With Netflix and Ryan Murphy’s new Monster season now streaming, Lizzie Borden is back in the spotlight more than 130 years after the murders that made her one of America’s most infamous criminal suspects. Netflix describes the series as a “very fictionalized version,” but here’s what to know about the real-life case behind Netflix’s Monster.
Netflix is taking on one of America’s most notorious unsolved murder cases with Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, starring Ella Beatty as the woman forever associated with an axe, two gruesome murders and a nursery rhyme that helped turn her into a true-crime legend.
The series stars Beatty as Lizzie Borden, Charlie Hunnam as her father, Andrew Borden, Rebecca Hall as her stepmother, Abby Borden, Billie Lourd as her older sister, Emma Borden, and Vicky Krieps in a dual role, the family live-in maid, Bridget "Maggie" Sullivan and Elizabeth Báthory in the series’ fantasy flashbacks.
The cast also includes Jessica Barden as actress Nance O’Neil and Sarah Paulson as serial killer Aileen Wuornos, whose story is woven into the season.
Who Was Lizzie Borden?
Lizzie Andrew Borden was born in 1860 in Fall River, Massachusetts. She lived with her wealthy businessman father, Andrew Borden, her older sister Emma and her stepmother, Abby.
Lizzie was 32 years old when her life changed forever on August 4, 1892.
That morning, Abby Borden was found brutally murdered inside the family home. Andrew Borden returned home later and was subsequently found dead on a sofa. Both had suffered multiple blows to the head.
Lizzie quickly became the focus of the investigation.
Was Lizzie Borden Convicted of Murder?
No—and that's one of the most important facts to remember when watching dramatizations of the case.
Lizzie was arrested and charged with murdering her father and stepmother, but a jury acquitted her in June 1893. The prosecution's case was largely circumstantial, and no murder weapon was definitively established as the weapon used in the killings.
The question of who killed Andrew and Abby Borden remains unresolved.
What About the Famous Lizzie Borden Rhyme?
You probably know the rhyme:
“Lizzie Borden took an axe…”
The children's rhyme helped cement Borden's reputation in American pop culture, but it isn't an accurate account of the murders. The rhyme famously claims the victims received 40 and 41 blows.
The actual numbers were considerably lower. Netflix's historical account notes that Abby suffered 19 blows and Andrew 11.
What Happened to Lizzie After the Trial?
Despite being acquitted, Lizzie couldn't escape the notoriety surrounding the case.
Lizzie and Emma later moved into a large Fall River home known as Maplecroft. Lizzie began using the name Lizbeth, but her relationship with Emma eventually deteriorated. The sisters separated in 1905 and never reconciled.
Lizzie remained in Fall River until her death in 1927 at age 66.
Is Netflix's ‘Monster’ the True Story?
Not entirely.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story uses the historical murders and people surrounding the case as the foundation for its story, but the series takes significant dramatic liberties.
Netflix's version portrays Lizzie as living in an oppressive Victorian household and develops a relationship between Lizzie and the family's maid, Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan. The series goes much further than the established historical record in depicting who committed the murders and why.
Even Beatty has acknowledged the distinction. The actress described the show's Lizzie as a “very fictionalized version” created using details from the real woman's life.
The series also connects Borden thematically to other notorious women, including Elizabeth Báthory and Aileen Wuornos. Netflix notes that there is no evidence that the real Wuornos was obsessed with or inspired by the Borden murders.
More Than 130 Years Later, the Mystery Remains
Lizzie Borden was found not guilty in a court of law, but history and pop culture haven't been as willing to acquit her.
Books, movies, television shows and that infamous rhyme have transformed an unresolved 1892 double murder into an enduring piece of American true-crime mythology.
Now Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story offers its own interpretation of what may have happened behind the doors of the Borden house.
Just remember: Netflix may give viewers an answer to the mystery. History never did.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is now streaming on Netflix.