At the peak of the Axeman of New Orleans crimes in 1919, newspapers published a letter

allegedly written by the killer. It confessed to the slayings, threatening more would come,

but promised to spare anyone who played jazz music. That night, the city lit up with jazz, and there were no attacks.

Some say the killer really was obsessed with jazz.

Others say it was an elaborate hoax, preying on the community's terror.

And with no killer caught, no one can say the letters weren't a hoax.

In other towns, letters signed Jack the Ripper

and the Zodiac received a similar reaction.

Perhaps it's just a troublemaker, stirring up panic.

That's certainly what the Lackawanna police thought in 1911.

The postcards they received were a hoax, a sick joke, except in this case, they were real.

Welcome to Serial Killers, a Spotify podcast.

Every Monday, we bring you the true crime stories that stand out.

I'm Janice Morgan.

Be sure to check us out on Instagram

at Serial Killers podcast. We'd love to hear from you. If you're listening on the Spotify app,

swipe up and give us your thoughts. This episode includes discussions of violence,

child abuse, dismemberment, and murder. Consider this when deciding how

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