🔨 The Jazz Axeman of New Orleans: The City’s Most Chilling Unsolved Murder Mystery

He struck at night, left no trace, and may have spared your life—if you played jazz.

Long before New Orleans became the playground of second lines, daiquiris, and dramatic murder mystery parties, it was home to one of America’s most terrifying true crime sagas: The Axeman of New Orleans.

Between 1918 and 1919, a still-unknown figure stalked the Crescent City under cover of darkness, breaking into homes, hacking innocent people to death with an axe—and then vanishing without a trace. His crimes sent a wave of terror through the city, not just for their brutality, but for their weird, theatrical flair.

He didn’t just kill. He performed.

🎷 The Killer with a Taste for Jazz

What sets the Axeman apart from your average axe-wielding maniac? For one, he had style. A flair for the dramatic. And, apparently, a deep appreciation for jazz.

In March of 1919, the Axeman sent a letter to a local newspaper, claiming he would strike again—but only kill those who weren’t playing jazz music in their homes that night.

“I am very fond of jazz music, and I swear by all the devils in the nether regions that every person shall be spared… if jazz is being played.”

Yes, he literally threatened a city-wide massacre… unless people threw a jazz party.

The result? On the night of March 19, New Orleans became one giant jazz club. Every house, every parlor, every speakeasy flooded the streets with music. Dance halls were full. Bands were hired on the spot. Even terrified households played records on repeat until sunrise.

And it worked. No one died that night.

🔪 The Murders

The Axeman’s reign lasted from May 1918 to October 1919 and claimed at least six confirmed victims, with others gravely injured. His M.O. was eerily consistent:

• He entered homes by chiseling a panel out of a back door—usually one that had been locked.

• He used the victim’s own axe, left somewhere on the property.

• He killed quickly and often without robbing or disturbing anything else.

• Victims were typically Italian grocers and their families, though the motive was never clearly racial or financial.

• There was no sexual assault, and little in the way of forensic evidence.

Some notable cases:

🩸 Joseph & Catherine Maggio (May 23, 1918)

Attacked in their bed. Catherine’s throat was slashed so violently she was nearly decapitated. Joseph followed soon after. A straight razor was found nearby. A message was scrawled on the wall:

“Mrs. Joseph Maggio will sit up tonight just like Mrs. Toney.”

Cryptic. Chilling. Never explained.

🩸 Louis Besumer & Harriet Lowe (June 1918)

Survived an attack in the back of his grocery store. Lowe gave a confusing interview from her hospital bed... and then died from complications before providing any solid leads.

🩸 Joseph Romano (August 1918)

An elderly man attacked in bed. His nieces saw a large man in a dark suit and slouched hat fleeing the scene. Still, the description yielded no arrests.

🕵️ Theories & Suspects

Despite the panic and police patrols, the Axeman was never caught. Theories abound:

• Was he a serial killer with a taste for theatricality?

• A mob enforcer sending a message to Italian grocers?

• A demented musician, using murder to promote his love of jazz?

• Or was the Axeman not one person at all, but a copycat crime wave, fueled by sensational media?

Some claim he fled. Others say he died. A few suggest he kept killing elsewhere under new names.

One thing’s certain: The case remains unsolved. And the Axeman became the Jack the Ripper of New Orleans—our city’s most chilling unsolved mystery.

🎭 A Legend That Lives On

The Axeman's story has become part of New Orleans folklore—featured in books, podcasts, ghost tours, and even pop culture (looking at you, American Horror Story: Coven).

And in the most New Orleans twist of all: A city threatened with death threw a party instead.

We out-jazzed a serial killer.

🕯️ Final Thought: Mystery, Music, and Mayhem

The Axeman remains a symbol of New Orleans at its eeriest—where jazz and death dance together, and where murder isn’t just a crime... it’s a story we keep telling.

So next time you walk the shadowy streets of the Quarter, listen closely. If you hear jazz in the distance, it’s probably a band.

Probably.