House of Laments

After his wife Constanza died in an assault, Tadeo Mejía became unhinged. In the 1890s, his delusional attempts to contact his dead spouse lead to a murderous spree. It’s said that the groans and shrieks of Mejía’s victims still echo through the mansion where his sinister deeds were carried out.

Today the Casa de los Lamentos, or “House of Laments,” is a kitschy museum that can be toured by daring tourists. Since acting as Mejía’s bloody residence, the house has been subject to tales of haunting by subsequent tenants. Reports of lingering wails and the cries of Mejía’s victims have lent the house its descriptive name. Once inside, dioramas depicting Mejía surrounded by skulls, chains, and implements of black magic give visitors a morbid greeting. Perhaps as unsettling are the displays that focus on his lost relationship, with shelves of crockery from the 19th century alongside framed photographs of Mejía and his lost Constanza.

The local legend relates that Mejía suffered from psychosis in the wake of his wife’s death, and would stop at nothing to be reunited with her. He consulted a witch, who instructed him in bizarre, ghastly rituals of human sacrifice — all in an attempt to contact Constanza.

It’s unknown how many murders Mejía went on to commit, but several human remains were discovered in the house’s basement, along with Satanic imagery. Mejía eventually killed himself, taking the knowledge of how many lives he truly claimed to the grave.