Following the trial, Dr. Roeling told a Times-Picayune reporter, The killer who decapitated the Moity women knew enough not to try and cut through the bone, but to cut through the joint. The answer involves pseudoscience, politics, and a burglary at a windmill. The money, the booze, and the passions flowed freely. Despite his two-year sojourn, the Louisiana Pardon Board recommended his release in 1947. My tour guide was very personable, and I really enjoyed listening to the true crime stories that happened here. But all was not well in an apartment near the French Quarter. She was beautiful. Inside, investigators found a blood-soaked mattress in a bedroom, a bathroom cabinet dripping with blood, and among the scattered clothing littering the floor, they found a pair of severed fingers. . Leonide is believed to have written the story before moving from New Iberia. Any required or suggested items listed on your confirmation email. ), 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. The Trunk Murders and 'Sausage Ghost' of 1920s New Orleans. Had a great time with David. Neighbors reported bitter fights over money, accusations of infidelity, and wild drinking parties late into the night. The property is shown in this 1960s photograph. Then he saw the bloody ghost of his wife, with her head crushed to a pulp, coming toward him. He also believed that Leonide had been a negative influence on his wife so he killed her as well. For their part, Henry and Joseph were odd-jobs men, described by sources as shiftless and perpetually short on the funds needed to support their families. Thayon Samson was . In his confession, Henry, enraged over an affair he believed his wife was having, explained his motives for killing the women but blamed alcohol for the crime. Authorities recovered a gold wedding band buried in a deep gash in Theresas back. On Saturday, October 29two days after the womens bodies were discoveredcrewmen of the freighter Gem reported Henry Moity to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff. Organizers seeking to recall New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell from office said they collected enough signatures to put the city leader's second term at risk. I would definitely do it again. Artists, writers, and partisans of the bohemian lifestyle were drawn to the lower rents and old-world aesthetic of the Vieux Carr. MURDER SUSPECT SEIZED WITH HOSTAGE; Buried Body Discovered . The French Quarter of the 1920s was a diverse, working-class neighborhood. Layer by Layer: A Mexico City Culinary Adventure, Sacred Granaries, Kasbahs and Feasts in Morocco, Monster of the Month: The Hopkinsville Goblins, Get Real: Defining Reality With Ashley Christine, How to Grow a Dye Garden With Aaron Sanders Head, Paper Botanicals With Kate Croghan Alarcn, Writing the Food Memoir: A Workshop With Gina Rae La Cerva, Reading the Urban Landscape With Annie Novak, Secret Nun Cookies at Monasterio del Corpus Christi, How a Lone Researcher Faced Down Millions of Army Ants on the March in Ecuador, The Hunt for an Elusive Florida Shipwreck That Killed 41 Enslaved People, Puzzle Monday: Golf, Only Slightly Abstracted. In 1957, he died of a stroke in Californias Folsom Prison, where he is buried. Mueller used the tools that were available to him at the time.his sausage grinder. Henry said his wife, Theresa, threatened to leave him, invoking his vengeance over her infidelities and neglect of the children. Then he cut up the bodies, stuffed them in the trunks, and left the house. There was no place like New Orleans in the Roaring 20s. Description Megan is bringing you her very first deep dive in a well known case from her educated perspective. The newspapers focused most of their attention on the victims husbands, whodwelled mainly on the womens alleged infidelities and careless parenting. Product code: C-49992P5. It is not often that we bring heavily covered cases to the podcast but even if you have heard this ca. 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. Read about how William Dorr crossed the country to commit a remarkable murder. Places The perpetrator was known as the Phantom of Texarkana, although it was never determined that it was one perpetrator. Henry began his sentence at Louisiana State Penitentiary on July 6, 1928. 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. 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. From there he caught the Illinois Central Panama Limited en route to Chicago. (, Danse Macabre: The Nightmare of History,. At a Los Angeles hotel in 1956, Henry shot his girlfriend Alberta Orange in the chest, puncturing her lung. This story is usually included in The Historic New Orleans Collections Danse Macabre: The Nightmare of History, a tour that explores the darker aspects of the city'shistory. "She wears that FUR everywhere!" This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily. In the mid 1800s, Hans Mueller immigrated to the United States from Germany with his wife. thump!" He was given two consecutive life sentences. Henry served only 16 years of his life sentence before he escaped from prison. In Henrys version of events, he was provoked to vengeance by Theresas imminent plans to leave him, in addition to her infidelities and neglect of the children. Im an introvert but willing to discuss history anytime. You can also read more true crime cases that take place in New Orleans by checking out my previous blog posts. The money,. 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.. In 1927 a large family lived in a 2nd-floor apartment at 715 Ursulines Avenue. In October 1927, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, housekeeper Nettie Compass walked into the apartment she was supposed to clean and found it covered in blood. Police uncovered two trunks that had been meticulously packed with the carved-up corpses of Theresa and Leonide. They had even been seen in town walking together and holding hands. The initial conviction of Henry Moity was swift. There was a travel trunk on the floor and inside were the severed arms, legs, head, and torso of Theresa. The story goes that Hans Muller killed his wife, and, to hide his crime, made sausages out of her body and served them out of his butcher shop for weeksonly to be found out after a customer bit into a piece of Mrs. Mullers wedding ring. In the summer of 1944, on a routine trip to the post office, Henry simply hired a taxi to take him to Hammond, Louisiana. Excepting his prison escape, the wardens 1957 letter claimed that Henry was one of the best prisoners weve ever had. He continued to paint in prison, his portrait of Huey Long even making its way into the Baton Rouge governors mansion, where it hung for many years. Allegedly, a customer found a gold ring in the sausage and reported it to the police, who made a visit to Muellers sausage factory. The money, the booze, and the passions flowed freely. The first step for the investigators was to question the womens husbands. 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. Two couples had serious marital problems, and a few days before Halloween in 1927, the home became the site of an infamous crime A photograph shows Governor Nichols and Royal Streets in 1928. (Photograph by Eli A. Haddow). A great experience and tour all around! Upon. Before coming to New Orleans, police believed, Henry had worked as a butchers assistant. Listen to this episode from Infamous America on Spotify. 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." Theresa, however, put up a struggle before succumbing. The manhunt for the other husband, Henry, began and he was found two days later while trying to make his getaway on a freight ship. 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. These murders were not the first nor the last to occur on this particular block. After getting out of prison, Henry moved to California in hopes of restarting his life. He started seeing his wife coming out of the sausage grinder, and after a customer reported to the police they'd found a bit of wedding ring in their dinner, Hans was carted off to an insane asylum to live out the rest of his life. 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. Tucked between dog-eared title records and 19th-century floor plans were the dismembered corpses of two young flappers, expertly diced. But all was not well in an apartment near the French Quarter. Your email address will not be published. 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. The women's entire value was what they could do for the men. The facade of 715 UrsulinesAvenue by day. A circa 1925 image shows the criminal court building at Tulane Avenue and Elk Place. He explained that he had come home a few weeks before to find his wife with another man in the apartment. (By Daniel S. Leyer; courtesy of the Vieux Carr Survey) She called out for help until two men nearby noticed and alerted the police. by Jackson Square Cat August 28, 2016 New Orleans' French Quarter, at the. His 1941 appeal for a pardon was rejected by the governor and in 1944, he briefly escaped from the Louisiana State Penitentiary. In the summer of 1944, Louisiana State Penitentiary inmate number 18038, a trustee on a routine run to the Angola post office, flagged down a taxicab. - Listen to 201: Episode 201: The Murders of Louis Gumpenberger & Betsy Faria by Crime Curious instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed. 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. All rights reserved. After determining that Henry had headed to a Camp Street boarding house, where he planned a getaway by ship, Superintendent Healy radioed the seven ships sailing out of New Orleans that day to be on the lookout. Henry also admitted to the murders being premeditated. New Orleans' infamous trunk murders revisited In the summer of 1944, Louisiana State Penitentiary inmate number 18038, a trustee on a routine run to the Angola post office, flagged down a taxicab. But all was not well in an apartment near the French Quarter. (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? Afterward came the grim work of cutting up the bodies, as Henry stuffed the women into the trunks they had packed hours earlier. We had a great time listening to the true crime stories and walking the streets on a cold NOLA night. we took the true crime tour in new orleans and our tour guide was awesome. This was the last of 3 walking tours, hands down Dave was the best. Thats not on me, the former governor responded. Henry complained at one reporter. In reality, the French Quarter was still a principally working-class neighborhood, much as it had been since the late 19th century. 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 . Listen to the story of The New Orleans Murder Block. In the national papers and elsewhere, the fact that she had driven him to drink was another thing that made it not his fault. The New Orleans Murder Block. The building at 715 Ursulines Street still stands today, in a block that has been the site of more than one gruesome crime. Knives and unlicensed grog were their weapons of choice. From there he caught the Illinois Central Panama Limited en route to Chicago. 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. Unlike many daring prison breaks, this one was quite boringwhile running an errand at the post office for the prison, he simply hailed a cab and fled to California. Then, Henry really went to work, beheading and cutting the women to pieces, stuffing them into the trunks they meant to leave with. Lonie and Theresa were not shy about how disappointed they were in their marriages. Your guide will help with directions to your next destination. Lonie, 28, and Theresa, 25 were sisters from New Iberia. The appearance of the head of the wife of the defendant . One night, the owner killed his wife and disposed of her body by grinding it into sausages that he then sold in his shop. 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. thump! This was a very enjoyable tour for me. He hadn't planned on her clothes, though, and soon customers were complaining about odd things in their admittedly tasty sausage. 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!. "We're taking . "What stoop? Joseph Moity turned himself in to the authorities as soon as he heard about the discovery. It was great to hear his local perspective on all the stories he shared. Seller of Travel Ref. 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 today.</p><p>Take a break from serious world with the . George Provosty, then superintendent of prison camps in Louisiana, seemed unconcerned. As he later recounted to the DA, She didnt say a word or move. Not only did he confess, but he also provided gruesome details. She was found guilty and died in prison in 1959, two years after Henry Moity had struck again. ", Found amongst the dead woman's things was a manuscript, written in pencil, submitted and rejected fr, At the exact same time the papers had side-by-side national stories about Velma West, the flapper murderess and it was 180 degrees from the Moity coverage. Clumps of hair lay on the floor, caught in the shadows cast from Ursulines Avenue. ursuline street new orleans murders. ). The group . While the story of Henry Moity came to an end in 1957, the peculiar circumstances of the murder lives through the urban legend of the Sausage Ghost of Ursulines Street. In his confession Henry detailed his motives for the killings, while also insisting that his mind had been warped by alcohol. 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. Why is Everyone Fighting Over the Skull of 'Brigand Villella'? The parole board insisted, saying they should never have convicted him by reason of insanity.. 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. The victims, both in their mid-20s and both originally from New Iberia, were Theresa and Leonide Moity and were married to the brothers Henry and Joseph Moity. With jessica arcement, rob barrere, jolene dufrene, nicholas gernon. Joseph told police he moved out after catching Leonide with another man. Call Us, Text Us, or Live Chat to speak with a Destination Specialist Alaina covers the Texarkana Moonlight Murders and goes over all the fine details with her 1940's magnifying glass! In the back bedroom there was an identical scene, with the addition of a sugar cane knife sitting in the trunk. He appears to have enjoyed remarkable leeway for a man convicted of two brutal murders. Join us today as we record LIVE from the True Crime Podcast Festival in Dallas, TX, with Briana taking us through the case and touching on some of the hot button topics of the time. In june 2015, the first 48 made local headlines when attorneys for a new orleans murder suspect accused the show's producers of withholding footage they said could. Two years later in 1946, Henry was stopped for suspicious behavior by police in St. Louis, Missouri. Two days after the murders, Henry found the Gem, a small freight boat running through Bayou Lafourche, but the crew had seen the news, which was nationwide by then, and were suspicious. The first suspects were their husbands. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Upon the gruesome discovery of the two murdered women, New Orleans Superintendent of Police Thomas Healey set about locating the husbands. 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. You lived on the second floor," I wanted to scream. Left: Authorities used Henry Moitys US Navy portrait to help locate him after the Trunk Murders in 1927. At the end of the Roaring Twenties, New Orleans was rocked by one of the grizzliest murder scenes the city had ever seen. From a New Orleans prison cell, Henry smoked, attempted to paint, and received curious visitors. 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. You'll see where it all happened, understand the history behind it, and how the echoes of gruesome crimes still cry out. (New Orleans Item 11/06/1927). Fingers and teeth were left strewn on the floor and blood was everywhere. Packed with the carved-up corpses of Theresa and Leonide odd things in their.! A butchers assistant the French Quarter was still a principally working-class neighborhood, much as it had been packed... Been warped by alcohol discuss history anytime but the trunk murders new orleans also believed that Leonide had been since the late century. His two-year sojourn, the Louisiana Pardon Board recommended his release in 1947 he that... 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