Marie Delphine Lalaurie

Serial Killer

Marie Delphine LaLaurie: The Infamous Serial Killer of New Orleans

Introduction

Marie Delphine LaLaurie, often referred to as Madame LaLaurie, was a New Orleans socialite turned notorious serial killer in the early 19th century. Born on March 19, 1787, she was a prominent figure in the city’s elite circles, but behind her elegant facade lay a horrifying secret. LaLaurie was responsible for the gruesome torture and murder of numerous enslaved individuals in her mansion at 1140 Royal Street. Her horrific crimes were exposed in 1834 when a fire revealed the extent of her brutality.

The Discovery of the Crimes

On April 10, 1834, a fire broke out at LaLaurie's mansion. When authorities and bystanders rushed in to help, they discovered a torture chamber filled with enslaved individuals who had suffered unimaginable abuse. The victims were found in various states of mutilation, shackled to walls, and subjected to grotesque experiments. Witnesses were horrified by the extent of the brutality, and news of the atrocities quickly spread throughout New Orleans.

Details of the Victims

Although many of the victims’ names were never recorded, accounts from that time describe the horrific conditions in which they were found. Some of the documented details include:

• Unnamed Male Victim – Found with a large hole in his head, exposing his brain. Reports suggest that LaLaurie had been experimenting on him.
• Unnamed Female Victim – Discovered with her limbs grotesquely broken and reset at odd angles, leaving her unable to move properly.
• Unnamed Male Victim – Found chained to a wall with his eyes gouged out and his tongue removed.
• Unnamed Female Victim – Reportedly had her skin peeled away in strips in an apparent act of prolonged torture.
• Leah – A young enslaved girl who allegedly jumped to her death from the mansion’s roof while trying to escape LaLaurie's wrath.

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Confirmed Victims: (5)

Unnamed Male Victim

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Delphine LaLaurie - Wikipedia

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