One the morning of June 10, 1912, a small community in Villisca, Iowa awoke to find 8 of their own had been brutally murdered by an axe during the middle of the night. What once had been a peaceful community where everyone knew and trusted their neighbors, attended church together and left doors unlocked, changed forever on that bloody morning. 

Joe B Moore (43), his wife Sarah (39), their four children, Herman (11), Katherine (10), Boyd (7), Paul (5) and two visiting children, Lena (11) and Ina (8) Stillinger were found in the early morning hours of June 10. All had been brutally murdered while they slept in their beds sometime between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. They had attended Children’s Day at their local church and arrived home about 11:00 p.m. the night before. 

After the bodies were discovered and law enforcement arrived, the law quickly discovered that they had already lost control of the crime scene. Neighbors had already filed into the house to witness the carnage and contaminated any evidence that might have been useful. The murderer/murderers had covered all the windows and mirrors of the home, and had cover the victims with blankets and clothing. A long, black handled axe lay against the wall in the downstairs sewing room where Lena and Ina lay. The mutilation of Lena and Ina was so severe that they were identified by their personal Bibles which were left on the dresser in their room. A bloody pan of water was found in the kitchen along with a half eaten meal. Kerosene lamps were carefully placed at the foot of each bed in both the parent’s room and the sewing room. The chimneys of the lamps had been discarded and the wicks turned back. 

Neighbors and law enforcement began to compile a list of suspects. No longer were doors left unlocked and everyone began keeping vigils at night to ensure the safety of their families. Accusations, rumors, and suspicion ran rampant. The state and neighboring counties sent in law enforcement agencies to assist with the thousands of interviews that took place, but the crime was never solved.