Sleeping in the Lizzie Borden Bedroom: What I Discovered at the Crime Scene

In the summer of 2019, the production team behind “48 Hours” traveled to Fall River, Massachusetts, to spend a night in the infamous home where the Borden murders took place. The double killing occurred on August 4, 1892, when 70-year-old Andrew Borden and his 64-year-old wife, Abby, were discovered beaten to death with a hatchet.

Their daughter, Lizzie Borden, immediately became the prime suspect. She was present in the house during the daytime attacks and shared a well-documented strained relationship with her father’s second wife. Although forensic indicators and motive pointed heavily toward Lizzie, an all-male jury acquitted her in 1893 after deliberating for just over an hour.

The two-story, green-frame structure on Second Street, which is over 180 years old, now operates as the Lizzie Borden House and Museum. It functions as a bed and breakfast, catering to visitors drawn to its macabre history. The property features black-and-white photography, including original crime scene images of Abby Borden’s body.

Correspondent Erin Moriarty and crime scene investigator Erin Rubas returned to the site to explore lingering questions about the case. One specific inquiry involved Lizzie’s claim that she remained on the first floor during the assaults upstairs. Moriarty noted that the building’s thin walls and the direct vertical alignment between the dining room and Abby’s bedroom make it difficult to believe the attack went unheard.

Additionally, the compact size of the home raises questions about the absence of blood evidence on Lizzie’s clothing. Given the violence of the crimes, observers questioned how the killer could have avoided leaving a trail or spatter, and how quickly any soiled garments could have been cleaned or destroyed before authorities arrived.

Moriarty spent the night in the second-floor front bedroom, lying adjacent to the spot where Abby’s body was found. Wearing running attire as a precaution, the correspondent reported sleeping soundly throughout the night without any disturbances. The article also notes that forensic standards in 1893 were rudimentary; modern investigators would likely preserve trace evidence that was lost at the time, potentially leading to a different verdict today.

The renewed interest in the case coincides with the premiere of “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” on Netflix. While popular lore claims Abby was struck 40 times and Andrew 41, current understanding indicates the murder weapon was a hatchet and Abby suffered fewer than a dozen stab wounds. Despite these clarifications, the brutality of the crimes continues to captivate audiences more than a century later.