The Villisca Axe Murder House is a somber landmark in Villisca, Iowa, where a brutal unsolved crime shocked the nation in 1912.
On June 10 of that year, eight individuals—including a family of six and two young guests—were bludgeoned to death with an axe while asleep in their beds; the perpetrator remains unidentified to this day.
This modest white-frame residence, built in 1860, has since drawn the attention of investigators, historians, and paranormal enthusiasts, fueled by persistent reports of supernatural disturbances.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Villisca Axe Murder House (also known as the Josiah B. and Sara Moore House) |
| Location | 508 East 2nd Street, Villisca, Montgomery County, Iowa, United States |
| History | On June 10, 1912, Josiah B. Moore (43), his wife Sarah (39), their children Herman (11), Mary Catherine (10), Arthur (7), and Paul (5), along with guests Lena Stillinger (12) and Ina Stillinger (8), were murdered in their sleep with an axe; the crime remains unsolved after multiple investigations and trials. |
| Type of haunting | Intelligent, Poltergeist, Apparitions, Ghosts (General) |
| Entities | Alleged spirits of the Moore family (Josiah, Sarah, Herman, Mary, Arthur, Paul) and the Stillinger sisters (Lena, Ina); shadowy figures possibly linked to the unidentified killer. |
| Manifestations | Disembodied footsteps, whispers and children’s laughter, objects moving on their own, cold spots, shadowy apparitions, strange fog or mists, sensations of being watched, unexplained bruises or scratches on visitors, eerie quietness interrupted by sudden noises. |
| First reported sighting | Mid-1990s, shortly after the house opened for public tours and overnight stays by owners Martha and Robert Linn. |
| Recent activity | As of 2024, overnight guests reported heightened activity, including electronic voice phenomena (EVP) capturing children’s voices and a video anomaly showing a shadowy figure in the children’s bedroom; paranormal investigators noted temperature drops and equipment malfunctions during a September 2024 tour. |
| Open to the public? | Yes; daytime tours available for $12 per person, overnight stays for groups of up to five starting at $428; reservations required via the official website or by calling (712) 250-5122. |
What Is the Villisca Axe Murder House Haunting?
The Villisca Axe Murder House is famous for its creepy atmosphere and mysterious occurrences that appear to be linked to the tragic events of 1912.
Visitors report different types of paranormal activity—some friendly and playful, while others feel more unsettling. For example, toys can be found moved around without anyone touching them, faint giggles are heard in empty rooms, and chilly drafts suddenly sweep through the air during ghost hunts, especially when questions are being asked.
These experiences might be tied to the spirits of the victims, still feeling the shock of their violent end, mixed with the darker energy of the killer’s presence.
Paranormal investigation teams (such as those featured on Ghost Adventures) have captured eerie voices on recordings that sound like cries for help or mimic the sounds of children’s pleas for help.
Oddly enough, these occurrences often align with the sound of a train whistle around 1 a.m., the time when the murders took place. Many visitors also leave with strange marks on their skin—like scratches that resemble crosses or initials—leading some to believe they might have had a brush with something supernatural.
The attic of the house is particularly unsettling, where many report feeling a heavy weight and having unnerving visions, like seeing blood-stained skirts hanging over mirrors or hearing labored breathing sounds.
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Villisca Axe Murder House Haunted History
The Villisca House was a modest two-story home built around 1860 in a growing railroad town.
Villisca, which means “pleasant view” in the Dakota Sioux language, became a thriving farming community along the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad line. By 1912, the town’s population was approximately 2,500, comprising friendly farmers and shopkeepers.
Josiah B. Moore, born in 1869 to a well-off local family, represented this success. After learning the hardware trade, he married Sarah Montgomery in 1899, and they moved into 508 East 2nd Street, where they raised four children in the peaceful Iowa countryside.
Everything changed on June 9, 1912. The Moore family had just come home from a children’s event at their church, bringing along two of their neighbors’ daughters, Lena and Ina Stillinger, for a sleepover.
The girls were dressed nicely in their starched cotton dresses and were excited from the evening’s activities. Unfortunately, late that night, while the family was asleep and unaware, a stranger broke in through an unlocked back door.
By dawn, all eight lay dead: skulls fractured by the Moores’ own axe, retrieved from the shed; faces wrapped in bloodied sheets to block morning light.
Josiah and Sarah died in their downstairs bedroom; the boys, Herman and Paul, in an upstairs alcove; the girls—Mary, Arthur, Lena, and Ina—scattered across blood-soaked mattresses.
Discovery came early in the morning, around 7:30 a.m., when neighbor Mary Peckham looked through a window, expecting to tell the family they were running late. Instead, she was horrified to see Josiah in a terrible state.
News spread quickly, and soon hundreds of people gathered at the scene. The National Guard had to step in to clear the area, ruining any possible evidence.
Autopsies showed that each victim had suffered over 30 blows, with some occurring after death. Oddly, mirrors were covered with skirts (perhaps to ward off spirits), and a piece of bacon was found on the floor as part of a strange ritual.
The townspeople were shaken; the funerals attracted thousands of mourners, but rumors of a curse began to tarnish Villisca’s reputation as a “pretty place”—some even suggested it resembled Wallisca, meaning “evil resting place.”
Investigations dragged on for years, catching various suspects in a web of jealousy and madness.
One prominent businessman, Frank F. Jones, had previously employed Josiah and was accused of hiring a hitman named William “Blackie” Mansfield over a dispute about business contracts. Although Jones had an alibi, there was gossip about his daughter-in-law having an affair with Josiah.
Another suspect was Reverend Lyn George Jacklin Kelly, a traveling preacher with a troubled past, who preached a fiery sermon that very Sunday. He had previously faced trial for being unstable, but was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
At some point during the investigation, a guy named Henry Moore had confessed to similar murders but later took back his statement; his violent acts in Colorado mirrored those of Villisca.
After the murders, the house changed hands 13 times, with each new owner leaving due to financial issues or feelings of unease—many families claimed they were cursed.
By the 1990s, historians Martha and Robert Linn had restored the house to its appearance in 1912, complete with original wallpaper and period furniture, even adding replica bloodstains for added realism. They opened it as a museum in 1994, turning it into a site for dark tourism.
However, the shadow of the murders only grew darker as similar axe killings occurred in nearby towns, hinting at a possible serial killer. Fires destroyed nearby barns, and even some investigators faced personal tragedies—one detective’s wife claimed she saw visions of a “tall shadow man.”
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Villisca Axe Murder House Ghost Sightings
| Date | Location in House | Witnesses | Description | Evidence Captured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-1990s | Children’s Bedroom | Initial tour groups, including local residents | Faint children’s laughter heard during guided tours; sensation of small hands tugging at clothing; one woman felt a cold grip on her ankle while standing near the replica beds. | None documented; anecdotal reports noted in owner logs. |
| 2004 | Attic and Downstairs Parlor | Ghost Hunters team (TAPS: Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson) | Team recorded EVP of a child’s voice saying “Who are you?”; shadows darted across thermal imaging; a door slammed shut unaided, followed by whispers mimicking “Get out.” Oppressive heat in attic led to nausea and disorientation. | EVP audio; thermal anomalies on video; team photos showing unexplained orbs. |
| June 2008 | Stillinger Sisters’ Room | Ghost Adventures crew (Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, Aaron Goodwin) | During overnight lockdown, crew experienced poltergeist activity: mattress levitating slightly; scratches appearing on Zak’s back forming a cross; disembodied male growl followed by children’s giggles. Fog-like mist emanated from floorboards at 1 a.m. train pass. | Video of mattress movement; photographs of scratches; EVP of growls and pleas; X-camera capturing shadow figure. |
| 2014 | Kitchen and Upstairs Hallway | Overnight guest Robert Cooney (amateur investigator from Wisconsin) | Alone in the house, Cooney stabbed himself repeatedly with a knife, claiming an unseen force compelled him; he described visions of bloodied children urging “Join us”; incident occurred near midnight, echoing murder timeline. | None; medical reports confirmed self-inflicted wounds; guest hospitalized with no prior mental health issues noted. |
| September 2024 | Entire House (Full Overnight) | Paranormal group (including Sam and Colby YouTubers) | Heightened responses during EVP sessions: toys rolling across floors; full-bodied apparitions of a woman in white (resembling Sarah Moore); electronic equipment batteries draining simultaneously; one member bruised inexplicably on arms, as if gripped. Train whistle triggered synchronized cold spots. | Video anomalies of apparitions; EVP compilations with “Mama?”; EMF spikes correlating with footsteps; guest-submitted photos of mists. |
Villisca Axe Murder House Ghost Sightings
Initial Reports (Mid-1990s)
In the mid-1990s, when the Linn family opened the restored Villisca Axe Murder House to the public, strange occurrences began to unfold.
Local families, curious about the house’s dark past, came to see the recreated rooms filled with old furniture and eerie decorations (including dolls that seemed to watch them).
One group of older Villisca residents gathered in the children’s bedroom where four young siblings had once slept. As they stood there, a soft giggle seemed to echo through the room, almost like the laughter of kids playing hide-and-seek. One woman, feeling a chill, clutched her shawl as she suddenly felt a gentle tug at her hem.
The guides explained these odd sounds away as noises from outside, insisting that the quiet streets of Villisca couldn’t be so lively. But more unusual experiences piled up.
A schoolteacher visiting from Des Moines felt something cold wrap around her ankle near a small bed. Surprised, she stumbled and gasped, and those with her claimed that the temperature in the room dropped drastically in just moments.
These early strange encounters—laughter without anyone present, ghostly touches—suggested that something was awakening within the house. It felt as if the tragic events that had taken place there had created a connection to another world.
Ghost Hunters Investigation (2004)
In 2004, the Ghost Hunters team visited the Villisca Axe Murder House. With their cameras rolling and a wide array of ghost-hunting equipment, they tried to record any signs of paranormal activity amidst the local legends.
Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, the founders of TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society), divided into two groups: one explored the eerie upstairs nursery. At the same time, the other stayed below in the parlor, where the tragic events had unfolded.
As night fell over Villisca, the attic called to them—a cramped, hot space that was supposedly the killer’s hideout, where stories of cigarette butts left behind still lingered.
During their investigation in the attic, Hawes turned on a recorder. To their shock, they heard a child’s voice ask, “Who are you?”—a clear and unexpected spirit communication.
Meanwhile, downstairs, the team captured strange images on thermal cameras—figures that appeared to move independently of one another. Wilson tried to open one of the doors, but it suddenly slammed shut without explanation, shaking the area. They then heard a chilling whisper that seemed to say “Get out,” in a deep and threatening tone.
Back in Rhode Island, they analyzed their findings and discovered some interesting evidence: unexplained lights, orbs, floating around, and audio waveforms that jumped when they asked questions.
This investigation changed everything—the Villisca Axe Murder House transformed from a local story into a national sensation. Although some critics accused the team of faking evidence, the raw footage showed their eerie discoveries: desperate voices breaking the silence and shadows that seemed to defy reality.
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Ghost Adventures Lockdown (2008)
In 2008, the Ghost Adventures crew investigated the Villisca Axe Murder House, and what started as a ghost-hunting expedition quickly turned into a frightening experience.
Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin spent 28 hours locked inside, which heightened the already dark atmosphere of the house. As night fell, they divided into different rooms: Bagans went to the room where the two young Stillinger sisters had tragically died, while Groff explored the blood-stained area where their parents were murdered.
Around 1 a.m., when a train echoed through the night—ironically, the same time the murders took place—strange occurrences began.
In the girls’ room, Bagans felt the bed move, as if something unseen was lifting it. They captured this unsettling moment on video. Soon after, Bagans began to feel painful scratches appearing on his back, as if something was marking him without any physical contact.
He remarked, “It burns—like judgment,” as the crew rushed to help. Audio recordings picked up eerie sounds, including a deep growl followed by what sounded like mocking laughter.
As the night continued, mist began to rise from the floor, and Goodwin caught sight of a dark figure lurking near the stove. The team’s attempts to provoke any spirits led to intense phenomena: loud banging noises, doors slamming open, and chills that fogged their camera lenses. Groff recorded ghostly voices saying “Papa?” in a scared child’s tone and pleading “Don’t leave me” from nowhere.
Later, Bagans admitted he also felt an overwhelming urge to grab a replica axe. This desire only faded away when he prayed.
Robert Cooney Incident (2014)
On November 7, 2014, Robert Cooney, a 37-year-old from Rhinelander, Wisconsin, decided to spend the night alone at the Villisca Axe Murder House. He was intrigued by the stories he had found online about the infamous Stillinger Room, where tragic events had occurred in the past.
With a tape recorder in hand and a mix of curiosity and skepticism, he settled into the dimly lit room, thinking about the sisters who had been killed there in 1912.
At midnight, the haunting sounds of a train echoed through the house, and Cooney began to feel an unsettling pressure in his chest, like a heavy weight.
Strange visions filled his mind—images of blood on innocent faces and small hands silently inviting him from dark corners. Voices seemed to whisper to him, urging him to “join us” and experience the horror.
In a shocking turn of events, Cooney’s own kitchen knife (which he had brought for cutting fruit) became a weapon against him. As if possessed, he found himself stabbing his own thigh and stomach, with a total of 37 wounds, before help arrived.
His neighbors, alarmed by his cries, quickly called for assistance, and he was airlifted to a hospital in Omaha, haunted by the images he had seen and convinced that a ghostly presence had taken control of him. He described it as if invisible strings were pulling his arm against his will.
Despite no evidence of drugs or mental health issues, Robert returned home forever changed by the experience.
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Theories
People have been curious about the haunting of the Villisca Axe Murder House for a long time. Everyday people, paranormal researchers, and skeptics have all attempted to understand what’s happening there.
Some believe the strange happenings might be linked to the trauma of the horrific events that took place in the house. On the other hand, others think it could be about the spirits of those who died, still seeking justice.
Residual Haunting from Traumatic Imprinting
One prevailing theory posits the disturbances as residual hauntings—non-interactive echoes imprinted on the environment by extreme violence, akin to psychic tape loops. The 1912 murders’ brutality—axes cleaving skulls amid slumber’s peace—likely saturated the structure with emotional residue, per parapsychologists like William Roll.
The paranormal activity seems to unfold predictably: the sound of children laughing at dusk evokes memories of playful times before a tragedy; the fog that rolls in when trains arrive feels like a sign of something sinister approaching. It’s as if the house itself is reliving its horrifying past, rather than the people within it experiencing it.
Certain environmental factors add to the eerie atmosphere: the old wooden floors creak like footsteps, and warm summer air can create unexpected cold spots. There are also mysterious voices caught on recordings, such as a child’s plea for “Mama?”
This raises questions—could some awareness be lingering in the air? Some skeptics, including psychologists, suggest that low-frequency sounds from passing trains may be causing people to feel uneasy and leading them to believe they are experiencing strange phenomena.
On the other hand, supporters of the paranormal believe that the isolated setting of Villisca has preserved its haunting memories, keeping them clear and unchanged; year after year, the same ghostly scenes replay like a sad song for those who never received justice.
Intelligent Spirits Seeking Resolution
Supporters of the idea that hauntings can be intelligent believe the Villisca Axe Murder House is home to conscious spirits—the souls of the Moore family and the Stillinger girls, trapped here because of their tragic endings.
Unlike other types of hauntings that are simply echoes of the past, these spirits actively interact with people. They respond to names by knocking and sometimes scratching walls as if asking for help.
The shadow of Reverend Kelly, who was acquitted of the murders, is also thought to linger as a vengeful spirit, contributing to strange happenings in the house.
Some investigators cite Zak Bagans’ 2008 experiences as evidence of a haunting, suggesting that these spirits express their sadness through angry actions.
There are similarities with other haunted places, such as Gettysburg and Amityville, where restless spirits appear to seek attention.
Skeptics argue that visitors often project their own feelings of loss onto the objects in these places, creating what they see as ghostly encounters based on their emotions.
However, some people have captured eerie voices on recordings asking questions like, “Who did this?” which hints that these spirits might still have awareness, building on ideas from science suggesting consciousness might exist even after death.
Psychological Suggestion and Environmental Cues
Skeptical views on ghost stories highlight how our minds can play tricks on us, especially in places like the Villisca Axe Murder House. The spooky feelings some people experience can stem from creepy stories and dim lighting, which create a certain atmosphere.
There’s a concept in psychology called “priming,” introduced by psychologist Daniel Kahneman, which suggests that what we expect to see can change how we perceive things. For instance, if we hear odd noises while thinking about ghosts, we may start to imagine those sounds as voices.
The cramped space of an attic can trigger feelings of anxiety, making us more likely to see shadows out of the corner of our eyes. Additionally, the presence of certain gases from old pipes can cause us to feel dizzy or uneasy, sometimes leading to sensations that we might mistake for something paranormal.
Research by psychologist Richard Wiseman found that many reports of hauntings originate from infrasound—sounds that are too low for most people to hear, which can cause strange visual experiences.
In cases like Cooney’s incident in 2014, factors such as lack of sleep and being alone can lead people to feel disconnected from reality, as seen in certain psychological conditions.
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Portal to Other Dimensions
Some fascinating ideas suggest that the Villisca Axe Murder House could be a special kind of doorway to other dimensions, almost like a thin spot in reality. The concept originates from theories in physics that discuss the possibility of multiple universes.
The violent events that happened there might have created a kind of rift, enabling strange happenings to spill over from other worlds where similar events play out in different ways.
There are even suggestions that the spirits of children seen there could be from these alternate realities, appearing like echoes from a different dimension. The house sits on ancient Native American sites, which some believe adds to its mysterious energy.
Author Troy Taylor has linked the house to other violent events in the region, proposing that something in this location draws these energies.
While some doubters dismiss these claims as fanciful thinking without scientific evidence, numerous intriguing phenomena continue to be investigated by scientists. For instance, unusual temperature changes and odd behavior in clocks have caught their attention, leading to questions about how these might relate to deeper truths in physics.
Demonic Influence Tied to Unresolved Evil
One of the more unsettling explanations for the murders suggests that dark forces may have taken advantage of the situation.
There were strange signs—such as covered mirrors and a piece of bacon used as a protective charm—that might have drawn in evil spirits, preying on the tragedy that had occurred. Some believe that places where many people have died can attract restless spirits, trying to mimic the lost souls to create fear and doubt in the living.
Stories from exorcism traditions and paranormal investigators point to unusual behaviors, like strange sounds or objects moving on their own, as signs of this kind of demonic presence. The idea is that these forces want to confuse and scare us, leading to chaos within a community.
Villisca Axe Murder House vs Other Haunted Locations
| Haunted Location | State | Key Tragedy | Primary Manifestations | Public Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lizzie Borden House | Massachusetts | 1892 axe murders of parents | Apparitions of Lizzie; falling objects; phantom cigar smoke | Yes; tours and overnights |
| Winchester Mystery House | California | Sarah Winchester’s guilt-fueled construction after family deaths | Labyrinthine doors to nowhere; ghostly laborers; cold spots | Yes; guided tours |
| Amityville Horror House | New York | 1974 DeFeo family shootings | Demonic swarms; levitating beds; green slime ooze | No; private residence |
| Bell Witch Cabin Site | Tennessee | 1817-1821 torment of Bell family by entity | Slaps and pinches; voices mimicking family; animal mutilations | Yes; replica cabin tours |
| Eastern State Penitentiary | Pennsylvania | 1829-1971 solitary confinement horrors | Shadow people in cells; laughter echoes; cell doors slamming | Yes; historical tours |
| Stanley Hotel | Colorado | Inspiration for The Shining; 1911 gas leak deaths | Pianos playing alone; children’s footsteps; apparitions in Room 217 | Yes; overnights available |
| LaLaurie Mansion | Louisiana | 1834 torture chamber discoveries | Cries of agony; bloodstains reappearing; chained spirits | Limited; exterior views |
| Whaley House | California | 1850s suicides and hangings on site | “Yankee Jim” stomps; dollhouse toys moving; Victorian lady ghosts | Yes; museum tours |
| Gettysburg Battlefield | Pennsylvania | 1863 Civil War battle (51,000 casualties) | Cannon fire echoes; soldier apparitions; phantom wounds | Yes; park access and tours |
| Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum | West Virginia | 1864-1994 patient abuses and deaths | Wheelchair rattles; shadow nurses; electroshock screams | Yes; paranormal overnights |
| Myrtles Plantation | Louisiana | 1800s poisonings and slave hangings | Choked children’s ghosts; mirror-trapped spirits; handprints on windows | Yes; bed-and-breakfast |
| Bird Cage Theatre | Arizona | 1881-1890s shootings and brothel violence | Floating orbs; poker chips falling; saloon girl apparitions | Yes; guided history tours |
| Waverly Hills Sanatorium | Kentucky | 1920s tuberculosis deaths (est. 48,000) | Body chute slides; nurse suicides; children’s laughter in wards | Yes; overnight investigations |
| Queen Mary Ship | California | 1936-1967 drownings and WWII troop deaths | Wet footprints in pools; engineer ghosts in engine room; party crashers | Yes; hotel and tours |
| Holocaust Museum (various sites) | Multiple | WWII genocide | Survivor echoes; cries in exhibits; shadow figures in gas chamber replicas | Yes; educational visits |
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Is the Villisca Axe Murder House Haunting Real?
The Villisca Axe Murder House haunting remains a mystery, with its walls holding stories of tragedy that spark endless speculation—whether it’s real ghostly activity or tricks of the mind.
For over a hundred years, people have reported strange occurrences, from eerie voices to unexplained marks, suggesting something unusual is happening there.
Although there is no solid proof to confirm these experiences, the stories are too consistent to be ignored. What strikes us most is how the site continues to unsettle visitors, reflecting our deep curiosity about unresolved mysteries: eight lives were tragically lost, and the identity of the killer still lingers in the shadows of history.
When we take a closer look, we notice strange patterns—like sounds at specific times—that go beyond environmental explanations, hinting that there might be energies connected to the very structure of the house.
