48 Hours - Lizzie Borden: Part 1 | My Life of Crime with Erin Moriarty

Erin Moriarty takes us to Fall River, Massachusetts, where one of the most sensational crimes of the 19th century took place. The crime inspired the dark nursery rhyme “Lizzie Borden took an ax and gave her mother 40 whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41."Despite what everyone thinks they know, there is a stunning verdict in the case. In part 1 of this unusual road trip, Erin takes us to the scene of the crime - the house where the murders took place is now The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast/Museum. We learn about the Borden family and what happened on that fateful day in August of 1892. It was a brutal crime scene and there are actual death photos hanging in the house. Erin will spend the night here. She is looking for a motive, evidence and maybe a ghost or two.This episode from "My Life of Crime with Erin Moriarty" first aired on September 13, 2019. For more episodes like this one, follow "My Life of Crime with Erin Moriarty" wherever you get your podcasts.

Duration: 19m
Broadcast on: 21 Sep 2026
Audio Format: other

High 48-hours listeners. It's Erin Moriarty. As you may know, true crime fans are once again being introduced to the story of Lizzie Borden, the Massachusetts woman who was once acquitted of the hatchet murder of her parents in 1892. In 2019, we covered the Borden case in a two-part series in the first season of my 48-hours podcast series, My Life of Crime with Erin Moriarty. Here's part one in its entirety and be sure to follow the series My Life of Crime with Erin Moriarty, wherever you get your podcasts.

Lizzie Borden took an African gave her mother 41. When she seen when she gave her father 41. This is Abby's autopsy photo. I mean, we're talking about that's inside her skull. She was struck in the back of the head 17 times and it was struck 11 times to the face. I'm Erin Moriarty, 48-hours, and this is My Life of Crime.

So, I'm on a train on the way to Fall River, Massachusetts. Now, if that name sounds familiar, it's because Fall River is where one of the most sensational crimes of the 19th century took place, or in the vernacular of the day, one of the most dastardly and diabolical crimes of the 19th century. Lizzie Borden took an African gave her mother 41. If all you know is what is the Lizzie Borden nursery rhyme, when she seen when she gave her father 41, then you don't know anything. That's what we've been learning as we decided we were going to reinvestigate the Lizzie Borden case. Did she do it? Did she not? And I thought I knew everything about the Lizzie Borden case from that nursery rhyme. It turns out it was completely wrong. Charles Osgood, you may remember him from CBS Radio, can help set the stage for us, as he did for a Sunday morning piece back in 2002. Andrew Borden, a leading businessman, was found murdered on his downstairs sofa. The victim of multiple blows to the head. His second wife, Abby, was found murdered in similar fashion upstairs. On the basis of largely circumstantial evidence, 32-year-old Lizzie Borden was arrested and charged with her father and stepmother to death. The murders actually occurred in August of 1892. Think about that. And yet what's odd is, who hasn't heard the name Lizzie Borden? 127 years later, 127 years. Her name has become part of the popular culture.

You're listening to Ronnie Graham. He's singing in the film New Faces of 1954. Now, I don't remember that movie. You probably don't either, but you may remember Elizabeth Montgomery. She was the witch from the witch. She also played Lizzie in a TV movie, The Legend of Lizzie Borden, back in 1975. And more recently, Chloe's 70 played her. In a 2018 film named Simply Enough, Lizzie. To your knowledge, did your father have any enemies?

This is America, sir. I remember what the pulse was enemies. With so much written about Lizzie, what's left to learn? I have a feeling we may have some surprises for you. So let's start first. I need to separate fact from fiction. So like any good reporter, I'm actually going to take you to the scene of the crime. Believe it or not, the real Lizzie Borden house, where she grew up, still exists. And it doesn't just exist, it's actually a bed and breakfast. And here's the best part. We're all going to spend the night there. The actual Lizzie Borden house is kind of nondescript, it's a frame house right across from a courthouse in Fall River. It's painted dark green, looks like any other mid-19th century house, green shutters, green paint, two stories. But the side door is what they still use. When you go into the dining room, you definitely go back in time.

Inside, the rooms are small with flowery wallpaper everywhere. There are delicate white lace curtains and tablecloths and armchairs covered in dark blue velvet. None of the original furniture actually exists, just reproductions. And there is now electricity in the house and that was something the Bordens didn't have. In the crap kitchen, we find Rick Bertoldo. He's a tour guide. If you're crazy enough to want to spend the night in a house where two people were brutally murdered, Rick is more than happy to show you around. How many people come and spend the night here? I got over the years and we've had thousands of people from all over the world. And are there some people who leave in the middle of the night? Well, quite often.

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