Big Easy Spirits

Mary Oneida Toups was known as the High Priestess of the French Quarter, but her life, and her death, remains a mystery to this day, thanks to a natural disaster and the laissez faire attitude of New Orleans. How did this middle aged former housewife become the most powerful witch in New Orleans? Listen and find out!

December 1989, Vanessa Bodden was last seen getting into a white car in the early hours of the morning. Her mutilated body was found a few weeks later in an abandoned building in her neighborhood. Thirty years later, Vanessa's killer is still unknown and her niece Danielle is now pushing for justice for her aunt.

The Rosegate House is a staple of the Garden District in New Orleans. It's also home to a few ghosts and writer Anne Rice. Learn more about the history, the ghosts, the settings for famous novels... and Kelly's obsession with "E.R." and more of our feelings on Scientology... in this week's episode.

Big Easy Spirits listeners know we’re based in the greatest city in the world… New Orleans. And even though the coronavirus pandemic has cancelled this year’s festivities, we’re taking this week off to celebrate Mardi Gras however we can. So, take this time to catch up on episodes you may have missed, stay tuned for an all-new episode next week and Happy Mardi Gras to you wherever you may be listening from! Cheers!

A listener suggestion turned into a story of a trio of haunted hotels in the French Quarter all linked by a mysterious Civil War military hospital that Kelly is trying urgently to find more about. Take this short hotel hop and plan your COVID-free hop visit!

Doctor John Montanet, a Senegalese prince turned Voodoo master, inspired the transformation of 3rd Ward's own Mac Rebbenack into the colorful Dr. John, psychedelic rock pianist and performer. Big thanks to the Historic New Orleans Collection. Visit their website for more information on Doctor John Montanet and more.

Edna Muscarello Lester, a 32-year-old mother of three, was pulled from a fire in her home on the morning of Nov. 15, 1982. A closer look uncovered 15 stab wounds found across Edna's body. The case is still unsolved.

What happens when you combine the deep, dark swamps of Louisiana with Bigfoot? And is it possible for a chimpanzee and an alligator to have a baby? All your questions and more, answered.

This week we dive into the history of one of the most famous haunted houses in the country: The Mortuary. Originally a private home, the site of the now haunted house was a funeral home for over 80 years. In this week's episode. get all the background on the location and the real ghosts that haunts the building's halls.

This week, Ashley and Kelly catch up after a week apart and dive into the ghostly patrons of one of New Orleans' top restaurants. Since 1918, Arnaud's in the French Quarter has been the ultimate in the city's fine dining scene... and it's dinner is served under the watchful eye of its ghostly founders - Count Arnaud and his daughter Germaine.

The two blocks of Gallatin Street was known for its many saloons, dance halls, brothels, brawls, prostitutes, robberies, disappearances and... murders. And Delia "Bridget Fury" Swift ... yes, that was her real name and gang name ... was in the middle of it all! Would you join her and Mary Jane "Bricktop" Jackson's girl gang?

But can they? Not if you have a jazz funeral. This week, we discuss what jazz funerals actually are and what does it mean when they say "cut loose?" Listen and learn more about this unique New Orleans tradition.

This week we start with a few ghostly tales from the famous Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop in the French Quarter... but things take a turn as Kelly's investigation brings a few historical inaccuracies to light. Take the right and find out about the Lafitte Brothers, the blacksmith shop and more!

Merry and bright or creepy and dark? You be the judge. This week we explore the mysterious Charity Hospital Christmas tree. Originally founded on May 10, 1736, by a grant from Jean Louis, a ship builder and sailer, then moved to it's final Tulane Avenue location in 1939 – Charity Hospital is a well-known abandoned building in New Orleans' Central Business District. In it's heyday, Charity Hospital was one of the largest hospitals in the country. Thanks to Hurricane Katrina's 2005 destruction, the building has been left empty and vulnerable to countless ghost stories and spooky tales. In December 2015, a local New Orleans woman spotted what appeared to be a lit Christmas tree shining from one of the dark, empty building's many windows.

Did the casket girls bring vampires to New Orleans? Did those vampires look like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise? Are there still vampires housed in the third floor of the convent? This week we look into the history of the Old Ursuline Convent and how the "casket girls" fit into that history. Thanks to listener Lauren for the story suggestion!

Wrought iron is one of the most iconic features of New Orleans' French Quarter; but did you know those beautiful iron fences and balconies hide history and secrets...some of them deadly!

On Oct. 26, 2020, Elizabeth Tornabene and her sister Hattie were brutally murdered by her boyfriend Oscar Urias. Urias attacked and killed the sisters, chasing Hattie down the street into a neighbors garage. We discuss the horrid and very sad details of the day's events in this week's BESP.

This week, Ashley shares the history of the land that now houses the Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints. Is it cursed? Hear why many think it was and what roll a local Voodoo priestess played in a little pre-show entertainment in 2005.

About four hours outside of New Orleans, DeRidder is home to an architecturally beautiful, yet insanely creepy Gothic jail. After a double execution in 1928, the jail is forever known as "The Hanging Jail." Learn the story of the gruesome 1926 murder of DeRidder taxi driver J. J. Brevelle at the hands of Joe Genna and Molton Brasseaux and the duo's 1928 hanging. Is the jail haunted? Would you take a nighttime lantern tour of the historic site?

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Champion Barrow were an American criminal duo who, through TV and movies, were romanticized as a couple in love and on the run. They were dramatically gunned down in the middle of Bienville Parish, Louisiana after only a few years of coupled crime. Hear the Louisiana leg of their story and take a virtual road trip to the 1930s with us this week! Note: Unfortunately, there was no Beyonce or Jay-Z involved in the making of this episode.

Shannon Harris was last seen heading to the Greyhound bus station to go back to art school in Dallas. That was 1998. Last week, remains were found in Houma believed to be that of Shannon Harris.

The legendary Dr. Blood's haunted house. Roller coasters held together by nuts, bolts and the bravado of a 1980s teenager hoping to impress the girl. Rumors of decapitation, death and irresistable ghost towns for disaster tourists. This week, we discuss Amusement Parks. Plus an update on the Jessica Easterly episode from Ep. 38!

Aug. 12, 2019, Jessica Easterly Durning - originally from Ocean Springs, Mississippi living in Lakeview with her husband and stepdaughter - called her friend Maria multiple times one after another frantic until she finally answered. Jessica was desperate for her friend to come and pick her up. They made a plan to meet up the following day and that’s the last anyone heard from Jessica. Two weeks later, her sister found her body around an intersection that backs up to New Orleans City Park. It took months for Jessica’s body to be identified and it has been a year with no more known progress. Her family is still searching for answers. Listen now to Jessica’s story now and visit justice4jessica.org. If you have any information involving the case, you should contact the third district police department at 504-658-6030 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 504-822-1111 and toll-free at 1-877-903-7867.

A witch, a swamp and a hurricane...all walk into a bar... This week Ashley tells the tale of The Witch of Manchac swamp! Did she really predict her death and the death of all those in her swamp town in a massive hurricane?

There were a lot of fires, a lot of creepy nuns and a whole lot of ghosts... This week, we dive into the history of what is considered one of the most haunted hotels in the country - the Bourbon Orleans Hotel.

In this week's episode, Ashley tells the story of the eerie "witch bottle" someone found on the West Bank and KEPT! IN THEIR HOUSE! Learn what a "witch bottle" is, plus a little Voodoo, gris-gris and more!

Baroness Pontalba may have given us the historic Pontalba buildings in the French Quarter, but not many people know of her badass background. She’s the bulletproof HBIC (head baroness in charge)!

The devil went down to...Algiers? This week, Ashley tells the story of the Algiers Devil Man and we talk about urban myths!

This episode, Kelly realizes she’s the same age as JonBenét Ramsey and she would have been 30 yrs old this month. Plus, while researching a local murderer, we look at the death of bounce artist Magnolia Shorty.

This week, Ashley asks the question: What do these all have in common? A Metairie cemetery, rhinestone suits, Emmylou Harris, Mick Jagger, Napoleonic law and a midnight body snatching! The answer: Country rock musician Gram Parsons.

Part 1 was a wild ride, but this episode we finish up the store and decide if Baton Rouge businessman Gary Stewart’s biological father is the Zodiac Killer ... spoiler alert: he’s not.

Gary Stewart is a Baton Rouge business man born in New Orleans. During the search for his birth parents and an episode of “Cold Case Files,” Gary decides his birth father is the Zodiac Killer ... and Kelly’s life was forever changed. Listen to Part 1 of our conversation about “The Most Dangerous Animal of All!”

In this episode, Ashley tells the story of the life and death of Jayne Mansfield - who died in a crash right outside of New Orleans - while Kelly tries to manifest being Mariska Hargitay’s best friend and mourns the loss of the story’s best character, a chihuahua.

After the new “Unsolved Mysteries” premiere on Netflix, we take a look at a Louisiana unsolved mystery of Hazel Leota Head and the death of Charles Barker.

In this episode, Ashley shakes Kelly to the core with the stories of three unusual New Orleans funerals.

The evening of Oct. 17, 2006, Zack Bowen’s body was found on the roof of the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel parking garage. In his back pocket, a confession to the murder of his girlfriend Addie Hall. WARNING: the story contains graphic, gross details!

In this week’s episode, Kelly goes off on a rant about Lori Vallow and Ashley shares the stores of the rougarou...with a little bit of Harry Potter and Elizabeth I sprinkled in.

As we are all - or should be - aware, we are in the middle of a pivotal moment in our history. Following the deaths of Brionna Taylor - a 27 yr old frontline worker who was innocently gun downed by law enforcement in her own home - and George Floyd, who was questioned about using a fraudulent bill, detained and crushed under the weight of an officer for over 8 minutes and died from his injuries, peaceful protests, demonstrations and social media movements calling for police reform and racial justice have now taken place for the past week in all 50 states. Changing the format of our small New Orleans podcast is not going to change laws or the systematic racism that plagues our country, but (name) and I couldn’t find it in us to deliver a humorous story to our followers this week. We’re not in a jovial mood and our world is not in a jovial spirit. Black Lives Matter. A change needs to be made and it needs to be made now. We do not have the answers, but we know our friends in the black community have struggled with injustices that we as white women will never understand. For our small part, we want to promote black-owned businesses in New Orleans and ways that you can donate and help make a change! Support Social Justice Organizations: Black Lives Matter The Loveland Foundation Campaign Zero The NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund Community Bail Funds ACLU Color of Change Pods and Reads: WWOZ WBOK 1230 am Yamiche Alcindor’s podcast with PBS News Hour NPR’s Code Switch Pod Save the People Books: Beloved by Toni Morrison (also the Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon) The Color Purple by Alice Walker I know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead Your Silence Will Not Protect You by Audre Lorde Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge They Can’t Kill Us All by Wesley Lowery Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis Click here for a full link of black-owned New Orleans businesses from New Orleans & Co. / NewOrleans.com

In this week’s episode, Kelly shares an update about her family’s cemetery tombs and we head to Youngsville as a woman gives away a haunted house for free through Facebook!

This week, Ashley tells us about the City of the Dead, shares what Nicholas Cage and Marie Laveau have in come and ruins pizza stones forever.

Leonard Fagot may have been a decorated WWII marine, but that didn’t stop him from murdering two of his son-in-laws.

In this episode, Ashley tells the story of St. Roch and the unusual way people give offerings to him in times of need. Plus a ghost dog!

Was Jacque St. Germain a vampire? Was he really the Comte de Saint-Germain? Was the Comte de Saint-Germain really the prince of Transylvania? We look into the two men’s stories in this week’s episode!

In this episode, Ashley shares some ghostly details about the famous French Quarter theatre.

In this episode we discuss the murder of Liz Marinello, wife of radio host and popular WDSU reporter Vince Marinello, a year after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

Still social distancing, so this week is a lighter episode. We dive into the legend of The Grunch and Ashley fills us in on a few *odd* laws we all may be breaking.

In this remote episode, Ashley shares a story of ghosts, hallucinations, murder and, of course, alcohol.

In our first quarantine episode, we explore the "Fancy Prostitute of Basin Street." Kate Townsend started as a barmaid in Liverpool, England, and ended as one of the most successful madames in all of New Orleans. Yet she met her end in 1883 by the hand of a lover. Hear her story in our lucky No. 13 episode.

In this episode, we give a lot of binge-worthy shows and documentaries to watch while we are all stuck inside, as well as share a few listener stories... are the listeners two of Kelly's friends? Yes. Does that make their stories any less creepy? HELL NO! Send your ghost and true crime stories to bigeasyspirits@gmail.com!

One night in 1934, a young girl comes running out of a French Quarter apartment with her wrists cut. She tells of a story about two brothers who cut her wrists to fed on her blood. This is the story of John and Wayne Carter, the Vampire Brothers.

On Oct. 27, 1927, Leonide and Theresa Moity's severed bodies were found in their Ursulines Avenue home by the housekeeper. Listen to this week's podcast to find out who would do this and why these sisters-in-law and mothers met a gruesome end.