The Trial of Lizzie Borden
Cara Robertson
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1892 · Fall River, Massachusetts
Lizzie Borden
Disputed justice
Photo credit
Unknown photographer, circa 1889 / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain (U.S.). Cropped/resized.Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
Andrew and Abby Borden were killed with a hatchet in their Fall River home in 1892. Andrew’s daughter Lizzie was tried and acquitted the following year. The case remains unresolved; later books and films offer competing interpretations rather than an established identification of the killer.
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The Story
When1892
WhereFall River, Massachusetts
In this collection42 resources
Start here.
Choose a book, screen story or audio episode from this case’s collection.
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014)
Lifetime
A dramatized interpretation; compare it with the reporting.
Lizzie Borden: Part 2 | My Life of Crime with Erin Moriarty
48 Hours · 2026-09-22
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
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Where are they now?
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Nicknames & media names
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
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Family Tree
The family relationships behind the story, gathered in one place.
Selected relationships only—not a complete genealogy. A family connection does not imply involvement in a crime.
FAMILY SNAPSHOT
Parents
- Andrew Jackson Borden
- Sarah Anthony Morse
Lizzie Borden
Sarah was Lizzie’s mother. This ancestry excerpt does not represent everyone involved in the Borden case.
About These Family Trees
These original diagrams summarize relationships reported by the linked sources. Community genealogy sites can contain errors and are not proof of identity or parentage. Full trees or record images may require an account. We omit speculative relationships, private contact details and unrelated living descendants.
Sources reviewed September 15, 2026. Suggest a sourced correction.
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Blogs & essays
2 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Lizzie Borden House · Blog / essay
Blog - Lizzie Borden
An outside blog or essay discussing Lizzie Borden. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription.
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The Lineup · Kelsey Christine McConnell · 2020
Lizzie Borden reading guide: nonfiction and novels
A guide to accounts of the Borden trial and fictional reinterpretations. It separates nonfiction from fiction; speculative motives and paranormal claims in featured books are not established case facts.
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
Search this case on Amazon · paid linkSearch results may include unrelated titles. Check the author, edition, and case connection before purchasing.
Explore Reading & Streaming Options · Our case guides are free.
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Books
1 itemsCara Robertson
The Trial of Lizzie Borden
Book-length account or personal perspective. This link provides bibliographic details; compare the author’s account with reporting and records.
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Paperback · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
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Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
Lifetime
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014)
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
TV & documentaries
2 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
Investigation Discovery · Season 8, Episode 1 · Listed air date 2014-08-01
Deadly Women — Lady of Blood
Includes coverage of Lizzie Borden. This is one segment in a multi-case episode; other segments may cover cases outside the United States.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
CBS · Season 32, Episode 23 · Listed air date 2020-03-28
48 Hours — Lizzie Borden Took an Axe
Includes coverage of Lizzie Borden.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Audiobooks
Listen to a book connected to this story. Each edition below is matched to its author and audiobook source.
Audiobook
The Trial of Lizzie Borden
Narrated by Amanda Carlin
Check the current price, edition and membership terms on Amazon.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
Fiction Audiobook
The Murderer's Maid: A Lizzie Borden Novel
A novel pairing the Borden household with a contemporary storyline. Fiction inspired by the case, not a documentary reconstruction or evidence of guilt.
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
Check Audio Formats For 2 Other Books
These books are in this case’s collection. An audiobook version has not been verified for the listings below.
The Secrets of Lizzie Borden
Search Audiobook Editions · paid linkBrandy Purdy · historical novel
Miss Lizzie
Search Audiobook Editions · paid linkWalter Satterthwait · historical mystery novel
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
Lifetime
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014)
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Brandy Purdy · historical novel
The Secrets of Lizzie Borden
A fictional interpretation of Lizzie Borden’s life and the murders. The imagined motives and dialogue are a novelist’s inventions; Borden was acquitted at her criminal trial.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkRead source
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Erika Mailman · historical thriller
The Murderer’s Maid
A novel pairing the Borden household with a contemporary storyline. Fiction inspired by the case, not a documentary reconstruction or evidence of guilt.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkRead source
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Walter Satterthwait · historical mystery novel
Miss Lizzie
An imagined later-life mystery casts Lizzie Borden as an investigator. This is fiction rather than an account of an actual later crime involving Borden.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkRead source
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
13 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
48 Hours · 2026-09-22
Lizzie Borden: Part 2 | My Life of Crime with Erin Moriarty
Erin Moriarty’s two-part audio account revisits the Borden killings and Lizzie Borden’s acquittal. The publication date is the podcast release date, not the date of the underlying events.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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48 Hours · 2026-09-21
Lizzie Borden: Part 1 | My Life of Crime with Erin Moriarty
Erin Moriarty’s two-part audio account revisits the Borden killings and Lizzie Borden’s acquittal. The publication date is the podcast release date, not the date of the underlying events.
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48 Hours · 2026-08-05
Lizzie Borden Took an Axe
Erin Moriarty’s two-part audio account revisits the Borden killings and Lizzie Borden’s acquittal. An archive episode republished in the podcast feed; this date is not a new crime or court development.
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shows.acast.com
Seeing Red — Lizzie Borden: Murder, Myth & Bury the Hatchet
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Morbid
Lizzie Borden Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Lizzie Borden case. Released October 20, 2019. About 53 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Crime Junkie
INFAMOUS: Lizzie Borden
Podcast coverage of the Lizzie Borden case. Released October 29, 2018. About 46 minutes.
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Show 7 more podcasts
Morbid
Lizzie Borden Part 2
Podcast coverage of the Lizzie Borden case. Released October 26, 2019. About 53 minutes.
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Last Podcast On The Left
Episode 475: Lizzie Borden Part I - 41 Whacks
Podcast coverage of the Lizzie Borden case. Released December 3, 2021. About 90 minutes.
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Last Podcast On The Left
Episode 476: Lizzie Borden Part II - ...With An Axe!
Podcast coverage of the Lizzie Borden case. Released December 10, 2021. About 89 minutes.
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The Casual Criminalist
Lizzie Borden – Innocent or Axe Murderer?
Podcast coverage of the Lizzie Borden case. Released August 26, 2022. About 62 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Murder In America
EP. 85 MASSACHUSETTS - Lizzie Borden and The Trial of the Century
Podcast coverage of the Lizzie Borden case. Released October 21, 2022. About 115 minutes.
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The FOX True Crime Podcast
Case Review: The Grizzly Story Of Lizzie Borden
Podcast coverage of the Lizzie Borden case. Released October 21, 2025. About 45 minutes.
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Heart Starts Pounding: Horrors, Hauntings and Mysteries
Lizzie Borden: A Fresh Look at a Classic Case
Podcast coverage of the Lizzie Borden case. Released June 1, 2023. About 36 minutes.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Where would you start?
Choose your reading route, then share a question with your community.
Your choice stays on this page. No vote is submitted or counted.
Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
4 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
Library of Congress · Free Article
True Crime in the 1800s - National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS)
Publicly accessible source material and historical context related to this story.
Read Article ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
OverDrive · Library Access
The Trial of Lizzie Borden — Audiobook
Cara Robertson. Related reading for Lizzie Borden. This library catalog lists the edition. Borrowing depends on membership in that library and current availability.
Check Library Access ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Google Books · Catalog / Availability
The Trial of Lizzie Borden
Cara Robertson. Related reading for Lizzie Borden. Book information and any pages made available by Google Books; this is not a promise of full-text access.
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Everand · Subscription Access
The Trial of Lizzie Borden — Ebook
Cara Robertson. Related reading for Lizzie Borden. Check the current subscription terms and available sample; trial offers are not permanent free access.
View Subscription Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemsTIME
Reporting on Lizzie Borden
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
JournalismAccess Varies · Check Source
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Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Free Historical Newspaper Image
Lizzie Borden Set Free
The Abbeville Press and Banner · July 5, 1893 · Page 2
A contemporary report of Borden’s acquittal. The image is the article column, cropped from the original page without changing its text.
Image Credit & Rights
U.S. newspaper published in 1893; public domain. Scan: University of South Carolina Libraries. Archive rights guidance. Reviewed 2026-09-15.
More from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
Fall River Herald · 1893-06-10 · Page 4
A contemporary editorial criticizes the Borden prosecution
A reprinted editorial challenges the police investigation while Lizzie Borden is on trial.
Opinion published before her acquittal; Borden was not convicted.
Read this article on Newspapers.comThe Boston Globe · 1893-06-21 · Page 5
Borden leaves court acquitted
Contemporary reporting describes Borden’s release and the public response to the verdict.
Borden was acquitted of the murders.
Read this article on Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
3 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · Library record · 2000
The Lizzie Borden "axe murder" trial : a headline court case
Axelrod-Contrada, Joan. A library catalog record for a book connected with Lizzie Borden. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Today : KNTV : April 16, 2011 5:00am-7:00am PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Lizzie Borden. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
CNN Newsroom : CNNW : March 28, 2013 8:00am-9:00am PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Lizzie Borden. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
3 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Transcript copyArchive transcription
Lizzie Borden trial — transcript, volume 1
A modern transcription of Frank H. Burt’s stenographic trial report, prepared by Harry Widdows. This preserves the 1893 court testimony in searchable form; it is not a scan of the original court pages.
- Court / agency
- Massachusetts Superior Court, Bristol County
- Document date
- 1893 · modern transcription revised 2003
- Hosted by
- LizzieAndrewBorden.com
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Transcript copyArchive transcription
Lizzie Borden trial — transcript, volume 2
A modern transcription of Frank H. Burt’s stenographic trial report, prepared by Harry Widdows. This preserves the 1893 court testimony in searchable form; it is not a scan of the original court pages.
- Court / agency
- Massachusetts Superior Court, Bristol County
- Document date
- 1893 · modern transcription revised 2003
- Hosted by
- LizzieAndrewBorden.com
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Transcript copyArchive transcription
Borden inquest — witness testimony, volume II
A 2003 transcription of testimony from the August 1892 inquest, prepared by Stefani and Kat Koorey. It contains the surviving second volume, excluding Lizzie Borden’s and Bridget Sullivan’s missing volume-I testimony.
- Court / agency
- Inquest into the deaths of Andrew and Abby Borden, Massachusetts
- Document date
- August 9–11, 1892 · transcription 2003
- Hosted by
- LizzieAndrewBorden.com
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Roads Traveled
Roads Traveled
Open case map →Fall River, Massachusetts. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Where this story happened
Fall River, Massachusetts
Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.
Explore the interactive case atlas →Boundaries: Natural Earth · public domain
Location research & source notes
Map sources checked September 14, 2026. 1 individual Odd Stops location pages matched this case.
See this case’s source review
- Odd Stops
- Location pages found · 1 location pages. Read the location summaries in our place guides; photographs appear where reuse rights are verified.
- MurderData
- No verified match found.
- ArcGIS essay
- Not included in this essay.
- Reddit map
- Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.
“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.
See the full case checklist →
Historic home · museum
Lizzie Borden House
230 Second Street, Fall River, MA 02721 · Historically 92 Second Street (at the time of the 1892 murders)
The historic Borden home is now an inn and museum offering guided tours. Andrew and Abby Borden were killed here on August 4, 1892; Lizzie Borden was later tried and acquitted.
Planning a visit
Explore This Place →Museum and inn offering booked tours and overnight stays. Reserve through the venue and check its current calendar before traveling.
Sources reviewed September 14, 2026. Check access information before traveling.
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
11 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Kendall Rae
Did Lizzie Borden Axe Murder Her Parents??! #Crimetober
Video from Kendall Rae covering the Lizzie Borden case. Length: 27:27.
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48 Hours
"Lizzie Borden Took an Axe" | Full Episode
Full episode or film as labeled by the publisher from 48 Hours covering the Lizzie Borden case. Length: 41:53.
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Christina Randall
Dark Family Secrets, Haunted House, a Secret Lover, & The Trial of Lizzie Borden | Netflix Monsters
Video from Christina Randall covering the Lizzie Borden case. Length: 29:23.
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Surviving The Survivor: #BestGuests in True Crime
New Clues Could Lead to Naming Suspect in Infamous Lizzie Borden Cold Case
Video from Surviving The Survivor: #BestGuests in True Crime covering the Lizzie Borden case. Length: 1:01:21.
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BuzzFeed Unsolved Network
The Murders That Haunt The Lizzie Borden House
Video from BuzzFeed Unsolved Network covering the Lizzie Borden case. Length: 20:58.
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Absolute History
Lizzie Borden: The Chilling History Behind America's Most Shocking Crime
Video from Absolute History covering the Lizzie Borden case. Length: 56:48.
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Show 5 more social media
Biographics
Lizzie Borden: A Real-Life Axe Murderer
Video from Biographics covering the Lizzie Borden case. Length: 18:07.
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True Crime And Cocktails
Episode 49: Lizzie Borden
Video from True Crime And Cocktails covering the Lizzie Borden case. Length: 2:48:40.
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Absolute Crime
The Real Lizzie Borden: The Chilling Story of the Hatchet Killer
Video from Absolute Crime covering the Lizzie Borden case. Length: 56:48.
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Facebook · Creator community
Murder In America — Facebook group
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “EP. 85 MASSACHUSETTS - Lizzie Borden and The Trial of the Century.” This discussion group covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. Group rules or membership approval may limit access.
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Facebook · Creator channel
Murder In America — Facebook page
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “EP. 85 MASSACHUSETTS - Lizzie Borden and The Trial of the Century.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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