In the spring of 1977, a wave of fear gripped the gay community in New Orleans’ French Quarter as a serial killer later dubbed the "French Quarter Stabber" began a string of brutal attacks. The killer preyed on men, instilling terror in a neighborhood known for its vibrant life and music. One of the men whose life was tragically cut short during this period was Alden D. Delano, a 59-year-old male piano teacher.
His murder on April 1, 1977, was one of several that left the city on edge and a community in mourning.
Alden Delano was found in his apartment at 1421 Royal Street, a victim of a fatal stabbing. He was a respected figure in the local music scene, working at the well-known Werlein's for Music. It was there he worked alongside Jack Savell, a 38-year-old man who, just ten days earlier, had become another victim of the same killer. The connection between the two men, both found stabbed to death in their own homes, heightened the sense of a targeted campaign of violence that seemed to be spreading through the historic neighborhood.
The series of murders, which took place between February and April 1977, involved victims who were mostly middle-aged gay men living alone within a small radius of the French Quarter. The attacks were vicious and left residents fearing for their safety as police hunted for the person responsible. The breakthrough in the case came on April 13, 1977, when police arrested 16-year-old Warren Harris Jr. after he attempted to rob and stab a French seaman.
During his interrogation, Harris, who had a prior record for petty crimes, confessed to four of the recent murders, including that of Alden Delano. He expressed a "revulsion" towards homosexuals, and authorities at the time believed he may have been a sex worker who attacked his clients. Harris was ultimately indicted on four counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Delano, Jack Savell, Ernest Pommier, and Robert Gary.
In November 1977, a jury found Warren Harris Jr. guilty of three of the murders: Alden Delano, Jack Savell, and Ernest Pommier. He was acquitted of the murder of Robert Gary. Citing his youth and mental records that described him as "borderline mentally retarded," the defense argued against the death penalty. The court sentenced Harris to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. For over four decades, it seemed his story, and the story of his victims, had concluded with his permanent incarceration at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola.
However, legal landscapes change. Following U.S. Supreme Court rulings that deemed mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles unconstitutional, a 2017 Louisiana law made "juvenile lifers" eligible for parole after serving 25 years. This opened the door for Harris, who was resentenced in 2021 to life with the possibility of parole. In April 2024, after 47 years in prison, the Louisiana Parole Board granted his release. At his hearing, Harris, then in his 60s, apologized for the pain he caused, stating he was addicted to heroin at the time of the killings. "I robbed and killed those men, and I regret it, and I'm so sorry every day," he told the board. No family members of his victims, including Alden Delano, were present at the hearing. Harris was released on parole and will remain under state supervision for the rest of his life.
