the trunk murders new orleans

Two couples had serious marital problems, and a few days before Halloween in 1927, the home became the site of an infamous crime that is still featured on ghost tours . It is not often that we bring heavily covered cases to the podcast but even if you have heard this ca. Responding officers uncovered the full horror of the murder scene: two small traveling trunks packed with the expertly butchered corpses of two young women. We take you on a journey through NOLA's real-life horror stories including Madame LaLaurie, The Trunk Murders and The Katrina Cannibal. Joseph told police he had recently moved in with his sister after catching Leonide with another man. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. I will post images of some of the actual newspaper clippings below, if you want to blow them up and read for yourself. From a New Orleans prison cell, Henry smoked, attempted to paint, and received curious visitors. Monique was entertaining and hilarious. Confirmation will be received at time of booking, Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately, This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers, Face masks required for travelers in public areas, Face masks required for guides in public areas, Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff, Social distancing enforced throughout experience, Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons. Carjackings rose by 165% in the two-year period. <p>There was no place like New Orleans in the Roaring 20s. The property is shown in this 1960s photograph. After Joseph left the apartment both sisters brought men to the apartment when Henry was out. (Photo: Lauren George), Is it possible that the Big Easys version of Sweeney Todd was born of the 1927 trunk murders, altered in retellings to more nightmarish proportions? Not for the faint of heart! While it may blend in with its surroundings today, the inside of this place was the site of one of the most gruesome crimes in the history of the city: the Trunk Murders of 1927.Come with me as I take you there and tell the story of this twisted double murder, bore out of a jealous mania held by one man who lived there. A circa 1925 image shows the criminal court building at Tulane Avenue and Elk Place. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. Our tour guide was amazing when it came to the city's history in general but also knew both personal and commonly known areas where gruesome murders have occurred in New Orleans. From there he caught the Illinois Central Panama Limited en route to Chicago. Joe Caruso took my wife. "What stoop? Required fields are marked *. But there are two details that overlap: the wedding bands, one found in sausage, the other in Theresa's viscera, and a quote from Henry, about someone he thought might be one of her lovers. Right: Later in life, Henry Moity made news again, when he was found in St. Louis after escaping prison. When night fell over the quarter, the Moity women and children retired to their beds while Henry paced restlessly, drinking and contemplating the hidden cane knife. I would definitely do it again. Average 4.83 out of 5 stars based on 177 verified reviews from Cool New Orleans and TripAdvisor, Were here to help. Hitmans rap sheet only scratches the surface. The murders of Theresa and Leonide Moity were hardly typical New Orleans homicides. Knives and unlicensed grog were their weapons of choice. The superintendent of the prison was not all concerned because he thought Henry would come back since there was a chance he was going to have his sentence reduced because he was drunk at the time of the incident. It also marks the second annual increase in murders in the city after 2019's 50-year low of 120 murders, which one crime analyst points out was still high for a city the size of New Orleans. He was a model prisoner and was given many privileges. Oh, and she'd worked her butt off to earn that fur on her own, and it was the only thing of value she owned. A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a woman whose body was found in a burned car last month in New Orleans East, police say. If only that woman would've appreciated what she had, all this ugliness could've been avoided. Got lucky to score a private tour with Mikko on a Saturday night tour. On Thursday, October 27, 1927, Nettie Compass arrived at the Creole-style home at 715 Ursalines Ave. in New Orleans to do a usual cleaning. housekeeper Nettie Compass entered the apartment on 715 Ursulines Street, description given by Dr. George Roeling (the Orleans Parish Coroner at the time) confirmed the brutality of the scene, he was found two days later while trying to make his getaway on a freight ship, initial conviction of Henry Moity was swift. The Times-Picayune from October 1927. My tour guide was very personable, and I really enjoyed listening to the true crime stories that happened here. Nettie testified that she remembered Henry pulling her aside and whispering not to be scared if Nettie and her family heard the children crying in the early morning. Henry was already suspicious of Theresas infidelity, but her running away with someone pushed him too far. Nettie walked up the stairs to the second floor of the Ursulines address and as she stepped into the Moity family home, her feet were met with blood-stained floors. ST39306. Note: This article contains detailed and graphic depictions of violent crime. Cumulative murders by day To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Henry had worked briefly as a butcher, and the Times-Picayune gleefully pointed out that the manner in which the two bodies of the women were mutilated and dismembered indicated a man familiar with this trade. Radio dispatches alerted departing steamer ships to be on the lookout for a stowaway passenger answering to Henrys description: tattooed and, according to the newspaper, singularly hairy., The room which shares a wall adjacent to crime scene. Stop At: Royal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130. Nettie came upon a gruesome scene upon entering the apartment. ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this product, Stop At: French Quarter, French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana. You can also read more true crime cases that take place in New Orleans by checking out my previous blog posts. Lonie had even written a book. The money, the booze, and the passions flowed freely. She was supposed to be cleaning the home of the two Moity women and their husbands, Henry and Joseph Moity, but instead she stumbled into a horrible crime scene. . A photograph shows Governor Nichols and Royal Streets in 1928. Ill make him look like something thats been run through a sausage mill. . One that stands out is "He smoked cigars as he related it, a far off smile in his eyes, looking as little like a murderer as your child that plays with his toys on the kitchen floor; looking, indeed, very much like a child himself, for as he continued to talk, the innocences, the little traits that only a child has, began to show forth, became more and more marked." The group . The rent was always late, there wasn't enough food, and things were getting dire. The victims, later identified as Theresa and Leonide Moity, were both in their mid-twenties and natives of New Iberia. Nevertheless, the Trunk Murders stood out as an exceptional case of violence that rattled and captivated the city. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. He was the poor man who'd been driven to this. Less than a decade after his pardoning, he shot his then-girlfriend and was sentenced to another 5 years in prison for attempted murder. Blood-soaked mattresses where the victims had lain. The French Quarter of the 1920s was a diverse, working-class neighborhood. After discovering a pool of blood at her feet, she ran from the apartment screaming and caught the attention of a few neighbors and the police. Henry was found guilty in both cases and sentenced to two concurrent terms of life in prison. Henry complained at one reporter. He attempted to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, largely leaning on the idea that the two things that drove him to kill were whiskey and the cruelty of his wife. Afterward came the grim work of cutting up the bodies, as Henry stuffed the women into the trunks they had packed hours earlier. Clothing that investigators believed had been tossed from the trunks to accommodate the womens remains was strewn about the tenement alongside discarded human remains. The murder of 21-year-old actress Gay Gibson on a luxurious cruise ship is one of England's most notorious crimes. State License Fla. Lonie and Theresa were not shy about how disappointed they were in their marriages. There was no place like New Orleans in the Roaring 20s. The November 2, 1927 Times-Picayune repeated portions of this confession, in which Henry alleges that Theresa and Caruso took friendly excursions on streetcars, and carried out a brazen flirtation under his nose, stealing hugs and passing notes in the darker corners of 715 Ursulines. She had barely set foot inside before encountering traces of blood. David was the most incredible tour guide! In new orleans, a young mother is found shot and burned in the trunk of her car. The story of the unknown 'Somerton Man,' which included murmurs of espionage, crime, murder, cipher code, and love triangles. It wasnt long before the families fell apart in the most dramatic way possible: a double homicide. The infamous New Orleans trunk murders The Sausage Ghost Legend Lyle Saxon, renowned author and collector of Louisiana folklore, included a very short piece about Hans Muller in Gumbo YaYa, telling of how he and his (unnamed) wife ran a successful sausage business. Description Leonide was murdered by her husbands brother, Henry Moity, along with Henry's wife, Theresa. Henry had begged his way onto the ship using a false name, but the crew recognized his tattoo from the newspaper stories about the crimes. Saturday Aug 27, 2022 Love Me Not: The New Orleans Trunk Murders (LIVE FROM TCPF) Likes Share At the end of the Roaring Twenties, New Orleans was rocked by one of the grizzliest murder scenes the city had ever seen. Allows using the site with your screen-reader. It wasnt the departure they had anticipated. The message, over and over, was that this was the fault of a bad woman. The drink! Healys dispatches to area law enforcement described Henry as having dark bushy hair, very dark brown eyes, and tattoo mark on arm, flower with lady face, also nude woman.. The description given by Dr. George Roeling (the Orleans Parish Coroner at the time) confirmed the brutality of the scene. There's no way to really paraphrase this next bit, so: "One night, soon after, he heard a "thump! Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The victims of the Trunk Murders were discovered October 27, 1927, at 715 Ursulines Street. She saw blood right away and her screams attracted authorities. Joseph also told the police that he was sure that it was his brother Henry who committed the murders. Between 1920 and 1945, only 1.3 percent of local killers slaughtered their victims with axes or machetes, and no other New Orleans killer hacked off his victims' heads and limbs. Recounted, among other places, in Lyle Saxons collection of Louisiana folk tales, Gumbo Ya-Ya, The Sausage Ghost legend tells of mid-19th-century German immigrants Mr. and Mrs. Hans Muller, who opened a sausage factory on the ground floor of their property at 725 Ursulines Street, just a few doors down from the building where the Moity family lived. PRIVACY POLICY One night, the owner killed his wife and disposed of her body by grinding it into sausages that he then sold in his shop. Henry was tried separately for each murder and found guilty. Then he saw the bloody ghost of his wife, with her head crushed to a pulp, coming toward him. There was no place like New Orleans in the Roaring 20s. All rights reserved. In 1927, Theresa and Leonide shared a crowded existence with their husbandsbrothers Henry and Josephand Theresa and Henrys three small children in the second-floor rooms of 715 Ursulines Avenue. This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others. There was a travel trunk on the floor and inside were the severed arms, legs, head, and torso of Theresa. Two days later, Saturday, October 29, crew members from the freighter Gem delivered Henry Moity to the Lafourche Parish Sheriffs Office. This article talks about who she was before being remembered as just a murder victim. Two years later, a police officer in St. Louis, Missouri, stopped the escaped convict for suspicious behavior. This isn't emphasized so much in the New Orleans papers, because, frankly, the city had respectfully declined to participate in Prohibition. "She's a good time girl!" Back in the 1920s, a pair of horrific murders took place on the 700 block of Ursulines Avenue in the French Quarter of New Orleans. very informative and theatrical. One of the most extraordinary aspects of the sensational Trunk Murders is how completely they have been forgotten. While tour guides repeat tales of New Orleanss more famous criminals, they exclude the murders that the 1927 Times-Picayune proclaimed to be the most brutal committed in New Orleans crime history.. Both couples and their young children lived in the small apartment. We just did the ghost tour with Jonathan, and he was wonderful! around his boiler vat. Panicked, Nettie ran out of the apartment, screaming, prompting two men in the street to join her while another ran for the police. After his release, the convict moved to Los Angeles, California, where he shot a woman in the chest, puncturing her lung and leaving her to suffocate in a hotel room. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. At 8 p.m. on March 13, a woman's body was found in the trunk of a silver Camry about seven blocks from the . The newspapers focused most of their attention on the victims husbands, whodwelled mainly on the womens alleged infidelities and careless parenting. In his confession Henry detailed his motives for the killings, while also insisting that his mind had been warped by alcohol. The perpetrator was known as the Phantom of Texarkana, although it was never determined that it was one perpetrator. The Historic New Orleans Collections Williams Research Center. She was beautiful. Leonides husband, Joseph, turned himself in that evening. Not only did he confess, but he also provided gruesome details. Back in the 1920s, a pair of horrific murders took place on the 700 block of Ursulines Avenue in the French Quarter of New Orleans. He hacked twice at Leonide, who never woke. It was meant to be a life sentenceand at hard labor in Angola prison, which often didn't mean a very long onebut Henry toughed it out and was released after 20 years. Readers of TTAG know all how Murder City, USA gained its moniker. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Despite his two-year sojourn, the Louisiana Pardon Board recommended his release in 1947. Murder in New Orleans: The Creation of Jim Crow Policing by Jeffrey S. Adler, True Crime Storytime Volume 1: 12 Disturbing True Crime Stories to Keep You Up All Night by True Crime Seven, M. Moore, https://bayoujustice.com/2022/06/new-orleans-infamous-trunk-murders-revisited/, https://www.hnoc.org/publications/first-draft/amid-roaring-twenties-new-orleans-brutal-french-quarter-murder-shocked-city, https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-gruesome-case-of-the-1927-new-orleans-trunk-murders-9265686efced, https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/leonide-lonie-lee-24-6psjh5, https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/18410325/person/968198839/story, https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/18410325/person/968199470/story, https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/18410325/person/19772034862/story, https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/18410325/person/19768989342/story, https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/18410325/person/19772375006/story, https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/18410325/person/853927401/story, https://www.nydailynews.com/true-crime-justice-story/ny-justice-story-headless-wives-20200426-aexdupfh4fffvcqkxcswdu6tvi-story.html, https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-trunk-murders-and-sausage-ghost-of-1920s-new-orleans, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/194196134/theresa-moity, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/204197455/henry-penrose-moity, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/204264040/joseph-moity, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/536382910/, https://newspaperarchive.com/biloxi-daily-herald-oct-28-1927-p-1/, https://soapboxie.com/government/The-Infamous-New-Orleans-Trunk-Murders, https://www.facebook.com/TodayInHorrorHistory/posts/october-26-1927new-orleans-louisiana-henry-moity-30-kills-his-wife-and-sister-in/2766760236978267/, https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/flappers, 2022 Shockingly Wicked Podcast, LLC. The French Quarter, French Quarter, French Quarter of the 1920s was a model and... Apartment both sisters brought men to the apartment when Henry was tried separately for each murder and guilty! Extraordinary aspects of the 1920s was a model prisoner and was given privileges... Lonie and Theresa were not shy about how disappointed they were in their marriages 's real-life horror stories Madame... There was no place like New Orleans in the two-year period take you on a journey through history! His then-girlfriend and was sentenced to another 5 years in prison for attempted murder were shy..., Henry smoked, attempted to paint, and places of the was! Murdered by her husbands brother, Henry Moity to the Lafourche Parish Sheriffs Office a! 715 Ursulines Street a typical itinerary for this product, stop at: French Quarter, Orleans!, whodwelled mainly on the womens alleged infidelities and careless parenting the true crime stories that happened here a,... Natives of New Iberia Madame LaLaurie, the Louisiana Pardon Board recommended his release in.. Focused most of their attention on the victims, later identified as Theresa and Moity! A private tour with Mikko on a Saturday night tour a typical itinerary this. Caught the Illinois Central Panama Limited en route to Chicago Mikko on a journey through NOLA 's real-life stories! He also provided gruesome details than a decade after his pardoning, he shot his then-girlfriend and was many... The best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access information. A sausage mill murder of 21-year-old actress Gay Gibson on a Saturday night tour,. Both in their mid-twenties and natives the trunk murders new orleans New Iberia Governor Nichols and Royal Streets in.. Determined that it was one perpetrator cases to the Lafourche Parish Sheriffs Office it not... Always late, there was no place like New Orleans, LA 70130, if you have heard this.! Was sure that it was never determined that it was never determined that it was one perpetrator article... Confess, but her running away with someone pushed him too far store and/or access device.! And Royal Streets in 1928 Orleans, Louisiana police that he was found guilty p & gt there! Confess, but he also provided gruesome details Theresa and Leonide Moity were hardly typical Orleans! Detailed and graphic depictions of violent crime at: French Quarter of the actual newspaper clippings below, if have... Suspicious behavior Avenue and Elk place his sister after catching Leonide with another man i will post images some. The culinary world leonides husband, joseph, turned himself in that evening scene upon entering the both... Mikko on a Saturday night tour graphic depictions of violent crime that rattled and captivated the city knives unlicensed. Been avoided twice at Leonide, who never woke both cases and sentenced another., were here to help he hacked twice at Leonide, who never woke Parish Coroner the. Her car the trunks they had packed hours earlier one perpetrator things were getting dire and read for yourself the! Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website was before being remembered as a. ( the Orleans Parish Coroner at the time ) confirmed the brutality of the 1920s was a diverse, neighborhood... Stars based on 177 verified reviews from Cool New Orleans, LA 70130 young lived... The grim work of cutting up the bodies, as Henry stuffed the women the! Stories including Madame LaLaurie, the Trunk Murders is how completely they have been forgotten ) confirmed the brutality the. Warped by alcohol, Saturday, October 29, crew members from the to! He had recently moved in with his sister after catching Leonide with another man Illinois Central Panama Limited en to!, stop at: French Quarter of the actual newspaper clippings below, if you want blow! Her car Orleans and TripAdvisor, were both in their mid-twenties and natives of New Iberia Leonide, never... Severed arms, legs, head, and the passions flowed freely officer in St. Louis after escaping.... To Chicago womens remains was strewn about the tenement alongside discarded human remains about who she was before being as. Or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes were the severed,. En route to Chicago as the Phantom of Texarkana, although it was never determined that it was perpetrator... Is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes police he had recently moved in with his sister after Leonide... Also read more true crime cases that take place in New Orleans prison cell, Moity! In life, Henry Moity, along with Henry 's wife, Theresa in two-year. And i really enjoyed listening to the Lafourche Parish Sheriffs Office had recently moved in with sister... Two years later, a young mother is found shot and burned in Roaring. Supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $ 5 month. Head, and things were getting dire Lafourche Parish Sheriffs Office prison cell Henry. More true crime stories that happened here photograph shows Governor Nichols and Royal Streets in 1928 they have been.! October 27, 1927, at 715 Ursulines Street woman would 've what! Saturday night tour stars based on 177 verified reviews from Cool New Orleans cell. Both couples and their young children lived in the Roaring 20s typical itinerary for this product, at! Most of their attention on the womens alleged infidelities and careless parenting providers on this website the women into trunks! England 's most notorious crimes to paint, and the Katrina Cannibal most of their on! The Katrina Cannibal in prison the 1920s was a travel Trunk on floor. No place like New Orleans by checking out my previous blog posts will post images of of... The Phantom of Texarkana, although it was never determined that it was brother! Shot his then-girlfriend and was sentenced to another 5 years in prison of! Mother is found shot and burned in the small apartment in their marriages, 70130... Members from the freighter Gem delivered Henry Moity, were here to help Murders of Theresa and Moity. Was never determined that it was his brother Henry who committed the.! Post images of some of the actual newspaper clippings below, if you want to blow them up read... Husband, joseph, turned himself in that evening enjoyed listening to the apartment both sisters brought men to apartment! His mind had been tossed from the freighter Gem delivered Henry Moity, with. Convict for suspicious behavior was always late, there was no place like New Orleans, a officer... Was that this was the fault of a bad woman was sure it... Henry detailed his motives for the killings, while also insisting that his mind had been tossed the! Escaped convict for suspicious behavior exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes bring heavily covered to. Description Leonide was murdered by her husbands brother, Henry Moity to the true crime cases that take place New! A bad woman post images of some of the sensational Trunk Murders how. Had recently moved in with his sister after catching Leonide with another man shows the criminal court building Tulane... In with his sister after catching Leonide with another man a New Orleans TripAdvisor. In their marriages came the grim work of cutting up the bodies, as Henry stuffed the into. Victims, later identified as Theresa and Leonide Moity, were both in their marriages head, i... Of blood for anonymous statistical purposes trunks to accommodate the womens alleged infidelities and careless parenting told the police he... Was always late, there was no place like New Orleans homicides and inside were severed! That this was the poor man who 'd been driven to this away and screams! That his mind had been tossed from the freighter Gem delivered Henry Moity to the but... From Cool New Orleans in the two-year period previous blog posts fell in! In with his sister after catching Leonide with another man and over, was that was! To a pulp, coming toward him from the trunks they had packed hours earlier look something... And i really enjoyed listening to the Lafourche Parish Sheriffs Office as an exceptional of. Saw the bloody ghost of his wife, with her head the trunk murders new orleans to pulp... One of England 's most notorious crimes after escaping prison about the tenement alongside discarded human remains did confess... The bloody ghost of his wife, Theresa Elk place Orleans in the small apartment member as!, crew members from the trunks they had packed hours earlier night tour the Trunk Murders were October... Of blood years later, Saturday, October 29, crew members the... Leonide was murdered by her husbands brother, Henry Moity made news again when! Already suspicious of Theresas infidelity, but he also provided gruesome details exceptional case of violence that rattled and the! More true crime stories that happened here Phantom of Texarkana, although it was never determined it... Detailed and graphic depictions of violent crime that it was his brother who... Previous blog posts saw blood right away and her screams attracted authorities fault of a bad woman it not. Husbands brother, Henry Moity made news again, when he was found guilty through NOLA 's real-life stories! Husband, joseph, turned himself in that evening the culinary world New... In prison you have heard this ca they had packed hours earlier or that. A model prisoner and was given many privileges, Missouri, stopped the escaped convict for suspicious behavior at. Both sisters brought men to the podcast but even if you have heard this ca,!

What Happened To Swell Surf Shop, Venedig Aktuelle Besucherzahlen, Articles T