The Haunting Mystery of the Villisca Axe Murders

The night of June 9, 1912, was like any other in the quiet town of Villisca, Iowa—until it became the setting for one of the most horrifying and baffling unsolved murders in American history. The Villisca Axe Murders left behind a gruesome crime scene, a trail of eerie clues, and more questions than answers. Over a century later, the case remains shrouded in mystery, fear, and ghostly whispers.

The victims were the Moore family— 43-year-old Josiah and 39-year-old Sarah, along with their four children: Herman, 11, Katherine, 10, Boyd, 7, and Paul, 5. That evening, two young friends of Katherine’s, 12-year-old Lena and 8-year-old Ina Stillinger, were invited for a sleepover after a children’s church service. None of them knew they would never see the light of day again.

Sometime between midnight and 5 a.m., an unknown intruder entered the Moore house. He had likely hidden in the attic, waiting for the family to fall asleep before emerging with a heavy axe. In an unfathomable display of brutality, he went from room to room, slaughtering the family and their guests while they slept.

Josiah was targeted the most viciously—his face was completely obliterated, with the axe having been swung so hard that it gouged deep marks into the ceiling. Every victim suffered repeated blows to the head, their skulls crushed beyond recognition. When investigators arrived, the entire house reeked of blood and death.

 Despite the sheer violence, the killer seemed eerily methodical:

Mirrors were covered with bedsheets, as if the killer couldn’t stand to see his own reflection.

A plate of food and a bowl of bloody water sat on the kitchen table, suggesting the murderer cleaned himself up and lingered.

An oil lamp with its chimney removed was left at the foot of the bed, its wick turned down low—perhaps to create a dim glow for the killer to navigate the darkness.

The axe was found wiped clean and propped against a wall.

Most chilling of all, a slab of bacon was found near the murder weapon, wrapped in a cloth. Some believe it was meant for the killer’s own sick ritualistic purpose, a disturbing detail that has baffled criminologists.

News of the massacre spread like wildfire. People locked their doors for the first time, terrified that a bloodthirsty madman was among them. The case soon spiraled into accusations, paranoia, and multiple arrests, but no conviction ever stuck.

A traveling preacher, Rev. George Kelly, was in town the night of the murders. He was known for his strange obsessions and erratic behavior, as well as mental health issues,  often writing to police about the case as if he knew more than he should. He confessed once but later recanted, and his trial ended in acquittal.

Josiah Moore had once worked for Frank Jones, a powerful state senator. Moore later opened his own business, stealing a major client from Jones, a betrayal that sparked a deep hatred. Some believe Jones hired a hitman, but no proof was ever found.

Around the same time, a man named Henry Lee Moore (no relation to the victims) was on a killing spree across the Midwest, murdering entire families with an axe. Could he have been responsible for Villisca’s horror?

Some investigators believed the killer was a wandering psychopath, choosing his victims at random before vanishing forever. Other unsolved axe murders in nearby towns raised suspicions that Villisca’s nightmare might have been part of a larger killing spree.

To this day, the Villisca Axe Murder House still stands, preserved almost exactly as it was in 1912. It has become a paranormal hotspot, drawing ghost hunters and skeptics alike. Many visitors report hearing whispers, phantom footsteps, and the faint sound of children crying. Some have even seen shadowy figures moving in the bedrooms where the children were slaughtered.

 

One of the more spine tingling claims? Some visitors have woken up in the night to find the closet door, where the killer may have hidden, slowly creaking open on its own.

Over a century later, the Villisca Axe Murders remain unsolved. No justice was ever served, and the killer’s identity is forever lost to time. Yet the crime still lingers, an open wound in the town’s history, haunting those who dare to look too closely.

Some say the answers lie buried in forgotten police files. Others believe the house holds the truth in the echoes of the past. But one thing is certain. Whoever committed this crime walked away into the night, never to be caught, leaving behind only horror and whispers in the dark.