Who Lizzie Borden gave her fortune to after dying a millionaire
Lizzie Borden is one of the most infamous suspected female killers of all time. And what many might not know about her is that she died very rich, giving away her wealth.
The story of Borden is being told in Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, tracking the part of her life where she became an alleged killer. Yet despite being suspected, Borden was never convicted of the murder of her father, Andrew, and stepmother, Abby.
Instead, she was acquitted of the crime after being unable to prove she had killed them, despite her being the only person aside from the maid prior to their deaths.
Ella Beatty playing the role of Lizzie in the show, with Charlie Hunnam returning to the Monster franchise after his portrayal of Ed Gein in 2025.
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READ MORE: The Lizzie Borden Story cast and what they look like in real life
In the new instalment for the anthology series, Netflix subscribers will be able to see just what may have done on behind closed doors that August day in 1892.
The story is complex, and while Lizzie was eventually acquitted of this crime, she was still able to live a somewhat normal life within the exact same community; albeit shunned socially.
There, she lived with her older sister Emma for some time, and as the daughters of a property tycoon as such, they had a comfortable life until their deaths some 30 years later.
But the amount of money Lizzie would have had at the time of her death, would amount to over $6 million today, making her one mega-millionaire.
Having written a will and final testament to deal with her wealth, Lizzie decided to hand down her money in a number of ways, but most notably to not a person, but a charity.
According to phayemuss, Lizzie's will included her fondness of 'animals' and, at the time, $30,000 dollars.
Who did Lizzie Borden leave her fortune to?
Lizzie's last will was dated 30 January 1926. Along with the probate accounts, it shows how the estate was actually distributed.
Lizzie did not leave anything to her sister Emma Borden. The will explicitly says that Emma had already received her share of their father's estate.
Instead, the bulk of the remaining estate went equally to Helen Leighton and cousin Grace H. Howe.
According to the will, Leighton, received diamond rings and a diamond brooch, as well as library furniture and a choosing of other homewares.
Her cousin, Grace Howe received a diamond and amethyst ring as well as her share of the A. J. Borden Building in said Fall River.
The will states how she left $30,000 - worth $587,684 today - plus her Stevens Manufacturing Company stock to the Animal Rescue League of Fall River, and another $2,000 to the Animal Rescue League of Washington, D.C. - both animal charities.
She left $500 to the City of Fall River for the care of her father's grave, $3,000 to her housekeeper and each servant that had been employed with her for five years.
Meanwhile, Charles C. Cook was awarded $10,000 plus the Baker Lot on French Street. He was also a named executor. This would be worth around $195,894.74 today.
According to the will, a number of other people were also listed and were entitled to varying amounts between one and five thousand dollars. It is not clear who all of them are.
However it included $1,000 to a doctor, Ms Annie Macrae, $1,000 each to two former schoolmates, money to her chauffeur's wife and daughter, and to other distant cousins.
What happened after Lizzie was acquitted of murder?
After being acquitted of murder, Lizzie's life dramatically changed. The jury in the case had only deliberated for a short time before the courtroom drama ended with a not guilty verdict.
She inherited wealth, along with her sister Emma, mainly from her father's estate, and then moved into an elegant new home in Fall River's Hill neighbourhood.
She attended theatre shows, travelling to Boston and New York and began going by the name Lizbeth A. Borden in an attempt to reinvent herself.
There, she employed servants and a coachman. At the home, later named Maplecroft, she entertained and held dinners, but was not accepted by everyone in the Fall River community who refused to forget the trial.
She had a well-documented friendship with actress Nance O'Neil. It was said the pair became close and spent time with one another.
In 1905, Lizzie's sister Emma is thought to have suddenly left the home they shared for around ten years. No details are clear about this period, however they never reconciled.
Lizzie remained at Maplecroft for the remainder of her life, and became ill during her final year. She died on 1 June 1927 aged 66 from pneumonia. Her sister Emma died nine days later.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is available to watch on Netflix.
Topics: Netflix, Entertainment, TV and Film, US News
Britt Jones