Reverend Kelly returned to Villisca two weeks later, and after fooling officers into thinking he was a detective from out of town, he was able to latch on to a tour of the Moore house with a group of legitimate investigators. Now more than a hundred years later, the Villisca axe murders remain one of the most mysterious cases in history. Word quickly traveled around Villisca. In this true crime thriller, ghost hunters break into the haunted site of Iowa's most gruesome unsolved murders uncovering the terrifying truth about the brutal killings. But little evidence tied Henry to the Villisca killings, so it was dismissed. These killings became known as “the Villisca axe murders”, these killings involved the Moore family. The blade of the weapon struck Josiah, while the blunt end crushed the rest of the victims. Unsolved Villisca Axe Murders of 1912 The Moore Family. 'The Axe Murders of Villisca' is a ghost story based on the house where the notorious and still unsolved 1912 axe murders took place. However, it was considered a stretch that Jones could progress to murdering his business rival. He first inspected the downstairs bedroom, and to his horror, he found two bloodsoaked sheets covering two corpses. While many have tried to solve the case, the Villisca murders remains a mystery and most likely will forever. The activities lasted them through the afternoon and into the early evening, finally ending around 9:30 pm after all of the children had finished their performances. He then made his way through the home using an oil lamp, first targeting Josiah and Sarah and then moving on to the children. It wasn’t until 1917 that a Grand Jury indicted Kelly for the murder of Lena Stillinger. However, this house in Villisca (now known as the Villisca Ax Murder house) would become the location of one of the most brutal mass-murders in the history of the United States. ‘The Axe Murders of Villisca’ puts a paranormal spin on the crime and brings the ghosts of the victims to life. These killings, known thereafter as the “Villisca Axe Murders," is easily the most notorious murder in Iowa history. Mary called Josiah’s brother, Ross, who came to check on the household. The crime scene became instantly contaminated, and given the lack of forensic advancements at the time, finding any concrete DNA evidence left by the perpetrator was an almost-impossible task. © 2009 Villisca Axe Murder House villiscaiowa.com. Interesting history topics are just a click away. To this day, the Villisca Axe Murders continue to haunt the small town. The cause of death was brute force trauma to each of the victims’ skulls. Moore and Jones despised each other, according to Villisca residents. He even mentioned that they had been killed while they slept. You May Also Like: Lizzie Border Took an Axe…or Did She? Frank Jones, a Villisca businessman with political sway throughout the town, was another suspect. The Villisca Axe Murders of 1912 was one of the most brutal slayings in American history, yet the killer remains a mystery. It was a late night for the youngsters, and after milk and cookies for supper, everyone present in the Moore home retired to bed. There was another man by the name of Henry Lee Moore. The 1912 Villisca Axe Murders Blog: Events source . Ross called the local marshall and told him that something terrible had happened. Despite the doctor’s warning, the curious residents of Villisca descended upon the Moore house and ventured inside. On the morning of June 11, 1912, the small town of Villisca in southwestern Iowa awoke to a grizzly scene as the bodies of 8 people, the Moore family along with two guests, were discovered bludgeoned to death at the Moore family residence. Sometime during the night of Sunday, June 9, 1912, a person or persons unknown entered a modest house in Villisca, Iowa and bludgeoned to death the eight people sleeping there. However, Josiah had a number of enemies in both his personal and professional life. The Moore family, along with the two Stillinger girls, left the church and made their way back to the Moore’s home as the evening set in. William Mansfield murdered his wife, daughter, and parents-in-law in a way that was eerily similar to the Moore family murders. Three outcast teenagers break into the house in search of answers, but discover something far beyond their worst fears. To this day, the Villisca Axe Murder case remains open, enticing amateur sleuths around the globe. Come morning around 7:30, the usually-vibrant Moore household was strangely devoid of activity, and the local neighbor, Mary Peckham, took notice. A weather-beaten sign warns rather than welcomes. Review:. The head of the household was Josiah B. Moore. Slightly touched up to maintain its stability, it now exists as a museum. A Net Inceptions project. They were the bodies of Josiah and Sarah Moore. By the afternoon of June 11th, a crowd had amassed outside the Moore residence. Suspects and confessions have come forward, and even trials were held, but, ultimately, the person responsible for the barbaric crimes remains unknown. An outhouse in the backyard suggests that this house does not occupy a place in the 21st century but somehow belongs in another era or another story. the axe murders of villisca (2016) "A ghost story based on the Villisca house where the notorious and still unsolved 1912 axe murders took place. Distributor: IFC Midnight. The shocking Villisca axe murders occurred between the evening of June 9, 1912, and early morning of June 10, 1912, in the town of Villisca in southwestern Iowa. It later came to light that Mansfield had been in Illinois around the time of the Villisca killings. Reportedly, he told some of the passengers that eight dead bodies were lying back in Villisca – several hours before the news had spread. They were a church-going family who maintained strong contacts and good relationships with many in the community. Although there were only 2,500 residents in Villisca, it was a hub for developing businesses and a magnet for local tycoons who were eager to capitalize on the area’s growth. Find truth against the folklore. This photograph of what is now known as the Villisca axe murder house was taken on the day the murders were discovered--June 10, 1912. 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