Calcasieu Courthouse is said to be haunted by Toni Jo McQuiston (born Annie Beatrice McQuiston), a murderess and the only female to die in Louisiana’s electric chair. Toni was a beauty but a tough girl, into drugs and prostitution. But after she fell in love with Claude Henry (nicknamed Cowboy)at her brothel workplace, they were married, and Toni cleaned up. Cowboy was shortly thereafter arrested on a murder charge from his past and sentenced to 50 years in prison. Toni Jo and her buddy Harold Finnan (Arkie) Burks planned to bust Cowboy of prison, so they stole a getaway car and murdered its owner, leaving his body in a ditch. But when they bragged about the crime, they were caught and sentenced to death at the courthouse. Ever since then, folks say her ghost whispers, and occasionally screams; her perfume wafts in the air; and her footsteps echo throughout the building.
If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know!
Rate this Haunted Place
What do you think? Is this place really haunted? Voice your opinion here! Click "thumbs up" if you think its haunted, or "thumbs down" if you think its all just a tall tale.
Geographic Information
- Address:
- 1000 Ryan St
Lake Charles, LA 70601
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 30.226492194857062, -93.21837186813354
- Parish:
- Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
- Nearest Towns:
- Lake Charles, LA (1.2 mi.)
Westlake, LA (2.2 mi.)
Prien, LA (4.5 mi.)
Moss Bluff, LA (5.5 mi.)
Sulphur, LA (9.5 mi.)
Carlyss, LA (10.2 mi.)
Gillis, LA (10.2 mi.)
Iowa, LA (12.2 mi.)
Hackberry, LA (17.6 mi.)
Lacassine, LA (17.7 mi.)
Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time.
Share Your Experiences
Comment (1)
Share Your Comments
Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
when does it start and does it cost anything to go and how old do you need to be?