On June 20, 1893, Lizzie Borden was acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother. While the circumstantial case against her was strong, there was a lack of physical evidence. The murder of her father occurred during a narrow window of time—about 15 minutes—but Lizzie had no blood on her, and the murder weapon was never conclusively identified. Furthermore, the judges in the case excluded evidence that would have aided the prosecution. Notably, they refused to allow her inquest testimony to be used at trial. Lizzie had given contradictory and confusing answers at the inquest, but her statements were made without a lawyer present. Finally, Lizzie’s character and societal biases likely contributed to her acquittal. She was well liked in the community and active in the church. Some later speculated that attitudes about gender and class at the time also made it difficult for a jury to believe that a woman, especially one of Lizzie’s social standing, was capable of committing such brutal murders.
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