The Axeman of New Orleans

Between May 1918 and October 1919, an unidentified serial killer attacked New Orleans families in the night, entering homes by chopping through back door panels and assaulting sleeping victims with axes or other weapons left at the scenes. Six people were killed and six more seriously wounded in a reign of terror that paralyzed the city. The killer was never identified and the case has remained open for over a century. The case became legendary when a letter purportedly from the killer appeared in New Orleans newspapers in March 1919, declaring himself a supernatural entity and promising to spare any household where jazz music was being played on a specific Tuesday night. The city responded en masse — jazz clubs were overflowing, bands played in homes throughout the city, and no attack occurred that night. Whether the letter was genuine or a hoax by a musician, prankster, or journalist remains unknown. Multiple suspects were investigated, including Italian-American Mafia figures, given that several victims were Italian grocers, and Joseph Mumfre, a repeat criminal later killed by a victim's widow. But no arrest was ever made in connection with the Axeman murders themselves. Historians have noted that the inconsistent attack patterns may suggest more than one perpetrator operating during the same period. The Axeman stopped attacking as suddenly and inexplicably as he had started. The case inspired numerous novels, films, and the television series "American Horror Story: Coven." It remains one of the most famous unsolved murder series in the history of American crime, and the image of the jazz-loving demon remains embedded in New Orleans mythology.