The case of Lizze Borden

1. Case of Lizze Borden
The infamous case that still has people wondering
about it today
By: Leah Rowell

2. The Crime
O On August 4th in the year of 1892 Andrew J.
Borden and Abby D. Borden were found dead
in Falls River, Massachusetts
O Andrew was 70 and Abby D. was 65, and she
was his second wife
O The victims had been vicariously bludgeoned
O At the time of the crime along with the victims,
Lizzie Borden the victims’ daughter and the
maid Bridget Sullivan were in the house

3. Bring in the Investigation
team!
O Andrew J. Borden was a very wealthy and
O
O
stingy man, and many wanted him dead
However the top two suspects in the case
were:
Lizze Borden
Bridget Sullivan
In the end though, Lizze was arrested for
double murder because her testimony
was contradictory and considered
suspicious

4. Trial Time
O By the time the trial had begun Lizze was
infamous
O Lizze had the benefit of having the former
governor on her defense team also
O Overall the prosecution had a difficult time
convicting her because their was little
evidence

5. Evidence
O The police and
investigators found a
clean hatchet in the
basement with the
handle broken off,
thought this was the
murder weapon
- The police claimed that
Lizzie broke off the
handle
O Prosecution tried to
bring up the fact that
Lizzie attempted to
purchase poison, prussic
acid, days before the
murder
- However this evidence
was not allowed to be used
in court

6. Scandalous
O During the trial when the prosecutors
brought out the skulls of the Andrew J.
Borden and Abby D. Borden, Lizzie then
fainted
O Allowed defense team to ask the judge for
the contradictory testimony to be acquitted
and it was granted
O Lizzie never took the stand

7. In the End
O Lizzie was found not guilty for the murder of her
O
O
O
O
O
O
two parents
She remained in falls river the rest of her life
She and Emma inherited the father's estate
Lizzie traveled from Boston to New York = love of
theater
Accused of shoplifting, only other major time in the
news
Fell in love and sister disapproved in the love
affair between the two of them
Both sisters died in 1927 and buried in the family's
plot in Oak Grove Cemetery

8. Verdict
I honestly think that the verdict was right. There was
no physical evidence against Lizze that could prove
her guilty. There was nothing definite that tied her to
the killing of her parents, so the verdict was right. She
should have been found not guilty.
Did anyone else notice how the
fainting, and all of the infamous
woman trial stuff matches up with
scenes from the Broadway
musical “Chicago”?