Did Lizzie Borden actually kill her parents? The true story behind Monster on Netflix

17 September 2026, 17:07 | Updated: 23 September 2026, 12:03

By Sam Prance

In Monster, Lizzie Borden is tried for the murder of her father and stepmother but what really happened? Who killed them?

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The true story behind the murder of the Bordens in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story on Netflix might surprise you.

Ever since Monster debuted on Netflix, the true-crime anthology series has sparked controversy over how accurately it adapts real-life homicide cases for the small screen. Over the course of its first three seasons, the divisive show has taken several creative liberties with the stories of Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez Brothers and Ed Gein.

Now, Monster is exploring the case of Lizzie Borden and whether or not she really killed her father and stepmother.

Read more: Monster actor Charlie Hunnam defends "humanising" Ed Gein following criticism
Read more: Here's when the Menendez brothers will be eligible for parole

Did Lizzie Borden kill her dad and stepmother?

Did Lizzie Borden kill her parents?

In 1892, married couple Andrew Borden and Abby Borden were found murdered with an axe in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Andrew's daughter and Abby's stepdaughter Lizzie then became the prime suspect in their case and was arrested shortly afterwards. Lizzie was 32 years old at the time and lived at home with Andrew and Abby.

When the case went to trial in 1893, Lizzie was found not guilty but her involvement in Andrew and Abby's death was still questioned during her lifetime and continues to be a hot topic of conversation to this day. So, what is the truth?

Lizzie's mother Sarah Borden died when Lizzie was three and her father Andrew married Abby Durfee Gray two years after Sarah's death. As for Lizzie's personal relationship with Abby, reports vary. According to American Heritage, a dressmaker recalled Lizzie saying that she hated Abby. However, Lizzie claimed that they were "friendly".

In 1887, there was reportedly discord among the Bordens when Andrew purchased a home for Abby's half-sister to live in. The Smithsonian Magazine claims that Lizzie often argued with Andrew over financial matters.

It was Lizzie who found Andrew dead in their sitting room and called for a physician before they later found Abby bludgeoned to death in their second floor guest bedroom.

Did Lizzie Borden kill her parents? Picture: Netflix

Lizzie and her housemaid were the only other known individuals in their house at the time that Abby and Andrew were both killed. Inconsistencies in Lizzie's statements led to her becoming a suspect in the murders.

For example, Lizzie gave opposing claims of where she was when the murders happened. On top of that, Lizzie was spotless when she discovered the bodies but her own blood-soaked clothes were found in a bucket in the Borden basement after the murders. Lizzie later said that this was simply due to menstruation.

Nevertheless, the jury believed that Lizzie was not guilty. At the time, many people didn't think that a woman could commit such gruesome crimes and the verdict was decided in less than two hours.

Lizzie then lived a more reclusive, quiet life up until her death in 1927 and no one else was convited of Abby and Andrew's murder.

Whether or no Lizzie killed Abby and Andrew is still debated to this day.