*Lizzie Borden- from* *lizziebordenwarpsandwefts.com*

TW: crime scene photos below

Lizzie Borden took an ax

And gave her mother 40 whacks

When she saw what she had done

She gave her father 41

You may have heard of the nursery rhyme but, did you know that The Borden murders are the most infamous unsolved crimes in U.S. history and that you can spend the night at what is now the Lizzie Borden House Bed & Breakfast?

The Lizzie Borden house is located in Fall River, MA. The brutal murders of Andrew Borden and his wife Abby took place in that Fall River house on August 4, 1892. Andrew and Abby were savagely and brutally hacked to death with an ax. According to the police report, this was a crime of passion and immense anger. Each swing the killer took bashed into Abby’s skull (even after she fell to the floor), the killer continued swinging, beating her head to a pulp. She received a total of 19 blows to her skull.

The police found Andrew lying on the couch with his legs resting on the floor. The police report stated, “the killer swung a hatchet like weapon 11 times against his face and head.” They knew he was sleeping at the time the murder occurred, since he was found with one closed eyelid, split in two.

Lizzie and their maid, Bridget Sullivan were the two other people at home during the time of the killings. Bridget claimed that looking up the stairs, she heard creaking from the floorboards at the top. Shadows made it difficult to see but she felt as though someone was looking down on her. She also reported hearing the soft laugh of a woman, believed to be Lizzie, just after brutally murdering her stepmother and standing there dripping in her blood, holding the hatchet down by her side. Bridget never said anything she just went about her job cleaning. Then sometime later Bridget reports hearing Lizzie yelling from the first floor, “Father’s dead…someone came in and killed him”.

Lizzie Borden was the only suspect in a long trial that captivated the Nation. Lizzie told police that, “I was in the barn, when father was murdered. Someone must have come in off the street, killed him and ran out.”

During the trial it was brought out that Lizzie changed her dress that day. She was wearing a different dress after the murders than reportedly before. Lizzie claimed that she “spilled paint on her dress so she burned it.”

It was noted that police did find a hatchet head in the basement, which was shiny clean and missing the handle.

For most of the trial, Lizzie’s reaction was remarked as cold and unemotional. However, when the prosecution brought in the bashed in skulls of Andrew and Abby, Lizzie screamed, stood up, swooned before fainting to the floor. Soon after, the jury came back with a “not-guilty” verdict.

*Andrew Borden skull from* *Ghostwalks.com*

Today, the Lizzie Borden house is a museum and bed and breakfast. There are numerous spooky type happenings which include doors that open by themselves, lights that flicker, sounds of giggling children and visions of spectral figures floating through the rooms.

Abby’s ghost is believed to be the one haunting the house the most. Her spirit is seen mostly in the second floor hallway and guest room. Visitors have felt their bed sheets tighten around them, as well as a slight pressure in their chest and legs. They also hear what sounds like brushing across the covers, like a hand slides across them.

Lizzie may also linger in the house. Many guests have heard a woman crying at the same time every night and a shadow figure moving up the stairs only to disappear at the top. This may be the residual energy of the tragedy that has marked this once quiet residence.

Today, you can tour the Lizzie Borden House during the daytime (10am-4pm) for their historical tours, nightly ghost tours (7pm-9pm) or their night time ghost hunt which begins at 10pm until midnight. You may be one of the brave ghost hunters who can opt for the ‘overnight” investigation which starts at 10pm until 9am. For more information visit, https://lizzie-borden.com/

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Written by Rachel DeMicco

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