The Villisca Axe Murder House

In the early morning hours of June 10, 1912, eight people were murdered in their beds in a modest white house in Villisca, Iowa. The victims—six members of the Moore family and two young guests—were killed with an axe while they slept. The murderer was never identified, and the crime became one of the most notorious unsolved murders in American history. Today, the house is preserved as a museum and paranormal investigation site, where visitors report experiencing disturbing phenomena connected to that night of violence.

The Murders

Josiah Moore and his wife Sara lived in the house with their four children: Herman (11), Katherine (10), Boyd (7), and Paul (5). On the night of June 9, 1912, Lena (12) and Ina (8) Stillinger were staying over after attending a church program with the family.

Sometime between midnight and 5 AM, someone entered the house through an unlocked door, took an axe from the family’s shed, and systematically murdered all eight people as they slept. The killer covered the victims’ faces with clothing, draped mirrors and windows with cloth, and left a kerosene lamp burning at the foot of the parents’ bed.

The bodies were not discovered until the following morning when neighbors became concerned that no one had emerged from the house. Mary Peckham peered through a window, saw a body, and raised the alarm.

The Investigation

The investigation that followed was hampered by poor crime scene preservation—hundreds of curious townspeople trampled through the house before it was properly secured—and by the involvement of multiple competing investigators with different theories.

Several suspects were identified over the years. Frank Jones, a local businessman with a grudge against Josiah Moore, was investigated. A traveling preacher named Lyn George Kelly made a confession that he later recanted. A serial killer named Henry Lee Moore was suspected of committing similar crimes.

Two men were tried for the murders, but both were acquitted. The case remains officially unsolved to this day.

The Haunting

After the murders, the house passed through several owners. Some reported no unusual activity; others experienced phenomena that disturbed them enough to move out. The house eventually fell into disrepair before being purchased and restored by Darwin and Martha Linn in 1994.

The Linns opened the house for tours and overnight investigations. Since then, thousands of visitors have reported paranormal experiences. Common reports include disembodied voices, particularly of children; footsteps on the stairs and in the attic; objects moving on their own; cold spots throughout the house; and an overwhelming sense of sadness or dread.

Some visitors have reported seeing shadow figures, particularly in the upstairs rooms where the children were killed. Others have captured EVPs that seem to contain children’s voices. Paranormal investigation teams have documented electromagnetic anomalies and unexplained sounds.

Notable Incidents

In 2014, a visitor reportedly stabbed himself multiple times while staying overnight in the house. He survived but could not coherently explain his actions, leading some to speculate about supernatural influence, though psychological factors are more likely explanations.

The house has been featured on numerous paranormal television programs, including “Ghost Adventures,” “Paranormal Witness,” and “My Ghost Story.” Each investigation has produced its own claims of evidence and experiences.

Assessment

The Villisca Axe Murder House presents a location where genuine historical tragedy intersects with paranormal claims. The murders were real and remain unsolved. The house preserves the scene of a horrific crime that shocked the nation in 1912.

Whether the house is actually haunted by the victims of that crime is another matter. The human tendency to seek meaning in tragedy, combined with the power of suggestion inherent in visiting a murder site, could account for many reported experiences.

The house stands in Villisca, preserved as it was in 1912, waiting for visitors willing to spend a night where eight innocent people died.