Name: Villisca Axe Murder House
Item: Villisca Axe Murder House
Rating: 3
Author: K Davis

On a quiet residential street in the small town of Viscilla sits an old white frame house. On a dark evening, in the absence of lights and sounds, visitors are given the first indication that this house is different from the other homes that surround it.

Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice its doors and windows are tightly closed and covered. 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.

A weather-beaten sign hanging from the decrepit front porch warns rather than welcomes.

It is the “Murder House”

The walls still protect the identity of the murderer or murderers who bludgeoned to death the entire family of Josiah Moore and two overnight guests on June 10, 1912. Almost 97 years later, her secret continues to draw many visitors to her door.

Original Villisca House

The Villisca Murders

In the early 1900’s, Villisca Iowa, a midwestern town of 2500, was flourishing. Businesses lined the streets and several dozen trains pulled into the depot on a daily basis. According to D.N. Smith, a Chicago, Burlington, Quincy Railroad employee, Villisca meant “Pretty Place” or “Pleasant View.”

In 1912, the town built the only publicly funded Armory in the state of Iowa. The Company housed there participated in the 1916 Mexican Expedition, WWI and WWII, as well as the Korean and Vietnam Wars. During World War II, Montgomery County lost more men per capita than any other county in the United States. Villisca surely contributed several of her own to that number.

Unfortunately for the citizens of this close-knit community, however, these accomplishments will be forever overshadowed by the horrific deaths of eight of their own. On June 10, 1912, the tranquility of this “Pretty Place” was shattered by the discovery of the Villisca Axe Murders. The Moore Family, well-known and well-liked Villisca residents and two overnight guests were found murdered in their beds. Little known to its residents was the possibility that their town was named, not after a “pretty place” but for the Indian word “Wallisca” which means “evil spirit.”

Lena and Ina Stillinger, the daughters of Joseph and Sara Stillinger, left their home for church early Sunday morning. They planned on having dinner with their grandmother after the morning service, spending the afternoon with her and then returning to her home to spend the night after the Children’s Day exercises concluded. The girls, however, were invited by Katherine Moore to spend the night at the Moore home instead. Prior to leaving for the exercises, Mr. Moore placed a call to the Stillinger home to ask permission for the girls to stay overnight. Blanche, Lena and Ina’s older sister, told Mr. Moore that her parents were both outdoors but she would pass the message along to them.

The Children’s Day Program at the Presbyterian Church was an annual event and began at approximately 8:00 p.m on Sunday evening June 9th. According to witnesses, Sarah Moore coordinated the exercises. All of the Moore children, as well as the Stillinger girls, participated. Josiah Moore sat in the congregation. The program ended at 9:30 pm and the Moore family, along with the Stillinger sisters, walked home from the church. They entered their home sometime between 9:45 and 10:00 p.m.

The following morning, at approximately 5:00 a.m., Mary Peckham, the Moore’s next door neighbor stepped into her yard to hang laundry. At approximately 7:00 am. she realized that not only had the Moore’s not been outside nor the chores began, but that the house itself seemed unusually still. Between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m., Mary Peckham approached the house and knocked on the door. When she received no response, she attempted to open the door only to find it locked from the inside. After letting out the Moore’s chickens, Mary placed a call to Josiah’s brother, Ross Moore, setting into place one of the most mismanaged murder investigations to ever be undertaken.

Upon arriving at the home of his brother, Ross Moore attempted to look in a bedroom window and then knocked on the door and shouted, attempting to raise someone inside the house. When that failed, he produced his keys and found one that opened the door. Although Mrs. Peckham followed him onto the porch, she did not enter the parlor. Ross went no further than the room off the parlor.

When he opened the bedroom door, he saw two bodies on the bed and dark stains on the bedclothes. He returned immediately to the porch and told Mrs. Peckham to call the sheriff. The two bodies in the room downstairs were Lena Stillinger, age 12 and her sister Ina, age 8, houseguests of the Moore children. The remaining members of the Moore Family were found in the upstairs bedrooms by City Marshall Hank Horton who arrived shortly. Every person in the house had been brutally murdered, their skulls crushed as they slept. Josiah Moore, age 43, Sarah Montgomery Moore, age 39, Herman Moore, age 11, Katherine Moore, age 9, Boyd Moore, 7 and Paul Moore, 5 -as well as the Stillinger Sisters.

Over the following ninety years, the “Villisca Axe Murder House” had 7 additional owners, including the Villisca State Savings and Loan, whose company name appears on the title from 1963 to 1971. In 1971 the house was titled to Kendrick & Vance and only a month later retitled to Darwin Kendrick. Mr. Kendrick remained the name on the title until the house was sold again to Rick and Vicki Sprague on January 1, 1994. It was only a few months later that a real estate agent approached Darwin Linn, in hopes of interesting him in the property.

Today home is filled with untold amounts of paranormal activity. Apparitions of both the children and the adults can be seen throughout the home. Strange sounds, screaming and more can be heard, thought to be one of the children who awoke before she was bludgeoned to death. Some guests have claimed to see random pools of blood on the floor. However, when they go to get help the blood mysteriously disappears. Ghost groups and physics both confirm that the house is haunted by the family and that they remain restless until their true killer is finally known.

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K Davis

Scare Score

I am planning a trip toward the last of this year, and wanting to stay 2 nights. After years of research, I am more confused. As for being scared “NOT ONE THOUGHT”. I have been called names, pushed, felt as though I was punched, and a attempt to pull me to the ground “I went back because BECAUSE THEY TRIED TO PULL ME TO THE GROUND”.
8 months ago
Mike T P

Scare Score

I never visited the house But I seen Ghost Hunters and Ghost Investigators on the Travel channel go into the Axe Murders of Villisca House and they brought there ghost equipment and did the investigations on the house and Property
2 years ago

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Villisca Axe Murder House

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