THE HORRIFIC STORY OF VILLISCA AXE MURDER IN VILLISCA, IOWA
The terrific crime scene in the quiet town of Villisca, Iowa still haunt many. Happened in 1912, the gruesome tales of murders are said to be the worse in American History. On July 10, 1912, the neighbors opened the door of Moore’s Hose; they were shocked to find eight dead bodies. The most horrifying part was that all of them were stabbed with an axe.
These victims included the Moore himself, his wife Sara, their four children and two neighbors who were friends with Moore’s elder daughter. Sadly, all of them were killed while sleeping. However, Lena, twelve years old, was killed alive. According to the reports, a stranger entered Moore’s house through an unlocked door (the town was pretty safe during those times, and sleeping with doors unlocked was not something unusual) in the middle of the night. With the help of an oil lamp, the murderer made his way through the house and went upstairs with an axe in his hand. Before killing everyone in their sleep, he covered the mirrors and windows of the house with clothes. When he left, he locked the door behind him with the keys.
To date, the suspects behind this heinous act remain a mystery. Police were able to link the murders to a few people, including Frank F. Jones, who was an Iowa State Senator. It is believed that Moore was having an affair with his daughter. Another suspect was William “Blackie” Mansfield who was a known serial killer. Mansfield was believed to be the murderer of his wife, child and in-laws. A few more axe murder cases occurred in the town after Moore’s family murder. According to some sources, Mansfield was hired by Jones to kill Moore but soon, he was released because of absence of solid proof against him.
George Kelly was also suspected for the killing of Moore’s family. Kelly, who was a traveling minister, was arrested after he sent letters to police and Moore’s family inquiring about their death. He had also been in mental hospital in Washington before the murders. Before admitting to hospital, he was arrested previously for sending indecent material through the mail. However, despite all this, he was proven innocent in Moore’s murder case due to his health condition.
Similarly, many other people were questions, but all the efforts led to dead ends and unfortunately, no justice could be served. This innocent family lost their lives for God knows what reason.
The Ghost Encounters at the House
After their murder, the house remained empty for some time. Later, it attracted families who lived there for years but never stayed for long. It is reported that it is due to ghosts that scare the families away. Many people have reported the strange sounds, footsteps, shadows, things moving by themselves and a lot more than you cannot even imagine. Some have also mentioned that inside the house, they felt like someone was following them through the corridors. They could see shadows of a group that quickly disappeared.
Story of a Ghost Hunter
Many years back, a ghost hunter visited the house in search of possible spirits of Moore and his family. Instead, he was ended up in a hospital with a stab wound to his chest. It is believed that he stabbed himself while he visited the house. But as per researchers, it was a job of a spirit living inside Moore’s house.
Tours and Stays
The Moore’s house serves as a historical landmark and attracts many people, mostly paranormal investigators every year.
