Slaughterhouse Canyon is the site of an Arizona urban legend about a family that succumbed to starvation during the Gold Rush era, leading to the mother's descent into madness, infanticide, and dismemberment. The story holds that the father later returned, discovered the gruesome truth, and became a tormented spirit himself. The location is said to be haunted by the spirits of the mother and children, with people claiming to hear the cries of children and see apparitions. The story takes place in an arid region of Arizona, during the 1800s Gold Rush. A prospector ventured out in search of gold but failed to return, leaving his family without supplies. His wife and children were left alone and faced starvation. Desperate, the mother, Luana (also referred to as Luna), went mad and murdered her children. She dismembered her children and threw their remains into the river, then collapsed and died of grief and starvation at the river's edge. When the father eventually returned, he discovered the horror and the remains. Overcome with guilt, he is said to have gone mad and roamed the canyon until his death. Visitors and locals claim to hear the plaintive cries of hungry children and the wailing screams of the mother echoing against the canyon walls. Some have reported seeing the tormented spirit of the mother in the canyon. Ghost hunters are drawn to the location, seeking to experience the chilling atmosphere of the place where the dark events of the past are believed to linger.