IA IA - Villisca Axe Murders of 1912

Isn't there a book about this case? Or am I thinking of the TV video alluded to earlier?
I read somewhere that most or all of the alleged serial killer victims lived close to railroad tracks. The book - or video- was speculating that this was a serial killer who was a drifter. I think a suspect was named who died years later in an institution.
It'll soon be 100 years- wonder if Villisca plans to do anything for that? Some towns would try to live that down but I'm glad some people still care.

There is a book written by Roy Marshall in 2003 called Villisca, which says it is the true story of the Villisca Axe Murders. There was also a book written in 1986 as a novel based on the murders called Morning Ran Red by Stephen Bowman. Both books are available for purchase at the following website:

www.villiscamovie.com

If you click on the Emporium section at the bottom, there are other interesting publications for sale as well. This is the site that belongs to the filmmakers who made the documentary, Villisca: Living with a Mystery.

I haven't heard of anything to commemorate the 100th anniversary yet, but I'm sure something will be planned for 2012.
 
I just stumbled upon this thread, and what timing too as today is the 97th anniversary of the murders. I just added the documentary to my Netflix queue, I can't wait to watch it.
 
The documentary was really interesting and well done. I thought the filmmakers did an excellent job of portraying the atmosphere of 1912.

The crime scene was immediately contaminated with the whole freaking city trapesing through to view the bodies and take pictures.
 
Bumping. I came across this blog I had not seen before today which is appropriately title The 1912 Villisca Axe Murders Blog.

http://docublogger.typepad.com/villiscamystery/


Thanks for the link, gaia. I was actually going to post that link last June and I didn't. I go there about once a week to see what new articles are there. Dr. Ed Epperly is the foremost authority on the Villisca murders. He has been researching them since 1955. I love the little bios he writes about people who might have been suspects or just people who were involved in some way, like the 2 guys who cleaned the house afterwards or Dona Jones, Senator Jones' daughter-in-law, who was suspected of having an affair with Joe Moore, one of the victims. The filmmakers, Kelly and Tammy Rundle, have a great website there at www.villiscamovie.com. There are others, but the Rundles have researched everything in detail and have enormous respect for the residents of Villisca, and it shows in the film. They didn't make the film for the shock value or paranormal aspects that some say exist. I've gotten to know them somewhat and still support their other films by writing reviews for amazon.com or the IMDb. They're really great people and, in my opinion, have the definitive website about the Villisca tragedy. But I do love that blog and all the articles on there. Thanks again.
 
I agree, this is an interesting crime. Out of curiosity I looked up the family's census record -

1910 United States Federal Census
about Josiah B Moore


Name: Josiah B Moore
Age in 1910: 41
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1869
Birthplace: Illinois
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: Ireland
Spouse's Name: Sara
Home in 1910: Villisca Ward 3, Montgomery, Iowa
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male

Household Members:
Josiah B Moore 41
Sara Moore 37
Herman Moore 9
Kathern Moore 8
Boyd Moore 5
Paul Moore 3
 
Thanks for the link, gaia. I was actually going to post that link last June and I didn't. I go there about once a week to see what new articles are there. Dr. Ed Epperly is the foremost authority on the Villisca murders. He has been researching them since 1955. I love the little bios he writes about people who might have been suspects or just people who were involved in some way, like the 2 guys who cleaned the house afterwards or Dona Jones, Senator Jones' daughter-in-law, who was suspected of having an affair with Joe Moore, one of the victims. The filmmakers, Kelly and Tammy Rundle, have a great website there at www.villiscamovie.com. There are others, but the Rundles have researched everything in detail and have enormous respect for the residents of Villisca, and it shows in the film. They didn't make the film for the shock value or paranormal aspects that some say exist. I've gotten to know them somewhat and still support their other films by writing reviews for amazon.com or the IMDb. They're really great people and, in my opinion, have the definitive website about the Villisca tragedy. But I do love that blog and all the articles on there. Thanks again.


I think it was you who recommended the documentary to me. It is really well done and not sensationalized at all. I think their website is great too. I haven't had the chance to poke around this blog as much as I would like yet.

I was flipping through the channels the other night and Haunting Evidence on TruTV was on and they were doing the episode in Villisca at the house. I think that show is really cheesy and don't really believe anything they say as the female has been outed as a fraud many times but it was still interesting just given the subject matter. Both of the psychics separately (supposedly)came to the conclusion they were murders-for-hire and the person who hired them was .........(ER my memory) the older, wealthy man. I am sure you know who I am talking about. I could just look it up if I weren't so lazy!
 
I think it was you who recommended the documentary to me. It is really well done and not sensationalized at all. I think their website is great too. I haven't had the chance to poke around this blog as much as I would like yet.

I was flipping through the channels the other night and Haunting Evidence on TruTV was on and they were doing the episode in Villisca at the house. I think that show is really cheesy and don't really believe anything they say as the female has been outed as a fraud many times but it was still interesting just given the subject matter. Both of the psychics separately (supposedly)came to the conclusion they were murders-for-hire and the person who hired them was .........(ER my memory) the older, wealthy man. I am sure you know who I am talking about. I could just look it up if I weren't so lazy!

Yes, it was me who recommended the documentary. I thought it was very well done, and I try to promote it for the filmmakers whenever I can!

I saw where that episode of Haunting Evidence was going to be on the other night too. I didn't watch it again. I agree, I don't think the show is credible at all. I watched all the episodes when it first came on but I noticed not one of the cases they took on was ever solved! I did see the Villisca episode the first time and I think it was Senator Frank Jones who the trio on the show said hired someone to do the murders. There was some bad blood between Senator Jones and the murdered man, Josiah Moore. Moore used to work for Jones in his implement store, but left to start his own business, which ironically was just across the street from Jones' store. Joe Moore also took the lucrative John Deere contract with him when he opened his shop. That coupled with the fact that Joe was allegedly having an affair with the Senator's daughter-in-law was the reason part of the town suspected that Jones hired someone to kill the Moore family and the Stillinger girls. I don't think Jones had anything to do with the murders but some of the townspeople did back then, and I think it was just a convenient conclusion for the psychics on Haunting Evidence to come to.
 
Yes, it was me who recommended the documentary. I thought it was very well done, and I try to promote it for the filmmakers whenever I can!

I saw where that episode of Haunting Evidence was going to be on the other night too. I didn't watch it again. I agree, I don't think the show is credible at all. I watched all the episodes when it first came on but I noticed not one of the cases they took on was ever solved! I did see the Villisca episode the first time and I think it was Senator Frank Jones who the trio on the show said hired someone to do the murders. There was some bad blood between Senator Jones and the murdered man, Josiah Moore. Moore used to work for Jones in his implement store, but left to start his own business, which ironically was just across the street from Jones' store. Joe Moore also took the lucrative John Deere contract with him when he opened his shop. That coupled with the fact that Joe was allegedly having an affair with the Senator's daughter-in-law was the reason part of the town suspected that Jones hired someone to kill the Moore family and the Stillinger girls. I don't think Jones had anything to do with the murders but some of the townspeople did back then, and I think it was just a convenient conclusion for the psychics on Haunting Evidence to come to.


I have been so interested in these murders. I have read everthing I could get my hands on, e.g., coroner's inquest, books, Federal Census data, and etc.

Based upon my research, I concluded that Martin Luther Kellums ought to be a leading person of interest for being the perp. He seemed so obvious to me, but it seems no one, including the authorities investigating the murder, ever gave him a thought. That is to say, except for the Stillinger family.

If you read the transcript of Mr. Stillinger's testimony during the coroner's inquest, his family and him were clearly suspicious of Kellums being the murderer. If you read said transcript closely, Mr. Stillinger's testimony regarding Kellums seems like an ominous foreboding of the murder.

Also, while I was researching information regarding the crime scene, I got the strong impression that the murderer had some kind of problem with his vision. Later, I reviewed Kellums' draft card for WWI, and the Army Sergeant noted on the draft card that kellums had a "defective right eye."

Do you know if Kellums was ever on anybody's list of suspects? If not, do you know why?
 
I have been so interested in these murders. I have read everthing I could get my hands on, e.g., coroner's inquest, books, Federal Census data, and etc.

Based upon my research, I concluded that Martin Luther Kellums ought to be a leading person of interest for being the perp. He seemed so obvious to me, but it seems no one, including the authorities investigating the murder, ever gave him a thought. That is to say, except for the Stillinger family.

If you read the transcript of Mr. Stillinger's testimony during the coroner's inquest, his family and him were clearly suspicious of Kellums being the murderer. If you read said transcript closely, Mr. Stillinger's testimony regarding Kellums seems like an ominous foreboding of the murder.

Also, while I was researching information regarding the crime scene, I got the strong impression that the murderer had some kind of problem with his vision. Later, I reviewed Kellums' draft card for WWI, and the Army Sergeant noted on the draft card that kellums had a "defective right eye."

Do you know if Kellums was ever on anybody's list of suspects? If not, do you know why?

I can't remember reading about Kellums at all. Of course, it's been a while since I read through all the transcripts and everything else. I sent a message to Dr. Ed Epperly, who is the foremost authority on the Villisca murders. He's been investigating and researching the case since 1955. I'll let you know what he says when he gets back to me. Thanks for your interest in the case.
 
Here is what Dr. Epperly had to say about Kellums:

"All we know about Kellums came from Joe Stillinger's testimony before the coroner's inquest. He was never a serious suspect. He came to work as a hired man for Joe on May15 1912 and left on the 18th. Joe paid him $5.50. He said he was giong to Burlington Iowa to get some clothes and would be back on Monday but he never returned. Joe thought he only wanted to earn enough to get to Burlington. There was no reason to suspect him. In fact if he did the killing it would have been out of a hatred of Joe but he would have had no way of knowing the girls were going to be at the Moore's that night since they didn't decide that until about 6:00 p. m. "
 
Remembering the six members of the Moore family and the two Stillinger girls who were murdered 99 years ago today on June 10, 1912, in Villisca, Iowa. Prayers for the family members still affected by this horrible, unsolved tragedy.

www.villiscamovie.com
 
Thanks for bumping this up.

The Villisca Axe House, as it is now called, offers tours and also allows guests to stay overnight for $400 per night.

Would you want to pay that much to stay in such a place??:waitasec:

People who have stayed overnight have heard voices, screams, doors shutting, etc. The caretaker at the Villisca Cemetery also reports mysterious noises and sightings of people who weren't there (ghosts, supposedly). Whether they are the ghosts of the murder victims or just random ghosts is unclear from the article I read.

Also, a lot of "ghost hunters" love the house because there is a lot of "activity" there.

I just find this gruesome.
 
Thanks for bumping this up.

The Villisca Axe House, as it is now called, offers tours and also allows guests to stay overnight for $400 per night.

Would you want to pay that much to stay in such a place??:waitasec:

People who have stayed overnight have heard voices, screams, doors shutting, etc. The caretaker at the Villisca Cemetery also reports mysterious noises and sightings of people who weren't there (ghosts, supposedly). Whether they are the ghosts of the murder victims or just random ghosts is unclear from the article I read.

Also, a lot of "ghost hunters" love the house because there is a lot of "activity" there.

I just find this gruesome.

I don't have a link to it but there is a YouTube video of a couple young people from Wisconsin spending the night in the house; they allegedly are with some psychic research group. At one point, in response to something they felt was thretatening, one of them was shouting '******' at the alleged angry spirit. That's when I stopped watching. Hope they got their $400 worth. They came across as a couple of frat boys out on a lark.

You'd have to pay ME a lot more than that to spend a night there, and I'd leave the lights on.
 
It is one of the few mass murder cases that is unsolved even 100 years later.
 
I wouldn't want to stay in any home where small children were so viciously murdered. That is awful.

A very fascinating case though, I had not heard of it before and thank you all for posting the links for reading. :)
 

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