Investigation Date: 05-05-2007
Site: Villisca Axe Murder House
Location: Villisca, IA
Number of Investigations: 1
Evidence: EVP's and Video

Reason for Investigation Request

TCPS decided to take a group trip down to Villisca, Iowa to investigate the renowned Villisca Axe Murder House. We were intrigued by the history of the house and previous investigations done there by various paranormal groups. The trip turned out to be one that none of us would soon forget.

Research and Background on the Property

June 10, 1912 is a day that will forever be remembered by those living in Villisca, Iowa. Although most of those who lived during this tragedy have more than likely passed on themselves, what happened that day in the Moore House has shrouded the town of Villisca in mystery ever since that fateful morning.

On Sunday, June 9th, J.B. and Sarah Moore and their family spent the day like any other Sunday…at worship in the nearby Presbyterian Church. That night was the annual Children’s Day Program, which began around 8 PM. The Moore children - Herman, Katherine, Boyd and Paul - attended this program along with their friends, Lena and Ina Stillinger. The Stillinger girls were invited to spend the night at the Moore’s house. The Children’s Program ended at 9:30 PM and the Moore family, along with Lena and Ina, began the short walk home from church. This would be the last time anyone saw them alive.

At approximately 7 o’clock the next morning, the Moore’s neighbor had the suspicion that something was not “quite right” at the Moore house. According to her testimony, Mary Peckham recalled not hearing the normal hustle and bustle of chores being done nor did she remember seeing anyone as the house sat unusually still. Mary approached the house but found it locked from the inside. She then decided to call J.B.’s brother, Ross Moore. Upon arriving at the house, Ross attempted to wake up the Moore family, but ended up using his set of keys to enter the house. He searched the first floor of the house until he came upon the bodies of Lena and Ina lying in dried blood in the Guest Room. Ross immediately told Mary to call the Sherriff.

What ensued after this moment turned into chaos. News of the murders traveled swiftly throughout the town. Law enforcement officials lost control of the crime scene as neighbors and curious onlookers descended upon the Moore House, forcing the local police to call in the Villisca National Guard. It is said that up to one hundred people trampled through the house, destroying any potential evidence, before the National Guard arrived.

Detectives found eight bodies within the Moore house, all bludgeoned to death in bed. Doctors presumed the time of death occurred between midnight and 2 AM. J.B., Sarah, all of their children, and their guests – Lena and Ina – were all murdered while they slept. Police believe the murderer hid in the house and waited until everyone was asleep. It was also widely thought that the murderer knew a local train came through the town around 2 AM and perhaps that is why no one heard a sound from the house as the murders took place. A bloody axe was left at the scene which was concluded to be the murder weapon. Few other facts are known about what took place during the early hours of June 10th, 1912. Many suspects were named in the weeks and months following the murders. However, there was not enough evidence to convince any jury that any of the suspects were guilty. This crime has gone unsolved for almost one hundred years.

For more information regarding this tragedy, please visit the Official Site of the Villisca Axe Murders.

Investigation Details

Weather Conditions
Temperature: 72 °F
Dew Point: 66 °
Wind: 40+ mph
Moon: 90% Full
*It should be noted that we experienced severe thunder storms with high winds and humidity and tornado warnings during this investigation*

TCPS met with the owner of the Moore house, Darwin Linn, before the investigation and took a look around his museum. Mr. Linn was a very cordial, warm man with an in-depth knowledge of the time period during the murders. The Villisca Museum has an eclectic collection of history and is most interesting. A large collection of old automobiles is in the basement along with different tools and other collections from the period. After the museum, we took a tour of the town and made our way to the Moore house.

We had a group of eleven members present for this investigation. Areas we investigated included the kitchen, parlor, Guest Room, both upstairs bedrooms, attic, and the barn outside. We immediately began setting up various toys and equipment throughout the house, including a video camera in the Guest Room (or as it may sometimes be referred to as “the Blue Room”) that recorded during our entire time in the Moore house.

While investigating the kitchen, one of our teams had several experiences there during the first round of the night. One investigator was sitting in a chair and she was touched several times. She also reported hearing whispering that sounded like someone standing right next to her, whispering in her ear. She did not tell the other members on her team at the time about the phenomena because she wanted to see if anyone else would have the same experiences if they sat where she was. She traded spots with another member of her group and a few minutes later, this other member stated she was touched on her arm. This member was touched a total of five times while sitting in this location.

Only one member of the group reported any type of experience while investigating the Parlor. She stated she had an overwhelming sense of sadness and anxiety while sitting by the front door of the house. While one team was in the Blue Room, a member was sitting on the floor in front of the bed. She described feeling the mattress being pushed down in the middle of the bed, as though someone had sat on the bed itself. Feelings of panic and vertigo were experienced by all members of this same team. Two different cameras malfunctioned while the group was taking pictures in this room as well.

The attic upstairs proved to be the room with the most activity that night. One team asked any spirits there with them to effect the EMF meter to make it light up. Once the meter did, they would ask for the spirit to move away from the meter so the lights would go off. The EMF then returned to its normal state. The investigators reported this phenomena happening multiple times even though the EMF meter was stationary. These members also stated the EMF lighting up did not correlate with any lightening from the weather outside. This team captured an EVP during this time too! Later during the night, another team was in the attic and all 3 members began hearing a muffled conversation between what sounded like two people, one male and one female. The voices sounded as though they were coming from within one corner of the attic. The team used the two-way radios to make sure no one else from the group was talking and everyone reported in that they were all being quiet, as this occurred during our normal ten minutes of silence during the beginning of each investigation round. The team stationed outside in the barn could not recall seeing or hearing anyone outside of the house at this time either. The “conversation” lasted about five minutes and just dissipated, stopping as quickly as it began. This group also experienced multiple camera malfunctions, both digital and video.
All three members from another team reportedly were touched while investigating both bedrooms upstairs. One was touched in the children’s room, the other two members in J.B. and Sarah’s room. The group also captured two EVP’s during this round of the investigation.

The entire team gathered downstairs in the Parlor to wait for the 2 AM train as many other paranormal groups who have investigative the Moore house in the past claimed to have witnessed unexplained activity during this time. Our team did not experience anything out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, the investigation was soon interrupted by the weather outside and news of a tornado warning being issued for Villisca. We immediately packed up our equipment and headed to safety.

Final Analysis

Although we did have some paranormal experiences at the Villisca House, one should pose the question: are the living perpetuating this paranormal activity to continue for profit or is there genuine concern for the souls trapped here reliving their tragic end. Should these souls be allowed to pass on in peace? It is our belief that they should indeed be allowed to move on and find the peace they did not have in death.