The Villisca Axe Murder House

On the night of June 10, 1912, eight people were murdered in their beds in Villisca, Iowa. The killer was never identified, and the house where the slaughter occurred has become one of America’s most haunted locations.

The Murders

Josiah Moore, his wife Sarah, their four children, and two visiting girls were all killed with an axe as they slept. The killer covered all the mirrors with cloth and left a slab of bacon by the door. Despite multiple suspects, no one was ever convicted.

The Haunting

The house was restored to its 1912 appearance and opened for tours and overnight stays. Visitors report childish laughter, falling objects, and doors moving by themselves. Some have been touched or pushed by invisible hands.

The Closet

One second-floor closet is particularly active. Visitors report feeling intense dread near it. Electronic equipment fails. Some guests have fled the house in the middle of the night, unable to stay.

The Investigations

Paranormal teams have documented electronic voice phenomena, including children’s voices and a male voice saying threatening things. Temperature anomalies and electromagnetic spikes are common. One investigator was reportedly stabbed in the chest by an unseen force.

Assessment

The Villisca house holds the psychic residue of unimaginable violence. Whether the spirits are the victims seeking justice or the killer forever bound to his crime scene, something malevolent lingers. The mystery of both the murders and the haunting remains unsolved.