Every year on August 4, the city of Fall River, Massachusetts, pauses to remember one of the most infamous crimes in American history. On this day in 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered inside their Second Street home, setting off a case that would captivate the nation for more than a century.
The prime suspect was Andrew’s 32-year-old daughter, Lizzie Borden, who was arrested and later stood trial for the murders. Although she was acquitted in 1893, public opinion has remained deeply divided. The old rhyme—”Lizzie Borden took an axe…”—helped cement her place in American folklore, even though it bears little resemblance to the facts presented at trial.
Today, Fall River has embraced its complicated history. The former Borden home now operates as a museum and bed-and-breakfast, drawing thousands of visitors each year who are fascinated by true crime, Victorian history, and one of the country’s greatest unsolved mysteries. Walking through the home offers a glimpse into the setting where the murders occurred and the investigation that followed.
One of the more surprising pieces of Lizzie Borden trivia has nothing to do with the murders. Marilyn Monroe and Lizzie Borden were distant cousins. Genealogists have traced both women’s family trees back to Richard Borden, an English immigrant who settled in Rhode Island in the 1630s. While separated by centuries and dramatically different lives, the Hollywood legend and the 19th-century murder suspect shared the same ancestral roots.
Interest in the case continues to grow with each new generation. Books, documentaries, podcasts, and dramatizations have kept the mystery alive, introducing Lizzie Borden to audiences far removed from the events of 1892.
That fascination is set to continue with an upcoming Netflix series inspired by the Lizzie Borden story, bringing a fresh interpretation of the enduring mystery to a global audience. While details of the production continue to emerge, the series is expected to renew interest in the case and in Fall River itself, where the legend began.
More than 130 years later, the questions remain the same: Who killed Andrew and Abby Borden, and why? Despite decades of theories and investigations, there are still no definitive answers, but everyone has a theory. On each August 4 anniversary, the case serves as a reminder that some mysteries never truly fade—they simply find new audiences. Should Fall River lean into this fascination and capitalize on the fame?
As Fall River marks another anniversary of the Borden murders, the city remains forever linked to one of America’s most enduring true-crime stories, proving that history, mystery, and legend can coexist in ways that continue to captivate the world. And with an intriguing family connection to one of Hollywood’s greatest stars, the Lizzie Borden story continues to reveal surprising twists more than a century after the murders. Marilyn Monroe and Lizzie Borden were distant cousins. Genealogists trace both of their family trees back to Richard Borden, an English immigrant who settled in Rhode Island in the 1630s. This means the Hollywood icon and the 19th-century murder suspect shared the same ancestral roots.
