On Netflix has arrived the fourth season of Monster, the true crime anthology by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan that, with every chapter, places on screen one of the most famous and controversial murder cases in American history. This time it focuses on Lizzie Borden, a young American woman who in 1892 was accused of the double murder of her parents with an axe. Portrayed by Ella Beatty, Lizzie is at the heart of the story alongside her father Andrew Borden, stepmother Abby, and the housemaid Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan, played respectively by Charlie Hunnam, Rebecca Hall and Vicky Krieps. The series recounts the gruesome event and imagines what could have happened behind the doors of the Borden house, building a far more embellished retelling of the case.
The real case, in fact, remains shrouded in mystery. Lizzie was accused of killing her father and stepmother, but she never confessed and was acquitted in 1893. Over the years, several theories about her possible guilt have surfaced and other suspects have emerged, but no one has ever been convicted of the murders. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story starts from these real elements, but fuses them with theories and inventions. But what really happened?
Warning: if you have not yet seen the fourth season of Monster, know that this article contains important spoilers about the series and its reconstruction of the Lizzie Borden case.
The true story of Lizzie Borden: Truths and Lies in the Series
TRUTH — Lizzie Borden was indeed tried for the murder of her father and stepmother. And she was acquitted
This is perhaps the most important portion of the narrative presented by Monster, and it aligns with reality. On August 4, 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife Abby were killed at their Fall River, Massachusetts home. Lizzie, then 32 years old, became one of the principal suspects and was arrested a week after the murders. The trial began on June 5, 1893. The prosecution did not have a witness to the killings, no confession from Lizzie, nor a weapon conclusively linked to her. Throughout the trial, several suspicious elements were introduced. Among them were Lizzie’s alleged attempt to purchase prussic acid the day before the murders and the fact that a few days after the murders her friend Alice Russell reportedly saw her burning a dress. Lizzie claimed the dress was stained with paint. Despite these factors, on June 20, 1893 the jury found Lizzie not guilty. No other person was charged in the deaths of Andrew and Abby Borden, and to this day it has not been determined who actually killed them. The series remains faithful on a crucial point: Lizzie Borden was indeed tried and she was indeed acquitted.
TRUTH — Uncle John Morse was indeed considered a suspect
Among the many characters surrounding the Borden case is John Morse, portrayed in the series by Joey Pollari. And his presence among the suspects is not an invention of Netflix. Morse was Lizzie’s uncle, the brother of Andrew Borden’s first wife. He was in the family home on the day of the murders and was one of the last people to see Andrew and Abby alive. For a certain period he was actually regarded as a possible suspect. His presence in the house and some aspects of his life fed the doubts, although he provided what was then considered a solid alibi. Morse was never convicted of the Bordens’ murders. The series therefore uses a real element from the case’s history: even in reality, John Morse fell under suspicion.
TRUTH — Nance O’Neil really did meet Lizzie Borden
Nance O’Neil, portrayed by Jessica Barden, is one of the figures the series employs to tell Lizzie’s life after and around the trial. And there is real basis for this: Nance O’Neil did indeed meet Lizzie Borden and the two became friends. The big difference concerns when this meeting occurred. In the series, Nance has a role during the trial and helps Lizzie face the most difficult moment of her life. In reality, however, their friendship began in 1904, more than ten years after Lizzie’s acquittal. Lizzie had drawn closer to Nance and the theatrical world, and their friendship became significant in her life. The relationship with Nance also contributed to the eventual rift between Lizzie and Emma: the two sisters, who had lived together for years after the trial, parted ways in 1905 and never saw each other again. So the series starts from a real fact, but completely alters the timing and role within the story.
FALSEHOOD — Lizzie and Maggie were lovers and conspired together to commit the murders
This is one of the series’ most evident inventions. In Monster, Lizzie and Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan develop a romantic relationship. Their bond grows increasingly intense and the two end up planning together the murder of Andrew and Abby. There is, however, no historical evidence that Lizzie and Bridget were lovers or that they conspired to kill the Bordens. Bridget Sullivan was indeed the family’s housemaid and was present in the house on the day of the murders. But the available historical sources do not document a romantic relationship between her and Lizzie. The theory of a romantic relationship between them is not entirely new: it had already appeared in Evan Hunter’s 1984 novel Lizzie and in the 2018 film Lizzie, starring Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart. A small, actually documented detail, however, is correct: Bridget Sullivan was indeed referred to as “Maggie” by Lizzie and Emma. The nickname is historical; the romantic relationship and the planning of the murders are not.
FALSEHOOD — Aileen Wuornos did stay at the Borden house
Perhaps the season’s most surprising insertion is that of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, played by Sarah Paulson. The series links Wuornos to Lizzie Borden’s story and depicts her arriving in Fall River with her partner Shelby. The two stay at the Borden house, now transformed into a bed & breakfast, creating a direct link between the two figures. But this never happened. There is no evidence that the real Aileen Wuornos was particularly interested in Lizzie Borden’s story, was a fan of hers, or stayed at the house. Moreover, there is a chronological detail that makes the scene even more clearly a work of fiction: the Borden house became a bed & breakfast and museum in 1996, while Wuornos was arrested in 1991.
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s “truth”: Lizzie Borden is guilty
To conclude, the creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan start from a real historical case but heavily fictionalize the narrative. In Monster this is not new, but this case lent itself particularly well to that approach precisely because there has never been a definitive verdict on Lizzie Borden’s guilt. More than 130 years later, we know how the trial unfolded, we know many details of the investigations, and we have several theories about possible culprits. Yet on the most important question (who really killed Andrew and Abby Borden?) there is still no definitive answer. If, according to the legal truth, Lizzie is innocent, one cannot say the same for the screenwriters.
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