Villisca Axe Murder House

Lena and Ina Stillinger, the daughters of Joseph and Sara Stillinger, left their home for church early Sunday morning . They planned on having dinner with their grandmother after the morning service, spending the afternoon with her and then returning to her home to spend the night after the Children’s Day exercises concluded . The girls, however, were invited by Katherine Moore to spend the night at the Moore home instead . Prior to leaving for the exercises, Mr . Moore placed a call to the Stillinger home to ask permission for the girls to stay overnight . Blanche, Lena and Ina’s older sister, told Mr . Moore that her parents were both outdoors but she would pass the message along to them .

The Children’s Day Program at the Presbyterian Church was an annual event and began at approximately 8:00 p .m on Sunday evening June 9th . According to witnesses, Sarah Moore coordinated the exercises . All of the Moore children as well as the Stillinger girls participated . Josiah Moore sat in the congregation . The program ended at 9:30 pm and the Moore family, along with the Stillinger sisters, walked home from the church . They entered their home sometime between 9:45 and 10:00 p .m .

The following morning, at approximately 5:00 a .m ., Mary Peckham, the Moore’s next door neighbor stepped into her yard to hang laundry . At approximately 7:00 am . she realized that not only had the Moore’s not been outside nor the chores began, but that the house itself seemed unusually still . Between 7:00 and 8:00 a .m ., Mary Peckham

approached the house and knocked on the door . When she received no response, she attempted to open the door only to find it locked from the inside . After letting out the Moore’s chickens, Mary placed a call to Josiah’s brother, Ross Moore, setting into place one of the most mismanaged murder investigations to ever be undertaken .

Once the murderers were discovered, the news traveled quickly in the small town . As neighbors and curious onlookers converged on the house, law enforcement officials quickly lost control of the crime scene . It is said that up to a hundred people traipsed through the house gawking at the bodies before the Villisca National Guard finally arrived around noon to cordon off the area and secure the home .

Had these murders been committed today, it is almost certain that law enforcement officials would have easily solved the crime and brought the murderer to justice . Almost 100 years later, however, the Villisca Axe Murders remain a mystery . The murder or murderers are probably long dead, their gruesome secret buried with them . In hindsight, it’s easy to blame the officials at the time, for what could only be considered a gross mismanagement of what little evidence may have remained .

It is quite probable that even if the crime scene had been secure, the evidence would not have provided any real clues . There was no central database of fingerprints so even if any had been recovered, the murderer would have had to have been apprehended for a comparison . Granted, prints may have either convicted or cleared Kelly and Mansfield . Frank Jones, however, was suspected only of masterminding the plot, not actually committing the murders himself . Fingerprints would not have exonerated him .

Villisca Axe Murder House

On a quiet residential street in this small town sits an old white frame house. On a dark evening, the absence of lights and sounds are the first indication to visitors that this house is different from the other homes that surround it. Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice the doors and windows are tightly closed and covered. An outhouse in the backyard suggests that this house does not occupy a place in the 21st century but somehow belongs in another era or another story. A weather-beaten sign warns rather than welcomes. This is the “Murder House”.

Day Tours are Tuesday-Sunday 1-4pm - last tour at 3:30 p.m. CLOSED MONDAYS. Overnight tours are by reservation only. www.villiscaiowa.com