Monster season 4: Who is Lizzie Borden and what did she do? Ryan Murphy’s Netflix thriller gets huge shakeup

It's fair to say the jaws of viewers across the globe were left firmly on the floor following the debut of Ryan Murphy's Monsters: The Ed Gein Story on Netflix, and before we've even had chance to process what we've seen, we've already got the scoop on season four.

Each season of the thriller focuses on a different gruesome crime case from history, presented as a dramatisation of real events.

Season one saw Evan Peters transform into Jeffrey Dahmer, season two focused on the Menendez Brothers, sparking an outpouring of protests against their conviction, and season three left us squirming at Ed Gein; a grave digger and body snatcher that turned his victims into furniture.

While all of these cases have been relatively high-profile, season four focuses around someone a little less well-known in the present day: Lizzie Borden.

We already know the role is being taken on by Ella Beatty, who will star as the infamous young woman accused of murdering her parents with an axe.

Who is Lizzie Borden?

Getty/Wiki commons

Lizzie Borden, born in 1860, was most notoriously tried (and subsequently acquitted) of the axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts.

On August 4, 1892, Lizzie, the family maid, and her stepmother, Abby, were in the house while her father was downtown.

It's during that time that Abby was slaughtered in the guest room, having been axed approximately 18 times.

Lizzie reported finding her father, Andrew Borden, dead in the living room after being repeatedly struck in the head with a sharp instrument, before finding her stepmother later.

While there were a number of theories swirling about which outsiders could've committed the heinous act, ultimately, it was Lizzie who ended up getting arrested, and subject to a media tirade.

But the biggest shock of all came when the jury acquitted her at trial (to much controversy) and she continued to live the rest of her life in Fall River - despite being shunned by her neighbours.

She died in 1927.

What happened to Lizzie Borden's house?

The infamous house in Fall River where Lizzie Borden's father and stepmother were murdered is now a B&B and museum to the crime.

Dubbed 'America's most haunted house', it has been restored to look as it would have when Borden's case took place.

Rooms in the property are around $260 per night, and you can book a basement ghost hunt as an extra.

When will Monster season 4 be released?

There's no official release date for Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story as of yet, but given that there's been a year gap between seasons two and three (and the cast has already been set), we'd predict it will come in September or October 2026.

Why not read...

Monster: The Ed Gein Story - What's the true story behind Netflix's 'disturbing' new show?

Wayward: Is Netflix's latest creepy thriller a true story?

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel