Why Netflix's new 'Monster' season has a surprising Florida connection

• "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story" is the latest installment in the Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan series on Netflix.
• The eight-episode drama is inspired by the 1892 murders of Andrew and Abby Borden but largely strays from historical facts.
• The series also incorporates the story of Florida serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was convicted of killing seven men.
• Despite being the primary suspect, Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the murders in 1893.

"Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story" has dropped on Netflix. It's the latest chapter in the Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan series, and it has a surprising and infamous Florida tie.

Inspired by true events, the eight-episode series centers around two murders that shocked the nation more than 100 years ago when Lizzie Borden's wealthy father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Borden, were brutally slain.

As the series progresses, it leaps forward in time and weaves in one of the most notorious female serial killers of all time: Aileen Wuornos. Wuornos, aka "Damsel of Death," was sentenced to death for killing six men in central Florida between 1989 and 1990.

Here's what to know about Netflix's "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story," Wuornos' character in the show, and what's truth and what's fiction.

Is the Netflix Lizzie Borden story accurate and true?

While inspired by true events, "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story" strays far from the case's real history.

According to The Herald News in Fall River, Massachusetts, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, the show gets almost nothing right, aside from the names of people and places.

What was Lizzie Borden accused of doing?

Contrary to the popular nursery rhyme, Andrew Borden was struck with a hatchet, not an axe, 11 times, while Abby was hit 19 times.

According to Fisherman & Farmer, a newspaper out of Edenton, North Carolina, that followed the trial, Andrew had fallen asleep that day in the sitting room. Abby “continued dressing, if she was not already dead,” the outlet printed in its June 16, 1893 edition.

The paper also detailed Borden’s account, in which she claimed to have stroked her father’s head on her way to a barn on the property, where she remained for half an hour. Supposedly, Borden’s screams upon finding her bloodied father brought housemaid Bridget "Maggie" Sullivan downstairs. Dr. Seabury Bowen was requested, and when it was suggested that Abby be informed of the incident, her lifeless body was found.

Did Lizzie Borden kill her parents?

Lizzie Borden, 32 at the time, was arrested on Aug. 11, 1892, and remained in custody until her trial on June 5, 1893, in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

An all-male jury acquitted Borden of the slayings on June 20, 1893, based on a lack of evidence likely influenced by their own unconscious biases. (Women did not serve on Massachusetts juries until 1950.)

Who was Aileen Wuornos?

Aileen Wuornos was a Florida serial killer convicted of murdering six men, though she admitted killing seven, along Florida highways in 1989 and 1990, where she worked as a prostitute.

In her trial for one of the murders, she claimed self-defense, but a jury convicted her of first-degree murder. Wuornos was sentenced to death. She later pleaded no contest in 4 more murders and guilty in another, receiving five additional death sentences in those cases. She was never charged in the seventh murder.

Wuornos was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in 2002.

Where did Aileen Wuornos kill her victims?

Aileen Wuornos killed her victims along highways and rural areas in central and north Florida, including Volusia, Marion, Citrus, Pasco, and Dixie counties.

Why is Aileen Wuornos in the Lizzie Borden story on Netflix?

The Lizzie Borden Netflix series jumps forward in time to Wuornos, played by Sarah Paulson, who, according to the show, is inspired by Lizzie Borden, played by Ella Beatty.

Borden housemaid Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan, played by Vicky Krieps, inspires Lizzie Borden to commit (and assists her with) the crime that will define the rest of her life, according to Netflix Tudum. Maggie reads Lizzie bloody bedtime stories, which are shown in flashbacks and in the leap forward to Wuornos.

"Wuornos even stays at the Bordens’ home with her partner Shelby (Jessie Lee), who reads to her as Maggie did to Lizzie," per Netflix Tudum, adding that the real Borden home is now indeed a bed and breakfast.

“The show is exploring a legacy of female rage and reaction to the set of circumstances that they are presented with,” Beatty told Netflix Tudum. “I think there’s a connection [between Borden and Wuornos] that Ryan and Ian were interested in mapping and exploring.”

“It points to this thread of rage that runs through the female experience from history to now," Brennan told Netflix.

Was Aileen Wuornos really obsessed with Lizzie Borden? Is there a connection?

There is no evidence Aileen Wuornos was inspired by or fixated on Lizzie Borden or the killings of her father and stepmother.

Who plays Lizzie Borden in the Netflix show? See cast

Lizzie Borden is played by Ella Beatty.

“I felt incredibly lucky to be the first woman monster,” she told Netflix Tudum. “I also knew from the beginning that Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan were really interested in exploring the reasons why women kill, specifically. Every season of Monster has been an exercise in understanding the person’s psychology. Are they born or are they made?”

Beatty's previous roles include Feud: Capote vs. The Swans and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

The cast also stars:

• Charlie Hunnam as Andrew Borden
• Vicky Krieps as Bridget "Maggie" Sullivan
• Rebecca Hall as Abby Borden
• Sarah Paulson as Aileen Wuornos
• Billie Lourd as Emma Borden
• Jessica Barden as Nance O'Neil
• Joey Pollari as John Morse

How to watch 'Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story' on Netflix

All eight episodes of "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story" is available for streaming on Netflix with a subscription.

Netflix pricing:

• Standard with ads: $8.99 / month
• Standard: $19.99 / month
• Premium: $26.99 / month

This story was updated to change a photo.

Kim Luciani is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's Audience team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.