{
  "id": 8293019,
  "title": "‘Monster’: Did Lizzie Borden Really Kill Bertha Manchester?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/monster-did-lizzie-borden-really-kill-bertha-manchester",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-18T19:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TheWrap",
    "slug": "thewrap",
    "url": "https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/monster-the-lizzie-borden-story-bertha-manchester-explained/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Netflix's crime anthology series \"Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story\" begins with the premise that Lizzie Borden, acquitted in 1893, actually killed her father and stepmother. However, the series reportedly introduces a new murder victim, Bertha Manchester, played by Linda Reiter. The show suggests that Lizzie Borden and her maid Bridget \"Maggie\" Sullivan practiced on an elderly neighbor before allegedly murdering Abby and Andrew Borden. While Bertha Manchester was a real person, the show's portrayal of her age and the timeline of her murder are disputed. Manchester was actually 22 years old at the time of her death, not elderly, and she was murdered six days before the Borden trial began. This timeline contradicts the series' claim that Manchester's murder influenced the jury's decision. Furthermore, the real Manchester was imprisoned at the time of her death, making it impossible for her to have been killed by Lizzie Borden. The murder weapon and the victim's living situation also differed significantly from those in the Borden case. While Manchester lived in a remote farming area alone, the Bordens were urban dwellers, and Manchester was murdered days before the Borden homicides.",
  "summary": "There was another axe murder in Fall River, but the Netflix series changes several major details The post ‘Monster’: Did Lizzie Borden Really Kill Bertha Manchester? appeared first on TheWrap .",
  "key_points": [
    "Lizzie Borden acquitted in 1893, but new murder victim introduced",
    "Bertha Manchester, 22, murdered six days before Borden trial",
    "Manchester's age, timeline, and living situation differ from Borden case"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}