The 1893 murder trial of Lizzie Borden was a media sensation, dubbed the trial of the century by reporters who covered the lurid details of the brutal deaths of her father and stepmother, Andrew and Abby. The murders inspired a famous nursery rhyme, which continued to haunt Lizzie long after her acquittal, as she struggled to make a life for herself in a world in which many remained convinced of her guilt.
The Borden household was a troubled one
Considered by many a spinster, 32-year-old Lizzie lived in Fall River, Massachusetts with her father Andrew, a wealthy property developer and Andrew’s second wife, whom he had married following the death of Lizzie's mother. Her relationship with her stepmother was strained, and friends and relatives later noted the uptick in tension within the family in the months before the murders.
