Ep. 49 : Midnight Massacre - The Villisca Axe Murders
On June 9, 1912, a midnight massacre would change the town of Villisca, Iowa, forever, creating harsh divides between classes, races, families and churches. After attending Sunday service, the Moore family returned home with guests Ina and Lena Stillinger, where they shared a plate of milk and cookies before retiring for the evening. An unknown assailant waited in the wings and gruesomely butchered all six of the Moores and the two Stillinger children. The killer's identity remains a mystery, but he left behind tell-tale signs of someone who'd done this before, making the string of axe murders plaguing the Midwest one of America's first serial killings. We'll look at three possible suspects and analyze the implications their guilt had on Villisca. This is not a story with a happy ending, but we'll try to bring some levity with Halee's incredible Dead Velvet Cake. Happy Haunting!
The Victims
The Crime Scene
Villisca’s Suspects
Detective Wilkerson
Detective Wilkerson was dead set on pinning the crime on FF Jones. He claimed he had the evidence to prove it. He did not.
Reverend Kelly
Was it Henry Lee Moore?
Villisca Then & Now
Sources
What to know on the anniversary of the 1912 Villisca ax murders
The Villisca Axe Murders | Iowa Cold Cases
Villisca: Living with a Mystery
Serial Killer Term Origin, Mindhunter Sequence Meaning
Frank Fernando Jones - Wikipedia
The Suspects in the Villisca Axe Murders
Villisca Axe Murder House - Overnight Tours
Stayed the night in the Villisca Axe murder house, and now I’m in tears : r/Paranormal
Axe Used to Kill 8 in Villisca, Iowa on Display for 100th Anniversary