On June 5, 1893, the trial of the century opened in Massachusetts as Lizzie Borden stood accused of hacking her father and stepmother to death with an axe. Armed with a powerhouse defense team led by former Massachusetts Governor George D. Robinson, Borden faced a sensationalized media circus that captivated the entire nation for over two weeks.
The prosecution’s case ultimately fell apart because investigators failed to produce a definitive murder weapon or find any traces of blood on Lizzie’s clothing. Furthermore, the defense heavily relied on the strict gender norms of Victorian society, arguing that a well-bred, church-going Sunday school teacher was physically and morally incapable of such a visceral crime. The strategy worked perfectly, resulting in her stunning acquittal 15 days later.
