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"If people are just going in there to get scared at something they thought they heard or saw, I don't know what they learn from that." On a fateful night in 1912, the Moore family and two young house guests were savagely murdered in their beds. The mystery has never been officially solved.On a fateful night in 1912, the Moore family and two young house guests were savagely murdered in their beds.
Unsolved Villisca Axe Murders of 1912
VILLISCA, Iowa — It's been 111 years since the tragic murders of eight people at a home in Villisca. The weeks that followed the murders saw Reverend Kelly display an alarming obsession with the case, writing letters to the police, investigators, and family of the deceased. Reverend Kelly was an English minister who happened to be in town on the might of the crime. Kelly was described as peculiar, stemming from his mental breakdown as an adolescent. He was accused of peeping at nude women as an adult and, at various times, asking young women to pose nude for him.
Why Did a Ghost Hunter Stab Himself Inside a Famous Ax-Murder House?
At some point, he took a two-pound piece of uncooked bacon from the fridge and placed it in the living room, along with a keychain. Every transient and otherwise unaccounted-for stranger was a suspect in the murders, Andrew Sawyer was one of those people. He also was obsessed with the murders and slept fully clothed as if he was ready to make a clean getaway and he also slept with an axe by his bed.
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Amateur detectives ranging from historians to psychics have tried their hand at solving the case, but a verdict has never been reached. The killer or killers used the blade of the axe on Sarah, while using the blunt end on the rest of the victims. Herman, Mary Katherine, Arthur, and Paul were next bludgeoned in the head in the same manner as their parents.
Villisca axe murders
My last question to the guide was if she’d ever personally experienced anything weird now that she works here. A ghost hunter staying overnight at the Villisca Ax Murder House needed to be rushed to the hospital. The 37-year-old man was found with a self-inflicted stab wound to the chest. Why he stabbed himself we simply don’t know, it does, however, add to the intrigue of the house.
Villisca Axe Murders Aftermath
'Ghost Hunter' stabs himself at 'Ax Murder House' during paranormal investigation - syracuse.com
'Ghost Hunter' stabs himself at 'Ax Murder House' during paranormal investigation.
Posted: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Doctor F.S. Williams, the first medical officer on the scene, determined that the Murders occurred between midnight and 5 a.m. Police officers and a local doctor scrutinized the crime scene and examined the bodies. Doctor F.S. Williams, the first medical officer on the scene, determined that the attacks took place sometime between midnight and 5 am.
Other suspects, such as William Mansfield and Henry Moore, were also considered. However, due to the lack of evidence, most of what historians know today is based on legend. "He sent a bloody shirt to a laundry the week after the murder. It's a viable possibility that he was the killer. It can't be proven today, at least to my satisfaction."
The Days Leading up to the Murder
Frank F. Jones was an Iowa state senator and a prominent member of the town. Josiah Moore worked for Frank Jones at the Jones store for several years until he opened his own company in 1908. According to Villisca residents, Jones was extremely upset that Moore had left the company. Neighbor Mary Peckham was the first to notice something wrong at the Moore home.
The cases were similar enough to raise the possibility of having been committed by the same person. "The ax was left downstairs, raw bacon laying on the floor, mirrors covered with sheets, food on the table, cigarette butts in the attic, bloody water," Houser said. "Just tons of crime scene, all destroyed by half the town wandering around looking at it." Kelly had arrived in Villisca for the first time the Sunday morning of the murders and attended a Sunday school performance by the Stillinger girls before departing early Monday. He returned two weeks later, and, posing as a detective, joined a tour of the murder house with a group of investigators.
However, they believed that the killer may have fled town, as they had a three-hour start ahead of the police. Seven suspects have popped up, with some even confessing to the murders. For instance, two cigarette butts were found in the attic, leading to speculations that the killer may have waited there while everyone else went to bed. Then, he navigated his way through the house with an oil lamp, his initial targets being Josiah and Sarah, before moving on to the children.
Its sister company, Junket, provides food tours, brewery tours, special events, historic tours, and specialty experiences across the country. However, somewhat surprisingly, the Villisca Ax Murder house still stands and is often visited by tourists and ghost hunters. Those fascinated with the case regularly flock to see the house in person.
However, 12-year-old Lena Stillinger may have still been awake when the killer struck. Her body displayed a defensive wound on her arm, and she was lying lengthwise across her bed. 2nd Street was built in 1868 on lot 310 for local resident George Loomis. The home would have echoed most others in the area in size and features, at about 600 square feet, with two bedrooms, a parlor, a downstairs sewing room and a kitchen and an outhouse.
On Sunday evening, June 9, 1912, Josiah (Joe) Moore and his wife Sarah took their four children, Herman, 11, Katherine, 10, Boyd, 7, and 5-year-old Paul to the Children’s Day service at the Presbyterian Church. Accompanying them were Lena (12) and Ina Stillinger (8), neighbors who had asked their parents’ permission to stay overnight with the Moore children. After reading about the Villisca Axe Murders, read about another unsolved murder, the Hinterkaifeck murders. Then, check out the history of Lizzie Borden and her infamous string of murders. Despite the commonalities, however, no actual connections could be made. No sale was ever attempted, and no changes were made to the original layout.
Like the murders themselves, the riddle of the house and why these things occur will likely never be solved. On my way out of the barn to the house itself, I noticed a cork board with some photos pinned on it. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the pictures were evidence of paranormal spookiness going on. There were lots of nighttime pictures with ghostly orbs and even a snapshot of someone whose back had been scratched, supposedly by an unseen entity.
Ross was immediately met with horrific scenes, discovering blood-soaked sheets that hid two corpses. Upon further investigation, Ross found the bodies of his brother, Josiah, and Josiah’s wife, Sarah. Frank Jones, a Villisca businessman with political sway throughout the town, was another suspect.
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