2. THE CRIME
Andrew and Abby Borden were beaten to death via an axe during the
morning of August 4, 1892.
They were beaten to death by an ax in the face and head.
Abby was whacked about 21 times.
Andrew was whacked about 10 times.
3. INVESTIGATION
While searching the Borden home, the police found three hatchets and two
axes.
One of the axes turned out to be the infamous handless ax that was presented at trial as the
murder weapon.
In the initial investigation, there were many suspects but Lizzie, the 32 year
old daughter of Andrew was the primary suspect.
Other who were investigator were Bridget, the housemaid, and the family
doctor.
Lizzie was arrested because she tried to buy poison the day before the
murders, she was in the home at the time of the murders, and because
Lizzie did not seem to be suspiciously calm.
4. TRIAL
The prosecution’s theory on what happened was the Lizzie did not have a
good relationship with her stepmother and wanted her father’s money, so
she killed them.
The defense’s theory was that a stranger must have broken into the house
and killed the family or someone did it as a way to exact an old grudge.
Lizzie was found not guilty due to a lack of evidence and motive.
This verdict coincided with the beliefs held by the general public. Many
people thought that she was innocent simply because she was an upper-
class Victorian woman.
5. MY TAKE
I think the verdict was the right call. There was no evidence or motive as to
why Lizzie would kill both her stepmother and her father. There is no proof
supporting the prosecution's theory of the crime, so I think that the jury was
right in deciding that Lizzie was not guilty.
If Lizzie was tried in modern times, she would have been investigated much
more than she was at the time. But I think that just because she was under
investigated does not mean that she was not innocent.
