The Villisca Axe Murder House
Sometime during the early hours of the morning on June 10th 1912, 2 adults and 6 children were brutally murdered in their beds while they slept in this humble home, today notoriously known as the Villisca Axe Murder House.
The Moore family, who lived in the home, consisting of husband and wife Josiah and Sara, as well as their four children Herman, Katherine, Boyd and Paul had all attended a church event the evening prior and returned home with two neighborhood children for a sleep over, the Stillinger Sisters, Ina and Lena. The victims would all fall asleep unaware that their murderer was already in the house, hiding away silently in the attic.
Sometime after midnight, the killer emerged to, one by one, take the lives of all within the home, starting with the two adults, then their four children in the upstairs bedroom, before moving downstairs to the two visiting children. Many peculiarities and mysteries remain about this case and have been speculated over for years. Such as, why was the axe left behind with a pound of bacon on the floor? Why were all the mirrors within the home covered? Why wasn’t anything stolen, such as money left on a dresser? Why did the killer prepare a meal, simply to leave it uneaten on the dining room table?
Sadly, the case was never solved and the killer never caught, though many have pondered over various suspects potential involvement. Being the scene of such a brutal crime, it’s easy to understand why many believe the house could be haunted and the ghost stories surrounding the property are extremely intense.
Ghost Stories of the Villisca Axe Murder House
Many to visit the quaint former home of the Moore family in Villisca, Iowa have reported to have strange experiences. Some claim that the murder victims still remain, trapped within the house, while others believe a dark entity may lurk in the attic space, just as the murder did all those years ago. However, others believe this not to be the case and that different energies may exist within the house today, possibly brought in by other investigators or created by their differing intentions.
One thing that is certain, is the house can be incredibly active. Doors seem to open and shut on their own, objects move and strange sounds can be heard. Bangs, clangs, footsteps and especially voices, which can often be captured on EVP are commonly reported within the home.
Another report that is particularly eerie and that seems to come out of the house a lot is the unexplainable changing of visitors moods. People can be happy, sad, or even angry from one moment to another and this is something that I was personally overcome with during my own visit.
Visiting the Haunted Villisca Axe Murder House
The Villisca Axe Murder House is open seasonally for guided day tours and the property can even be rented for overnight stays and paranormal investigations. I definitely would recommend a visit for anyone wanting to explore the paranormal more deeply, but would recommend taking note of any emotional incongruities experienced within the home.
If you enjoyed this article and you’d like to learn about another very haunted house in the USA, I recommend the Sallie House.
Thanks for reading!
xoxo
