Netflix’s First Female Monster Killer: Lizzie Borden Acquitted of Axe Murders
Netflix’s fourth season of the popular true crime series Monster will introduce their first ever female ‘killer’. Following highly controversial previous seasons focusing on Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez Brothers, and Ed Gein, this new installment takes a step further back in time to 1892, featuring Lizzie Borden.
Borden, born in 1860 in Fall River, Massachusetts, is infamous for the folk rhyme about her killing her father and stepmother with an axe—a narrative that has endured despite her acquittal of the double murders. Her step-mother, Abby, and father, Andrew, were found hacked to death with either a hatchet or axe in 1892, leading to widespread speculation about Borden’s involvement.
Despite being the only one directly connected to the crime scene at the time of the murders—alongside the family maid, Bridget Sullivan—Borden was ultimately acquitted due to insufficient evidence tying her to the murder weapon. However, she lived the rest of her life as a social pariah, immortalized in the nursery rhyme: "Lizzie Borden gave her mother 40 whacks" (a representation widely considered inaccurate).
Ryan Murphy, creator of Monster, has faced backlash for previous seasons, including from the families of Dahmer’s victims and the Menendez Brothers themselves. Despite this, he remains tight-lipped about how Monster will portray Borden. When discussing the show with The Hollywood Reporter, Murphy stated:
"I find that show to be very interesting because you know that no matter what you do, it’s going to be controversial… I’m always interested in… investigating whether monsters are made or born."
As the release of season four draws near, viewers and critics alike await with bated breath to see how Monster will tackle this sensitive and historically contentious case.
