Netflix will release Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, the fourth season of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's crime anthology, on September 17, 2026.
All episodes of the 18+ American television drama will drop simultaneously on the streaming platform, depicting the historical trial of the Massachusetts woman accused and ultimately acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother.
The true-crime anthology focuses on a different criminal each season. The initial installment followed serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, the second covered brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez after the murder of their parents, and the third season focused on 1950s body snatcher Ed Gein.
Production timeline and release details
Show creators announced the September 2026 premiere date in August 2026, setting the stage for the next entry in the franchise. Netflix officially renewed the project for a fourth season in July 2025, several months before the third season aired.
Filming for the fourth season began in September 2025, shortly before the third season made its debut on October 3, 2025. The upcoming installment brings the overall series count to 27 episodes across its four seasons.
The 1892 axe murders in Fall River
The narrative centers on Lizzie Andrew Borden, who was born in 1860 in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her father, Andrew Borden, initially owned a small furniture factory before expanding his business into several textile mills, commercial construction, and small-scale manufacturing.
Following the death of his wife when Lizzie was two years old, Andrew Borden grew distant from his family and devoted himself almost entirely to his work. Three years after his first wife died, he married Abby Durfee Gray.
Despite accumulating a substantial fortune, Andrew Borden was a miser who refused to install indoor plumbing in his home, even as other wealthy Americans equipped their mansions with modern conveniences.
Lizzie and her older sister Emma received a religious education. In her youth, Lizzie actively participated in church affairs, teaching Sunday school to the children of recent immigrants and serving as secretary-treasurer for the Christian society Endeavor.
Family disputes and the double killing
Tension inside the household escalated because Lizzie mistrusted her stepmother, convinced that Abby had married her father for his money. Andrew Borden began gifting real estate to his new wife's relatives, hiring domestic servants, and spending money freely while his daughters had spent their childhoods without plumbing, electricity, or good food.
Frequent arguments erupted between Lizzie and her father. Andrew Borden repeatedly criticized his daughter, claiming she would never marry, complaining about the expense of supporting her, and expressing dissatisfaction with how she managed the household while comparing her unfavorably to the daughters of his friends.
In 1892, following a heated quarrel, Lizzie and Emma left Fall River to take a temporary break from the family conflict. When they returned, their maternal uncle, John Morse, was visiting the residence.
On the morning of August 4, 1892, John Morse left the house and Andrew Borden went out for a walk. Lizzie, who was supposed to clean the guest room where her uncle had slept, went upstairs to make a bed instead.
During that time, an assailant struck Abby Borden multiple times on the head with an axe inside the home. Andrew Borden returned later and lay down on a sofa to sleep. Approximately half an hour later, Lizzie called out from the ground floor to report that she had found her father hacked to death with an axe.
Investigation and the trial of the century
During police interrogations, Lizzie gave confused and self-contradictory accounts. Investigators failed to examine her clothing for bloodstains, omitted a thorough search of her room, and failed to confiscate axes found in the Borden basement.
Authorities arrested Lizzie on August 11, 1892, and formally indicted her on December 2, 1892. Her trial began the following year in 1893.
Shortly before the trial opened, another woman in Fall River was murdered with an axe. Police later captured the perpetrator and confirmed that the second attack was entirely unrelated to the Borden case.
A jury acquitted Lizzie Borden, but the sensational proceedings attracted intense public fascination and became known as the trial of the century. Law enforcement never identified the killer, and Lizzie became a social outcast after the verdict.
In the early 20th century, Lizzie quarrelled with her sister Emma, and the two women never spoke again. Lizzie died of pneumonia in 1927, and Emma died just a few days later.
Criminologists and historians maintain two main theories regarding the unsolved case. One theory holds that Lizzie committed the murders but escaped conviction because 19th-century police lacked modern forensic methods to collect evidence. The second theory suggests that her uncle, John Morse, was the killer.
Cast additions and returning stars
Season four marks a major milestone for the anthology series, as actor Charlie Hunnam returns to the project after starring as Ed Gein in the third season. Hunnam will play Andrew Borden, making him the first actor in the history of the show to return in a primary role across different seasons.
Vicky Krieps, who played Nazi criminal Ilse Koch in season three, also returns to join the cast as Bridget Sullivan, the Borden family maid who was present in the house at the time of the murders.
Ella Beatty takes on the starring role of Lizzie Borden, while Rebecca Hall portrays stepmother Abby Borden. Billie Lourd joins the cast as Lizzie's older sister Emma, and Jessica Barden portrays American actress Nance O'Neil, who was a close friend of Lizzie.
Social commentary and onscreen parallels
Showrunner Ryan Murphy explained to Variety magazine in September 2025 that his team chooses subjects based on the broader societal questions criminals raise rather than simple notoriety. Murphy noted that infamous figures like John Wayne Gacy and Joseph James DeAngelo were passed over because their crimes appeared overly violent without offering meaningful commentary on society.
The new season is expected to explore how the Borden murders influenced broader society. Actress Sarah Paulson will appear in the series playing Aileen Wuornos, the real-life killer who operated in Florida between 1989 and 1990, with creators drawing thematic parallels between Wuornos and Borden.
The case has previously been adapted for the screen in the television series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles starring Christina Ricci, and in the feature film Lizzie starring Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart.
