The Most Infamous American Murder Houses

Lore has it the spirits of violent crime victims remain after their corporeal existence has ended. These murder houses literally have personalities all their own. -Tabitha Sukhai, thisoldhouse.com SEE ALL: 13 American Murder Houses

LaLaurie House (The Haunted House) in New Orleans, Louisiana

Delphine LaLaurie was the well-known wife of a doctor, and a socialite who threw glamorous parties in this massive Creole-style home. But, she's gone down in history for her violent sadism, and the abuse and murders of hundreds of the estate's servants. In 1834, a cook set the kitchen ablaze with hopes that the visiting fire brigade would expose the LaLauries. It was then that the mangled and tortured bodies of servants—some apparently used in medical experiments—were discovered in a locked attic room. The LaLauries fled before they could be tried and punished for their crimes. More recently, human remains dating back to the 19th century have been found in the home's floorboards. The property is now believed to be haunted and was privately owned by actor Nicolas Cage, who bought it for more than $3 million. (Yeah, this is the house featured on American Horror Story: Coven this season.)RELATED: Murder Houses II

The Axe Murder House in Villisca, Iowa

J.B. Moore, his family, and two guests, were murdered in this home by an intruder on June 12, 1912. The case was never solved, but suspects at the time included a traveling preacher and then-U.S. Senator Frank F. Jones. Jones was a business partner of Moore's, and the two had bitterly parted ways in the weeks before the murder. The landmark Villisca Axe Murder House now operates as a museum—a fate not uncommon to murder houses.RELATED: Home Inspection Nightmares

Andrew Borden, an affluent bank director, was all but beheaded with a hatchet as he napped on August 4, 1892. His second wife, Abby—who infamous stepdaughter Lizzie Borden referred to as “Mrs. Borden”—met a similar fate in an upstairs bedroom. Everyone but the judge was convinced that Lizzie was responsible for the killings, as she was tried and found not guilty the following year. The Borden house, a Greek Revival, has since been restored and now operates as The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast. Unlike some murder houses, this museum and B&B flaunts its grisly past with this tagline: "Apart from that bloody murder all those years ago, our hospitality is impeccable!"RELATED: Spooky to Spectacular Remodels