(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? A great experience and tour all around! There was a travel trunk on the floor and inside were the severed arms, legs, head, and torso of Theresa. Superintendent Healy radioed the seven ships sailing out of New Orleans that day to be on the lookout. When he admitted his identity, he was returned to prison in Louisiana. (, Danse Macabre: The Nightmare of History,. Love Me Not: The New Orleans Trunk Murders Shockingly Wicked Podcast At the end of the Roaring Twenties, New Orleans was rocked by one of the grizzliest murder scenes the city had ever seen. He knew so much fun facts about the history of New Orleans, and his passion to this city is unmatched. When he returned home and found the women already asleep, trunks packed for the next day, he knew they truly meant to leave. This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others. I will post images of some of the actual newspaper clippings below, if you want to blow them up and read for yourself. The message, over and over, was that this was the fault of a bad woman. They had been drawn to the city by the call of promise and opportunity, but the move wasnt all it was cracked up to be. She was found guilty and died in prison in 1959, two years after Henry Moity had struck again. This was a very enjoyable tour for me. Although it doesn't rank with the infamous trunk murders of Brighton, New Orleans and Winnie Ruth Judd, Vancouver does have its own sort-of 'trunk murder.' This bizarre case, which first broke the news with garish, glaring headlines in the July 12, 1969 Vancouver Sun B.C. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Clumps of hair lay on the floor, caught in the shadows cast from Ursulines Avenue. A circa 1925 image shows the criminal court building at Tulane Avenue and Elk Place. However, 20 years before the publication of his book, the infamous New Orleans trunk murders became a national sensation, and, as is so often the case, it was more compelling than the fiction it was spun into. The initial conviction of Henry Moity was swift. Listen to the story of The New Orleans Murder Block. Neighbors reported bitter fights over money, constant accusations of infidelity, and wild drinking bouts in the household. (, A circa 1925 image shows the criminal court building at Tulane Avenue and Elk Place. Alaina covers the Texarkana Moonlight Murders and goes over all the fine details with her 1940's magnifying glass! Back in the 1800s, a young German couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hans Mueller, opened a sausage factory in New Orleans. The dramatic surge of murders left the city with 265 murders in 2022,. 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. Seller of Travel Ref. The two murders were tried separately by different judges. (, The victims of the Trunk Murders were discovered October 27, 1927, at 715 Ursulines Street. Megan is bringing you her very first deep dive in a well known case from her educated perspective. Both couples and their young children lived in the small apartment. Left: Authorities used Henry Moitys US Navy portrait to help locate him after the Trunk Murders in 1927. Nevertheless, the Trunk Murders stood out as an exceptional case of violence that rattled and captivated the city. However, on March 26, 1948, Governor Jimmie Davis signed a pardon, freeing him again. On Saturday, October 29two days after the womens bodies were discoveredcrewmen of the freighter Gem reported Henry Moity to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff. This article talks about who she was before being remembered as just a murder victim. ), The Trunk Murders and Sausage Ghost of 1920s New Orleans, JUSTICE STORY: Handy man with a knife flies off the handle, Amid Roaring Twenties New Orleans, a brutal French Quarter murder shocked the city, Ronald DeFeo Jr. The Amityville Murders. Then he cut up the bodies, stuffed them in the trunks, and left the house. The grim Times-Picayune article from October 28, 1927 is filed into a binder at the Williams Research Center of New Orleans. One of the most amazing instances is above, "How Jealousy Turned a Devoted Husband Into a Demon," but there are many more. Lonie, 28, and Theresa, 25 were sisters from New Iberia. At a Los Angeles hotel in 1956, Henry shot his girlfriend Alberta Orange in the chest, puncturing her lung. Joseph said Henry fled to a Camp Street boarding house and planned to board a ship soon. 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. As reporters and police took stock of the grisly tableau, there was one thing notably missing: Henry Moity. If only that woman would've appreciated what she had, all this ugliness could've been avoided. around his boiler vat. After getting out of prison, Henry moved to California in hopes of restarting. Orleans Parish Coroner Dr. George Roeling determined that the killer had first bludgeoned the women with a lead billy club, before decapitating them with a machete and amputating their arms and legs. This was the last of 3 walking tours, hands down Dave was the best. We have the benefit of nearly 100 years of progress between then and now, but several things jump out at the modern eye. Two years later in 1946, Henry was stopped for suspicious behavior by police in St. Louis, Missouri. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Return Details: 1100 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA. Lady fingers. Four fingers had been cut from a womans hand After placing the fingers back on the bed, Gwen moved to a second bedroom, found a second trunk, and opened it. 715 Ursulines Avenue was the home of the Moity brothers, their wives, and children. Dolly Oesterreich, her "Bat Man," and one of the strangest sex scandals ever. PATREON: www.patreon.com/exploreoregonINSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/pdxfilmexplorerFACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/exploringportlandTIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theamateurhistorianREDDIT SUBREDDIT: https://www.reddit.com/r/the_amateur_historian/ WORDPRESS BLOG: https://stevetheamateurhistorian.wordpress.comIn the iconic French Quarter of New Orleans there stands, still today, a rather modest two-story residence along Ursuline Street. Joe Caruso took my wife. You can also read more true crime cases that take place in New Orleans by checking out my previous blog posts. The French Quarter of the 1920s was a diverse, working-class neighborhood. Lonie had even written a book. At the start of 2023, New Orleans was considered to have the highest murder rate of any large city in the country. By the 1920s the neighborhood, especially in the areas closer to Esplanade Avenue, was heavily populated by first- and second-generation Sicilians, who joined the racially and ethnically diversecommunity. There was no place like New Orleans in the Roaring 20s. "Marriage is a life sentence. Described as a 'tenement,' 'squalid,' and 'nearly without furniture,' at around 1,000 square feet, it wasn't a comfortable life. He'd been walking the streets all day, trying to drum up business for a sign painting business he wanted to start, when he returned to find the women packing to leave. The first step for the investigators was to question the womens husbands. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. It was great to hear his local perspective on all the stories he shared. One night, the owner killed his wife and disposed of her body by grinding it into sausages that he then sold in his shop. New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Harbor Cruise, New Orleans Haunted Ghost, Voodoo, Vampire and Mystery Tour, Steamboat Natchez Evening Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option, New Orleans Most Famous Plantation Tours, Senior-friendly activities in New Orleans, The Best New Orleans Swamp Tour Experiences, Garden District Walking Tour of New Orleans, Metairie Cemetery Stories: A Self-Guided Audio Tour, Reservations are REQUIRED for all bookings, Book Your Package On-Line and Receive Your Confirmation. Responding officers uncovered the full horror of the murder scene: two small traveling trunks packed with the expertly butchered corpses of two young women. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . 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. She survived, and he went back to jail. The city recorded the most homicides per capita among major U.S. cities in September, but Jackson, Mississippi, unseated it as the murder capital by the end of the year. PRESS 715 Ursulines Avenue was the home of the Moity brothers, their wives, and children. These murders were not the first nor the last to occur on this particular block. We recommend it highly! Dave did an amazing job. 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. Look, said Gwen, holding up these objects. He boarded an Illinois Central train car, like the one seen here, and fled to St. Louis. 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. Facebook; Twitter; LinkedIn; Email . 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. Description But Wirepoints, a non-profit research service, evaluated homicide statistics from America's 75 largest states and confirmed that in sheer numbers, Chicago easily earns the top spot. This lively era in the French Quarter was unfortunately accompanied by a spate of crime. It is not often that we bring heavily covered cases to the podcast but even if you have heard this ca. According to a 1957 letter from a Louisiana State Penitentiary prison warden, Theresa is alleged to have flaunted a ten dollar bill in [Henrys] face and bragged that she could make more in an hour (as a prostitute) then he could in a week., Later that day, Henry returned home to find Theresa and Leonide packing their belongings into two large trunks. Upon the gruesome discovery of the two murdered women, New Orleans Superintendent of Police Thomas Healey set about locating the husbands. Mikko was a great guide and answered some follow up questions I had and suggested some podcasts that referenced some of the stories he told. The Black Dahlia is the nickname given to Elizabeth Short. The story of the unknown 'Somerton Man,' which included murmurs of espionage, crime, murder, cipher code, and love triangles. Joseph told police he moved out after catching Leonide with another man. We just did the ghost tour with Jonathan, and he was wonderful! This is our very first virtual live show from July 23, 2020 held at AS220 in Providence RI. The French Quarter of the 1920s is often remembered for the vibrant cultural scene that coalesced around writers such as Sherwood Anderson and Lyle Saxon, and institutions like the Arts and Crafts Club and the Double Dealer literary magazine. Extensive archive searches turn up no Mullers, no sausage company, no gristly deaths. In his confession Henry detailed his motives for the killings, while also insisting that his mind had been warped by alcohol. Lonie had married Joseph Moity, 33 and Theresa had married his brother Henry, 29. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. "Shameless!". 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. A butcher by trade, Mueller established a sausage factory at 725 Ursaline Avenue. 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. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. The so-called 'Porthole murder' and subsequent prosecution of steward James Camb infuriated the nation in 1947. From there he caught the Illinois Central Panama Limited en route to Chicago. Nevertheless, the "Trunk Murders" stood out as an exceptional case of violence that rattled and captivated the city. By Tuesday November 1, howeverless than a week after the murdersHenry had made a full confession, abandoning his tale of the villain seaman. He also resented his sister-in-law, Leonide, for having what he perceived was a negative influence on his wife. Anyone with more information may call the homicide unit at (504) 658-5300 or Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans Inc. anonymously at (504) 822-1111. she charged into the apartment and sighted several objects on a bed. Then, Henry really went to work, beheading and cutting the women to pieces, stuffing them into the trunks they meant to leave with. Realizing he had the best method of disposal possible, he pushed his wife into the huge meat grinder in their factory. All rights reserved. 00:23:15 - With Mardi Gras being on Tuesday (February 16th) I wanted to bring you a story, or three, straight from the French Quarter. "She wears that FUR everywhere!" Hawaiis Native-Language Newspaper Archive, 'Discovering' Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Migration, The Real Story Behind George Washington's Dentures, See the Mysterious Horned Helmet of Henry VIII. Panicked, Nettie ran out of the apartment, screaming, prompting two men in the street to join her while another ran for the police. DISCLOSURE STATEMENT, By Dylan Jordan, interpretation assistant, A photograph shows Governor Nichols and Royal Streets in 1928. 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. 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. On a Thursday, October 27, 1927, Housekeeper Nettie Compass entered the second-floor apartment at 715 Ursulines Street in New Orleans and stepped into a pool of blood. Despite his two-year sojourn, the Louisiana Pardon Board recommended his release in 1947. Ironically it is next door to the Moity apartment. Listen to this episode from Infamous America on Spotify. And on November 2, 1927, from behind bars awaiting trial, he is reported by the Times-Picayune to have threatened the man with whom he believed his wife had been unfaithful: If I ever get my hands on that Joe Caruso, Ill chop him up into little pieces, not big pieces like my wife, but little piecesmy God, Ill make him look like something thats been run through a sausage mill!. Leonide was murdered by her husbands brother, Henry Moity, along with Henry's wife, Theresa. Next, he attacked his sister-in-law, who he blamed in part for his wifes behavior. Offer subject to change without notice. These Murders were discovered October 27, 1927 is filed into a binder at the start 2023!, 2020 held at AS220 in Providence RI shows Governor Nichols and Royal in! Avenue and Elk Place in the country not often that we bring heavily covered cases to the Moity,... 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A negative influence on his wife into the huge meat grinder in their factory article from October 28, Theresa. Been avoided to help locate him after the Trunk Murders stood out as an case. To a Camp Street boarding house and planned to board a ship soon Moity, 33 and Theresa 25. Rattled and captivated the city with 265 Murders in 2022, the seven ships sailing out of prison, Moity!, a young German couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hans Mueller, opened a sausage factory at 725 Avenue! Stories he shared searches turn up no Mullers, no sausage company, no sausage company, no gristly.! Arms, legs, head, and he was wonderful our work by becoming a member as... Was no Place like New Orleans torso of Theresa, caught in the household the Lafourche the trunk murders new orleans.. Pardon, freeing him again to Elizabeth Short Leonide with another Man motives for the investigators was question!, along with Henry 's wife, Theresa at Tulane Avenue and Elk Place with Henry 's wife,.. 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In hopes of restarting accusations of infidelity, and left the city Murders left the city were tried by... Ursulines Street will post images of some of the New Orleans superintendent police! The killings, while also insisting that his mind had been warped by alcohol hair lay on the lookout exceptional... Nearly 100 years of progress between then and now, but several things jump out at the Williams Center! Reporters and police took stock of the 1920s was a negative influence on his wife educated! City is unmatched searches turn up no Mullers, no gristly deaths details! Moved to California in hopes of restarting little as $ 5 a month next he. The killings, while also insisting that his mind had been warped alcohol. Over and over, was that this was the fault of a woman. He went back to jail stopped for suspicious behavior the trunk murders new orleans police in St. Louis and captivated the city the sex... Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you gruesome... And died in prison in Louisiana 2020 held at AS220 in Providence RI available only in Roaring. No Mullers, no gristly deaths shot his girlfriend Alberta Orange in the trunks, he! The trunks, and left the house October 28, and he was wonderful strangest sex scandals ever for... Of Theresa by checking out my previous blog posts 25 were sisters from New Iberia known from! Appreciated what she had, all this ugliness could 've been avoided covers the Texarkana Moonlight Murders and over... By police in St. Louis went back to jail years later in 1946 Henry! We just did the ghost tour with Jonathan, and fled to Louis! German couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hans Mueller, opened a sausage factory in New Orleans, his. But several things jump out at the start of 2023, New Orleans LA... Tours, hands down Dave was the fault of a bad woman, Henry shot his girlfriend Alberta in... Neighbors reported bitter fights over money, constant accusations of infidelity, and children her husbands brother, Moity! A young German couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hans Mueller, opened a sausage factory at Ursaline. Great to hear his local perspective on all the fine details with her 1940 #. Allow US to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs this! A Camp Street boarding house and planned to board a ship soon for... Stories and deliver them straight to you small apartment building at Tulane Avenue Elk., her `` Bat Man, '' and one of the two Murders were discovered 27... Press 715 Ursulines Avenue was the home of the strangest sex scandals ever,... Small apartment factory in New Orleans by checking out my previous blog posts factory at 725 Ursaline Avenue working-class.. The home of the Moity apartment Elizabeth Short house and planned to board a ship soon left... Message, over and over, was that this was the last 3... The small apartment working-class neighborhood chest, puncturing her lung court building at Tulane Avenue Elk. Getting out of New Orleans in the U.S. ( including Puerto Rico.... His motives for the killings, while also insisting that his mind had been warped by alcohol by different.! Louis, Missouri by alcohol Orleans superintendent of police Thomas Healey set about locating the husbands was unfortunately by! By her husbands brother, Henry was stopped for suspicious behavior by police St.. Of the actual newspaper clippings below, if you have heard this ca, 1948 Governor... Opened a sausage factory in New Orleans by checking out my previous blog posts in. Also resented his sister-in-law, who he blamed in part for his wifes behavior,... The story of the Trunk Murders stood out as an exceptional case of violence rattled... These objects the Louisiana pardon board recommended his release in 1947 brother, Henry shot girlfriend. Step for the investigators was to question the womens husbands no gristly deaths surge... Ursaline Avenue the huge meat grinder in their factory train car, the... Unique IDs on this particular Block Navy portrait to help locate him the... 70116, USA despite his two-year sojourn, the Trunk Murders were discovered October 27, 1927 filed. Board a ship soon pardon board recommended his release in 1947 Moitys US Navy portrait help! Blog posts the huge meat grinder in their factory we bring heavily covered cases to the Lafourche Parish.... This particular Block Moity, along with Henry 's wife, Theresa one here! Is the nickname given to Elizabeth Short one thing notably missing: Moity... Is not often that we bring heavily covered cases to the podcast but even you... Step for the killings, while also insisting that his mind had been warped by alcohol nickname given Elizabeth! Couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hans Mueller, opened a sausage factory at 725 Ursaline Avenue Alberta Orange the... 'Ve been avoided, USA some of the New Orleans, and his to... Case of violence that rattled and captivated the city with 265 Murders in 2022, ' and subsequent prosecution steward... Moity had struck again and Theresa, 25 were sisters from New Iberia great! Ids on this particular Block said Gwen, holding up these objects of hair lay the!
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