Iowa Overkill: Investigating the Vicious Villisca Axe Murders
On June 9th, 1912, eight people were brutally murdered by an axe wielding assailant. Though several suspects emerged, more than one hundred years later, the crime remains unsolved
Background
The Villisca Axe Murders are considered one of the most prolific and heinous crimes to take place on U.S. soil. The horror took place on the night of June 9th, 1912, and resulted in the violent slaying of the Moore family. No one was ever convicted of the gruesome crime, making it one of America’s most infamous unsolved murder cases.
The Villisca Axe Murders
On a quiet, unassuming street in Villisca, Iowa, Mary Katherine Moore, the ten-year-old daughter of Josiah and Sarah Moore, invited her two friends, Ina Stillinger, who was 8 years old, and Lena Stillinger, who was 12 years old, to a slumber party at their home. Their sister Blanche gave the girls permission to stay over.
The Stillinger sisters joined the Moore family that day at their local Presbyterian Church for a ‘Children's Day Program’ arranged by Sarah. That evening, they all returned to the Moore family house around 9 p.m., seemingly in good spirits.
The following morning, June 10th, one of Moores’ neighbors, Mary Peckham, thought it was strange when the Moore family did not appear to do their usual outdoor morning chores. What she first thought unusual quickly became a worry as the day continued, with the family still not appearing.
Mary knocked on the Moore family’s door, hoping to rouse them, but she was met with stony silence. She even tried to open the door but found it was locked. It is worth pointing out that leaving doors unlocked back then was very common, especially in rural areas. Crime rates were not as high or common, so the Moores’ locked door added to the unusual circumstances.
As a last resort, Mary contacted Ross Moore, Josiah’s brother. When Ross arrived, he also tried knocking on the door and calling out, but no one answered. Ross then used a spare house key to unlock the front door.
As an anxious Mary stayed on the porch, Ross entered the house and walked through the parlor, heading for the guest room, which was situated downstairs. He opened the door and was met by a horrendous sight. Blood splattered the walls and ceiling and had pooled on the floor.
Strewn across the beds were the bludged bodies of Ina and Lena Stillinger.
Henry Horton was Villisca’s local law enforcement officer and the first to arrive at the crime scene. Horton conducted a full search of the house where he found the bodies of Josiah and Sarah and their four children: Herman, 11; Mary, 10; Arthur, 7; Paul, 5; as well as the two Stillinger sisters.
Investigation
The bodies of each victim had been so brutally bludgeoned that their faces were described as being ‘beaten to a bloody pulp.’ The murderer had used an axe on each of the victims, which was found in the guest bedroom, propped up against the wall. Strangely, the killer only used the axe blade on Josiah whilst using the handle to bludgeon the rest of the family and the Stillinger sisters.