Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
And when saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
On August 4, 1982, Andrew Jackson Borden and his wife Abby Borden were murdered in their home in Fall River, Mass. They had been killed with several blows to their bodies with a hatchet, Mr. Borden having his head crushed. Their killer still remains a mystery, despite the heavy conjecture that it was their daughter Lizzie Borden. But could Andrew and Abby still be in the house?
According to police reports at the time, the bodies were discovered by Lizzie Borden at around 11:00 that morning. Andrew Borden had been out earlier to go to the post office and the bank. The maid, Bridget Sullivan, said that Lizzie called to her crying that someone killed her father. He was found lying on a couch in the living room. Later, when neighbors and the family's doctor came to see her, Abby Borden's body was discovered in the guest room.
Several people were suspects in the murders. John V. Morse, Andrew Borden's first wife's brother, was visiting the house, but was away at the time of the murders. Emma Borden, Lizzie's sister was also a suspect, but she had been away at the time as well. There were many neighbors who were suspected since Mr. Borden was not very popular among the town but the chief suspect was, of course, Lizzie. Her stories to the police were inconsistent and her behavior was very suspicious. During the investigation, she had been seen burning a dress that she claimed she had smeared paint on and a broken hatchet was found in the house. She was also refused prussic acid by a local druggist who didn't believe her when she said it was to clean a seal skin coat.
There had also been much conflict within the Borden family at the time. According to Sullivan and Emma Borden, there had been numerous arguments, including one about a decision to divide up the property among relatives rather than leave it to the two siblings, in the weeks leading up to the murders. Both Emma and Lizzie left after one heated argument to get away for a while, but Lizzie came back earlier than expected.
She was arrested and tried for the murders. She was prosecuted by William H. Moody and defended by former Mass. governor George Robinson. The all-male jury only took one hour to deliberate and find her not guilty. During the trial however, her original testimony was barred from the trial. The druggist's testimony of her attempting to buy prussic acid was also excluded.
The trial was the subject of much national publicity. The trial of O.J Simpson was repeatedly compared to Lizzie Borden's. After the trial, she left her home and bought a mansion named Maplecroft. She did see more public spotlight after she was accused for shoplifting, but there were no official charges made.
The Borden House is now a bed and breakfast called the Borden-Winslow House. There has been speculation over the years as to whether it is haunted or not, and if those haunting the house are indeed the Borden family. The owner and guests have reported various strange occurrences: cold spots suddenly coming up in several rooms, unexplained footsteps, several claims of hearing a woman crying, and indentations in the beds of someone lying down that appear and disappear mysteriously.
These claims could very well be false, of course, as there has been no real evidence to prove it. These could very well have been concocted by the owner in order to increase popularity and get more customers. Of course, if they are indeed haunting the house, it would make sense as their murders have been unavenged, disallowing them to rest in peace. As for Lizzie, her spirit may still haunt the house because she never gained what she was hoping for by murdering her parents, if she did indeed do it. Ghost Hunters has also visited the Borden-Winslow House, but they were also unable to come up with any concrete evidence.
The Lizzie Borden incident has been referenced in many television programs, movies, and even music that continues to this day. Many people believe that she was indeed the killer and there have been several documentaries of the event, trying to recreate the murder to determine if Lizzie truly did commit the awful crime. Whether the Borden House is haunted by ghosts or not is still up for debate, but one thing it is definitely haunted with is the memory of one the most violent, unsolved crimes in American history.
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