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Was Lizzie Borden guilty?
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Black and white waist-up portrait of Lizzie Andrew Borden wearing a high-collared dark dress with puffed sleeves, standing with her hands resting on the back of a chair.
A sepia-toned image of Lizzie Borden's face is overlaid with a bright white axe shape, containing blue text reading really a monster? Blurred text and stains appear in the background.
Portrait of Lizzie Andrew Borden wearing a high-collared, dark lace dress with a flower at her neck, facing slightly to the side with a neutral expression. Tight headshot of Lizzie Andrew Borden with light eyes, wavy hair pinned up, and wearing a high-necked dress with lace trim. Ambrotype portrait of Andrew Borden, an older man with receding gray hair, wearing a dark suit, vest, and bow tie, framed by an ornate oval mat. Portrait of Abby Borden in a high-collared, buttoned dress, facing slightly to the side with short, curly hair. Grainy black and white obituary photo of John Vinnicum Morse, an older man with a beard and mustache, wearing a suit and tie, set against a dark background. William Moody
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Black and white waist-up portrait of Lizzie Andrew Borden wearing a high-collared dark dress with puffed sleeves, standing with her hands resting on the back of a chair.
Lizzie Borden

Was Lizzie Borden guilty?

Written by
Amy Tikkanen
Amy Tikkanen is Managing Editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Amy Tikkanen
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

On August 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother, Andrew and Abby Borden, were murdered in the family’s home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Both had been struck multiple times with a hatchet. Lizzie was arrested, and her trial began on June 5, 1893. Fifteen days later an all-male jury deliberated for about 90 minutes before finding her not guilty. Even though she was acquitted, there is much debate over whether she committed the murders. We...

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