The Fall River Tragedy

Originally Aired: January 14, 1952 Suspense #456, "The Fall River Tragedy," stars Agnes Moorhead as Lizzie Borden, the infamous woman accused of brutally murdering her father and stepmother with an axe in Fall River, Massachusetts. Years after her trial and acquittal, Lizzie receives Mr. Lippitt, a magazine writer, in her home to tell her side of the story. As children outside chant the notorious rhyme about her crimes, Lizzie insists on her innocence while recounting the terrible day her father was found slain on the couch and her stepmother discovered upstairs. Through her narration, the trial unfolds again. The prosecution, led by the relentless Mr. Moody, calls witness after witness to build its case against Lizzie. Dr. Bowen, the family physician and neighbor, testifies about discovering the bodies and his conversation with Lizzie that morning. The maid Bridget Sullivan and neighbors Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Churchill are brought forward, their testimonies suggesting that no outsider could have entered the locked house undetected. As the evidence mounts and Lizzie's account is questioned, she faces the weight of public suspicion and a trial that will determine whether she lives or dies.