Villisca Axe Murder House, Villisca, IA
It’s the site of one of the most horrific unsolved murders in history. Paranormal investigators and ghostly enthusiasts flock to it year after year, hoping to catch a glimpse of the spectral remnants left from the infamous night of carnage.
Welcome to the Villisca Axe Murder House, home to the slayings that wiped out an entire family and left a town on edge. Though the killer’s identity remains a mystery to this day, one thing is sure: the brutal crime made the Villisca Axe Murder House one of the most haunted houses in the world.
“Evil Place”
Now known for its haunted attraction, the town originated as a settlement known as “The Forks” before being platted and renamed Villisca after a local native American word for “pretty place.” Its spot on the CB&Q line helped it flourish as a retail and agricultural trade hub and, for a time, “one of the finest towns in the state.” After the murders, many wondered if the name had been mistaken for another local native American word, “Wallisca,” for “evil place.”
The Villisca Axe Murder House didn’t start as a haven for horror. Built in 1868, the home originated as a modern farmhouse for local resident George Loomis. George would live peacefully; Josiah Moore wouldn’t be so lucky. On a Sunday night in June, nine years after purchasing the home, Josiah, his wife Sarah, their four children, and two of their daughters’ friends were brutally murdered, each hacked to death by an axe. Before fleeing the scene, the killer covered the mirrors, placed garments over the bodies, washed up, made himself a snack, and disappeared into the night.
The Perfect Murder
The Moore’s neighbor was the first to notice something was off that Monday morning. The family had yet to awaken. The children hadn’t left for school, and the animals hadn’t been tended to. Concerned, she knocked on the door repeatedly in an attempt to make contact. When it didn’t work, she contacted Josiah’s brother. Upon his arrival, he walked into a gruesome scene he would never forget.
After stumbling upon the bodies of the Stillinger girls, he summoned the authorities. An “all call” alert went out, informing the town of the murders, which would turn the crime scene into a macabre circus. The townspeople came out in droves, staring at the bodies, handling the murder weapon, and some even taking pieces of Josiah’s skull as a souvenir. It wasn’t until the coroner arrived that the crime scene was secured.
In those days, there was no such thing as forensic testing, so the investigation was doomed from the start. There was little to go on. Nothing had been stolen, and none of the victims appeared to have suffered any type of abuse, aside from the hacking, of course. Pieces of evidence were found around the barn, suggesting the killer was waiting for them to return home from their evening activities. Several suspects were named, but no one was ever convicted of the disturbing crime.
To this day, the murder remains unsolved and holds more questions than answers. Did Moore’s former boss, F.F. Jones, hire a hitman? It was known that Jones was angry that Moore had left his company and taken the lucrative John Deere contract with him.
Maybe it was the schizophrenic traveling minister? Reverend George Kelly is said to have confessed to the murders, claiming a demon made him do it. He was charged five years later, but two separate juries believed he’d been coerced by police, and Kelly was never convicted.
At one point, the FBI believed that the slayings were the work of a traveling serial killer, as similar murders had occurred in other states. In 2017, a journalist named Bill James theorized that the murders could’ve been the work of a German immigrant drifter and logger named Paul Mueller. Mueller was believed to have committed similar murders, targeting young girls and covering mirrors following the crime. However, a lack of evidence would prevent this theory from being tested. In the end, no one was charged with the Villisca Axe Murders.
Villisca Axe Murder House
Today, the house remains the only witness of the murders, holding the sinister secrets of that fateful night. In the 90s, historians Darwin and Martha Linn took ownership of the home, restoring it to what it would have looked like in 1912. Now, US Ghost Adventures continues to preserve its legacy, inviting guests to explore the home as it was the day the Moores and Stillinger girls met their untimely, grisly end. Take a tour or book an overnight stay for a spooky night you won’t soon forget. Visit the official Villisca Axe Murder House site for more information on overnight stays, tours, souvenirs, and more!
