5 Real-Life Murder Homes To Keep You Awake This Friday the 13th

2022-05-14 00:37:35 By : Mr. Shaohui Zheng

If you’re superstitious, today is your day.

That’s because it’s Friday the 13th (the only one of the year, in fact). It’s a day when bad juju reigns supreme—when the thrill-seekers among us like to settle in with a glass of wine, turn out the lights, and turn on the creepiest true-crime Netflix docs we can find.

And there’s a very good chance those documentaries will feature houses where some of the most grisly murders in America have occurred. We’ve followed the histories of these infamous properties over the years, so we figured today is as good a day as any to check back in on them.

So lock your doors, get comfortable, and take a look at what’s happened since we last wrote about each of these murder homes.

It might be hard to imagine, but some 50-odd years ago this picturesque Los Angeles residence was the site of some gruesome murders.

In 1969, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were slain in their house by Charles Manson and his followers. The murder spree occurred the day after they butchered pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four of her friends in Beverly Hills.

The SoCal residence came on the market in July 2019 for $1.98 million. The petite two-bedroom, 1,650-square-foot home on almost an acre offered views and a pool.

The notoriety of the place brought attention to the listing—and the story of the Manson murders was fresh in the minds of folks who watched the Oscar-nominated “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.”

Marketing also leaned into the home’s gruesome past. The “classic 1920s home” with “breathtaking views” comes with “an infamous history,” the listing noted.

Perhaps that’s why a horrific murder scene didn’t scare buyers away. The home was sold in two month’s time for $1,889,000.

It was relisted this year for $2.2 million, and sold quickly for $1,875,000.

As for Manson, he was sent to California State Prison in Corcoran. He was denied parole 12 times and eventually died in prison. He was 83.

Would you want to live in the house where Chris Watts strangled his pregnant wife to death?

The shocking story of Watts grabbed the public’s attention with the Netflix documentary “American Murder: The Crime Next Door.” The Colorado resident confessed to killing his wife, Shanann, and smothering their two young daughters to death at a remote oil field where he discarded all three of the bodies.

While Watts is serving multiple life sentences, his Denver-area house remains in legal limbo.

As we reported last year, the home comes with more than just a murderous past—it’s also mired in financial burdens.

After the crime, Shanann’s parents, Sandra and Franklin Rzucek, won a $6 million wrongful death lawsuit against their son-in-law. That amount was applied to the home in the form of a lien. The local homeowners association also holds liens on the property, which the young couple had purchased for $400,000 in 2013. All this for a home now estimated to be worth $743,100.

The property in the quiet subdivision failed to sell at auction and is currently listed as off-market. According to recent reports, the vacant home continues to draw “tragedy tourists,” much to the dismay of the neighbors.

After two years and multiple price cuts, the castle-like property owned by music producer Phil Spector finally sold.

The sprawling French chateau in Alhambra, CA, features views and turrets. Behind the gates, it’s the place where Spector murdered actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. Sentenced to 19 years to life in prison, he died behind bars in 2021.

Initially listed in 2019 for $5.5 million, the massive mansion bounced on and off the market. It finally sold in May 2021 for $3.3 million.

Spector had purchased the place in 1998 for $1.1 million.

Built in 1925 in the style of a European castle, the 10,590-square-foot estate has 10 bedrooms and 11 baths. It sits on 2.66-acres.

Architectural details include a wood-paneled living room and dining room with beamed ceilings, crystal chandeliers, inlaid hardwood flooring, and hand-painted stenciling.

The Boulder, CO, house is where 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was found dead. It’s one of the most troubling unsolved crimes of the past century.

Despite the ghastly event, the 11,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home went on the market and, astonishingly, sold for $1 million in 2004 to Carol Schuller Milner, daughter of televangelist Robert Schuller.

As of 2019, Milner is still enjoying the infamous residence.

“We actually had offers on it—decent offers,” Milner told the West World publication. “But we didn’t take any of them, more out of our attachment to the house. It’s our home, and we really, really love it.”

After watching HBO’s “The Staircase,” about the death of Kathleen Peterson, you might never look at stairs the same way again.

The chilling tale—and subsequent trial of husband Michael Peterson for her murder—is the focus of the HBO miniseries. Netflix also has a documentary about the case. Much of the action centers around the Petersons’ 10,000-square-foot Colonial in Durham, NC.

Michael was sent to prison, and the home was sold in 2008 for $1.3 million. It sold again in 2020 for $1.6 million.

Claudine Zap covers celebrity real estate, housing trends, and unique home stories. Her work has appeared on Yahoo, New York Post, and SFGATE.