On the morning of August 4, 1892, the citizens of Fall River, Massachusetts, awoke to an ordinary summer day. By midday, they would be speaking of nothing else.
At the Borden home at 92 Second Street, sometime before noon, two people were beaten to death with a hatchet. Abby Borden, the stepmother, was found in the upstairs guest room, her head struck repeatedly. Andrew Borden, her husband and a prosperous local businessman, was found in the downstairs sitting room, having been attacked while resting on the sofa. Both killings happened in the middle of the morning, in a house on a busy urban street, and not a single neighbor or passerby reported hearing or seeing anything unusual.
Andrew Borden, 70, was among Fall River's most successful men — his wealth accumulated through real estate investments, banking connections, and business dealings that had made him a familiar name in town. His second wife Abby, 64, had been part of the household for years, though her standing with Andrew's two daughters had always been uneasy. Lizzie and Emma had long viewed Abby as an outsider; Abby was said to feel unwelcome in return. Andrew was known for keeping his money close, and the modest brick house on Second Street was a quiet point of resentment among a community that knew just how wealthy its owner was.