Mark Muller Revisits the Infamous Legend of Lizzie Borden

On August 4, 1892, the body of wealthy businessman Andrew Borden, was found in the parlor of his Fall River, MA, home. As doctors arrived at the scene, the body of Abby Borden, his wife, was discovered in an upstairs bedroom. The initial investigation focused on local businessmen, neighbors and the family maid, Bridget Sullivan. Police soon realized that Andrew’s daughter, Lizzie, had as much to gain as anyone by the death of her father. A week later, Lizzie, was arrested for the double murder. In an era when women were considered the weaker sex, and female murderers were unheard of, the trial and subsequent acquittal of Lizzie Borden made her a media sensation. The trial has been compared to the trials of Bruno Hauptmann, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, and O.J. Simpson as a landmark in publicity and public interest in the history of American legal proceedings. On June 20, after deliberating 1.5 hours, the jury acquitted Lizzie. Officially, the case remains unsolved, and the Borden’s 1892 double axe murders continue to fascinate the public more than a century later. Lizzie and her family have been the focus of dozens of books, plays and films. In 1975 actress Elizabeth Montgomery, star of television’s Bewitched, and a distant relative of Lizzie, portrayed her in a TV movie. So who done it? Was it Lizzie after all? History buff, Mark Muller has a fascination with this infamous case and will share some details. After the show, check out After Hours at Jersey Coastal Live.