The Gruesome History of New Orleans’ Rampart Street Murder House

The second season of Paranormal Lockdown features Nick Groff and Katrina Weidman spending 72 hours in one of New Orleans' most infamous buildings.

Known by locals as the "Rampart Street Murder House," 826 N. Rampart will forever go down in history as being the location of one of the city's saddest, and most gruesome murders. Nick and Katrina are the first team to ever conduct an investigation on the property. After reading the details we're about to lay out for you here, you'll know that their investigation was a particularly troubling one.

Addie Hall and Zack Brown fell in love during the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. In October 2006, they moved into an apartment above the city's well respected Voodoo Spiritual Temple—a mere coincidence at the time. Addie and Zack, both transplants to New Orleans, had lived there long enough to make friends and establish roots by working as bartenders in the bustling French Quarter. To the passing eye, their new relationship was off to a great start. But that was all about to come to a terrible end.

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Shortly after moving in to 826 N. Rampart, the couple began to have terrible, drunken fights that inched toward violence. Addie stopped showing up at her job at the popular bar The Spotted Cat, and Zack fell into destructive patterns of drugs, heavy drinking, and infidelity. Only weeks after moving in to their new home, Zack committed suicide by jumping from the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel. A note and key were found in his pocket which led police back to his apartment, where they found additional death.

"This is not accidental," Zack's note began. "I had to take my own life to pay for the one I took. If you send a patrol car to 826 N. Rampart, you will find the dismembered corpse of my girlfriend Addie in the oven, on the stove, and in the fridge and a full signed confession from myself ... Zack Bowen."

The apartment was a blood-soaked crime scene. Investigators concluded that Zack had become enraged after Addie signed their lease without including his name. She believed that Zack was cheating and didn't want to continue to live with him. Zack then strangled Addie and spent the next few days cutting up her body with the apparent intent to cook and eat the remains, although autopsy reports show he didn't follow through.

A 2014 documentary, Zack and Addie explores the details before and after the horrendous event. The doc attempts to understand how this could have happened. One theory is that dark forces surrounding the Voodoo Spiritual Temple took hold on the couple, especially Zack, and drove them to madness.

However, the temple was and always has been primarily associated with positivity rather than anything negative that would drive a person to kill. The temple no longer stands at 826 N. Rampart. In February 2016, it was destroyed by an electrical fire and relocated to 1428 N. Rampart Street.

In the wake of these events, those who have lived at 826 N. Rampart have experienced severe paranormal activity. Reports include residents hearing voices, feeling as though they're constantly being watched, or like the apartment itself is pressing in on them.

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This Story Was First Published on The Hauntist.

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Featured photo via: The Hauntist; Additional photos: Zack and Addie; Lucy Orloski / Flickr (CC)

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