lizzie Borden

one of the more famous trials involving a woman being suspect. there was an awful lot of evidence against her. if she was guilty,she was part of an era where many would refuse to believe a woman could be capable of murder. I remember seeing a tv movie with Elizabeth Montgomery playing Lizzie Borden. this movie went as far to show how Lizzie may have "done it". Now in this century a female would not get away so easy.

Today is July 19. On this day, in 1860, in Fall River, Massachusetts, Lizzie Borden was born. I remember an old Chad Mitchell Trio song about Lizzie Borden that began: "Lizzie Borden took an ax, And gave her mother forty whacks! When that foul deed was done, Lizzie gave her father forty-one" Controversy still rages over whether Lizzie did the deed or not. The circumstantial evidence piled up against Lizzie. A druggist testified that the day before the murders, Lizzie attempted to buy prussic acid, used to make cyanide poison. Another person saw Lizzie burning a stained dress after the murders. Later at the trial the worst evidence against Lizzie was medical experts who testified that Abby Borden, Lizzie's step mother, was killed approximately an hour and a half before her husband, making it seem that the perpetrator was more likely to have been a member of the household than an outsider. At the trial in front of an all-male jury, Lizzie fainted when t... Read more

I've never been an avid student of this case, but I believe the general consensus is that she was acquitted because the men of that era, those stalwarts who sat in judgment of her, were unwilling or unable to accept that a woman could commit such a brutal, heinous crime. It was a case, I guess, of sexism ironically working to a woman's advantage for a change. Is Lizzie guilty? My gut feeling, speaking strictly as an amateur...is probably (my apologies, Lizzie, wherever you are, if you're in fact innocent). In any case like this, the first suspect is always the person closest to the victim, whether it's a spouse, a parent, child, or friend. I passed through Fall River, MA, a number of years ago on a trip to Providence (where she was later arrested for shoplifting, of all things), when the house where the murders occurred was serving as a printing company. It was very eerie standing there, knowing what had transpired there over 100 years ago. Even more eerie was going to the cemetery whe... Read more

This is one of those cases that people will never let die. Sure, there's still speculation because she was acquitted - but that's about the only reason there is any doubt. I think the evidence piles up pretty heavily against her and always did had anyone just used common sense. I'm far from believing that she rules but I do agree with numbah on one thing - she got away with it because of the ridiculous repressivness of the Victorian era. Just as OJ got away with it because of the ridiculous power and popularity of the late 20th century Race Card.

There is debate over whether Lizzie killed her parents or not. She was acquitted so we do not know who killed her folks. Her old home is now a bed and breakfast and it is said to be haunted. It was featured on Unsolved Mysteries.

Lizzie Borden rules. She got away with axe murder because of stupid victorian stereotyping.