Behind the elegant facade of high society and lavish parties in 1830s Louisiana, Madame and Monsieur Lalaurie concealed a house of unimaginable cruelty. When the fire of 1834 broke out engulfing the kitchen of the Royal Street Mansion the truth could no longer be hidden. What rescuers discovered inside shocked a city to its core and started a local legend that’s still discussed to this day. In this three-part series we’ll discuss who Madame Delphine Lalaurie was, the rumors of slave abuse, her exile, and where the case blurs the line between fact and nightmare.
If you're visiting New Orleans, Spattered Podcast recommends the Streets Of Sin: True Crime tore with Christo Guzzardi.
Blanco, J. (n.d.). Delphine LaLaurie. Murderpedia. Retrieved April 23, 2026, from https://murderpedia.org/female.L/l/lalaurie-delphine.htm
Fitzgerald, C. (2024, January 1). The Killer In the Mansion Pt. 1. In Serial Killers [Podcast]. Spotify Podcasts. https://open.spotify.com/episode/64TMU3dTgMuxFU2YKAjpuh?si=2062ffdea5ba4cb8
Fitzgerald, C. (2024, January 8). The Killer in the Mansion Pt. 2. In Serial Killers [Podcast]. Spotify Podcasts. https://open.spotify.com/episode/69PZTjbQKIIYWQn5c1nOnC?si=22039bbdc66b4dd9
Kuroski, J. (2024, August 11). The Horrific Story of Madame Lalaurie, The Socialite Who Brutally Mutilated Her Slaves. All That's Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/madame-lalaurie
Long, C. M. (2015). Madame Lalaurie, Mistress of the Haunted House. University Press of Florida.
Love, V. C., & Shannon, L. (2011). Mad Madame Lalaurie: New Orleans' Most Famous Murderess Revealed. History Press.
Rushing, S. (2017, February 28). Madame LaLaurie - The Sadistic Slave Owner of the French Quarter. Historic Mysteries. Retrieved April 23, 2026, from https://www.historicmysteries.com/major-crimes/madame-lalaurie-female-serial-killer/8581/
TalkAfricana. (2024, April 10). Delphine LaLaurie: The Serial Killer Who Sadistically Tortured and Killed Her Slaves for Fun. Talk Africana.
https://talkafricana.com/delphine-lalaurie-the-serial-killer-who-tortured-killed-her-slaves-for-fun/