The Villisca Axe Murders: Eight Victims, No Answers Pt. 2
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hi, listeners, it's Vanessa. Before today's episode, I want to tell you about another show I think you'll love. Crime House and A&E are teaming up on the podcast version of the famous true crime series, The First 48. Each week, Carter Roy takes you inside a landmark homicide case. The interrogations, the dead ends, and the breakthroughs in the critical first 48 hours. Listen to and follow The First 48 every Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This is Crime House. Gossip often serves a purpose in life. It helps us navigate the world around us, like who we can trust and who we might want to avoid. Long before social media or the daily news cycle, gossip was how communities shared information and protected themselves. But sometimes the grapevine is unreliable, and gossip can lead us down the wrong path. In the early 1900s, the town of Villisca relied on rumors and hearsay to solve a heinous multiple homicide. At first, it seemed like the townspeople would be the key to unlock the mystery. But as the years passed, investigators found themselves running in circles around the same theories. And the more they searched for answers, even more horrifying revelations came to light.
The human mind is powerful. It shapes how we think, feel, love, and hate. But sometimes it drives people to commit the unthinkable. This is Serial Killers and Murderous Minds, a Crime House original. I'm Vanessa Richardson.
What happened during the Villisca axe murders and who were the victims?
And I'm forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Ingalls. Every Monday and Thursday, we uncover the darkest minds in history, analyzing what makes a killer.
CrimeHouse exists because of listeners like you. Want even more? Join CrimeHouse Plus and get both parts of every story dropped on the same Monday, completely ad-free. No waiting three days for part two, plus CrimeHouse bonus episodes every month. To join, go to CrimeHousePlus.com, or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap Try Free at the top of the Serial Killers and Murderous Minds page. Before we get started, be advised this episode contains descriptions of violence, so please listen with care. Today, we conclude our deep dive on the Villisca axe murders, one of the most infamous unsolved crimes in American history. In the summer of 1912, the murder of eight people inside a family home shattered the small town of Villisca, Iowa, and triggered a wave of terror throughout the Midwest, one we're still coming to terms with today.
As Vanessa goes through the story, I'll be talking about things like patterns among seemingly disconnected crimes, how some suspects choose to turn themselves in, and the lasting impact a violent tragedy can have on a community.
And as always, we'll be asking the question, what makes a killer? In the early morning hours of June 10, 1912, a family and their two guests were bludgeoned to death in their home while they slept. The victims were 43-year-old Joe Moore, his wife, 40-year-old Sarah, their four children, Herman, Catherine, Boyd, and Paul, and Catherine's two friends, Lena and Ina Stillinger. The killer had used the Moore's own axe as the murder weapon, and based on the nature of their injuries, it seemed like he'd used both the blunt and sharp sides. It was the most brutal and violent crime the town had ever seen. On top of that, authorities had discovered some strange details left behind, like mirrors covered with pieces of fabric, a bowl of bloody water in the kitchen, and a slab of uncooked bacon left out next to the murder weapon in the downstairs bedroom.
But investigators had no solid leads, which meant the killer was still on the loose.
A crime like this completely changes the way a community sees itself. Because before the murders, people in Villisca felt like they lived in a place where everyone knew each other and looked out for one another, and where something like this simply couldn't happen. And like we talked about in episode one, overnight, that's just gone. But some time has passed and there's been no arrest, there's no leads, and there's no forensic evidence.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–2:02
2
What happened during the Villisca axe murders and who were the victims?
2:02–35:23
3
How did the immediate community reaction and contamination of the crime scene hinder the investigation?
35:23–38:18
4
Why did Reverend George Kelly become the initial primary suspect in Villisca?
38:18–44:16
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Serial Killers & Murderous Minds
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