The Villisca Axe Murders: 8 Killed, Never Solved | The Haunted House on East Second Street

The Villisca Axe Murders: 8 Killed, Never Solved | The Haunted House on East Second Street

The Villisca axe murders remain one of America’s most chilling unsolved crimes. On the night of June 9th, 1912, eight people — the Moore family and two young houseguests — were killed in their sleep in a quiet home in Villisca, Iowa. More than a hundred years later, the case is still unsolved, and the Villisca axe murder house is now considered one of the most haunted locations in the Midwest. This episode of Chasing the Dark covers the full true crime story and the paranormal activity people report inside the house today. We sit with both threads of that night: the 1912 crime that was never solved, and the darkness people say never left the house on East Second Street. We walk through the town as it was, the family as they were, and the unbearable, deliberate calm of what was done after midnight — the covered faces, the sealed windows, the locked doors. We follow the contaminated crime scene and the investigation that was lost before it began, the suspects whose names never went away — state senator Frank F. Jones, William Mansfield, and the Reverend George Kelly — and the traveling-killer theory that links Villisca to a cluster of railroad-adjacent family murders around 1912. Then we cross into the paranormal: the EVP recordings, the cold spots, the footsteps, and the reports from inside the Villisca axe murder house — alongside the honest, skeptical counter-explanations. And we sit with the detail that unsettles people most: why the haunting, if it is one, seems to retrace the exact path the killer walked. This is a story about a family. Josiah and Sarah Moore. Their children — Herman, Mary Katherine, Arthur Boyd, and Paul Vernon. And two girls who only meant to stay the night, Lena and Ina Stillinger. We tell it the way we tell every story here: carefully, honestly, and with their names kept attached to who they actually were. ⚠️ Listener Discretion Advised: This episode discusses the murders of children and contains descriptions of violent crime. ⸻ Show Notes Case: The Villisca Axe Murders Location: Villisca, Iowa Date: June 9–10, 1912 Victims: * Josiah Moore (43) * Sarah Moore (39) * Herman Moore (11) * Mary Katherine Moore (10) * Arthur Boyd Moore (7) * Paul Vernon Moore (5) * Lena Stillinger (11) * Ina May Stillinger (8) (Wikipedia⁠) In This Episode: * The final hours before the murders * Discovery of the crime scene * The bizarre clues left behind * Why the mirrors were covered * The mystery of the dimmed oil lamp * Reverend George Kelly and his shocking confession * The theory of a traveling serial killer * Connections to other axe murders across the Midwest * Why the case remains unsolved * The haunting legacy of the Villisca Axe Murder House (Wikipedia⁠) Sources & Further Reading: * Contemporary newspaper reports * Historical court records * Research by Edgar V. Epperly * The Villisca Axe Murder House historical archives * Case analyses and historical investigations (Wikipedia⁠) ⸻ MUSIC & SOUND CREDITS All music and sound effects used under the Pixabay Content License unless otherwise noted. With thanks to the artists whose work shaped the sound of this episode: Music • AtlasAudio — atmospheric drones and tension beds • Universfield — dark crime, melancholic, and dark ambient backgrounds; “Dark Music Box Tension” • leberch — “Psychological Horror” • Denis Pavlov — mournful lament / grief score • SenorMusica81 — “Cinematic Dark Ambient – Guarded Stillness” Sound design • AberrantRealities — deep whoosh / atmospheric effects • DRAGON-STUDIO — wind and nature textures • freesound_community contributors — various foley and atmospheric effects Giving credit keeps this work freely available to independent creators. If you’re a creator, please support these artists. Subscribe to Chasing the Dark Where True Crime Meets the Paranormal. Follow, rate, and share the podcast to help more listeners discover the darkness lurking beneath history’s most chilling mysteries.

Do Demons Actually Exist? Rikki Rockett and Tracy Weigh In: Whispers After Dark

Do demons actually exist — or are we filling the dark with something we can't name? In this 70-minute episode of *Chasing the Dark*, two guests — Rikki Rockett and Tracy — sat down with me to share personal paranormal experiences so unsettling, neither one can explain them away. Their encounters happened at different times, on different days, with zero overlap. And yet the questions they're left with are almost identical. This episode moves through the full spectrum of belief — from residual hauntings that replay trauma like a broken record, to the heated debate around haunted artifacts and whether objects can carry something dark inside them. Are spirits real? Are demons real? Do they exist in the way religion and folklore have always insisted — or is something else entirely happening in those moments when the air shifts and the room goes wrong? Rikki and Tracy don't claim to have all the answers. What they have are experiences that science hasn't closed the door on yet. If you've ever questioned what you saw, what you felt, or what followed you home — this one is for you. The paranormal isn't always loud. Sometimes it lives in the details you can't stop thinking about. Press play, and decide for yourself. *Follow Chasing the Dark on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts so you never miss an episode — until next time… stay aware of the quiet… because sometimes it's not the silence… it's what you start noticing in it.*

Whispers After Dark: It Came Knocking

Step into the dark with this chilling bonus episode of Chasing the Dark. In this deeply personal interview, my dad shares his firsthand experiences living in a home where a man was brutally murdered… long before he ever moved in. What started as subtle unease quickly turned into something far more disturbing. He heard footsteps echoing through the hallway when no one else was home. He saw a figure, an apparition walking back and forth as if it still belonged there. But the most terrifying moment didn’t happen inside the house… It happened outside. One night, alone in a trailer in the backyard, he heard it: a knock at the door. Not once. Not imagined. Something deliberate. Something that felt like it knew he was inside… and wanted in. This episode dives into real paranormal experiences, true ghost encounters, and unexplained phenomena that blur the line between the living and the dead. These aren’t stories passed down or embellished over time—this is raw, firsthand testimony from someone who lived through it. If you’re drawn to true scary stories, haunted houses, and psychological horror rooted in reality, this is an episode you won’t forget. Follow, rate, and leave a review, it’s the best way to help more listeners find the darkness. Keywords: true paranormal story, real ghost encounter, haunted house true story, knocking at the door paranormal, real life haunting, apparition sighting, unexplained knocking, psychological horror, true scary stories podcast, whispers after dark, chasing the dark podcast

When Darkness Wears a Smile: The Wade Wilson Case

Darkness doesn’t always look the way you expect… sometimes, it wears a smile. In this episode of Chasing the Dark, we step into the chilling case of Wade Wilson—a man whose outward charm masked something far more dangerous beneath the surface. What began as a night out in Fort Myers, Florida, quickly unraveled into a series of violent and devastating events that left multiple lives shattered. From the final hours of Kristine Melton to the tragic encounter with Diane Ruiz, this story follows a timeline that moves fast… but leaves a lasting impact. It’s a case that forces you to ask how someone can seem so normal on the outside—while carrying something so dark within. This isn’t just a story about what happened. It’s about the warning signs, the moments that feel small at first… and the way everything can shift in an instant. ⚠️ This episode contains descriptions of violence, assault, and murder. Listener discretion is strongly advised. ⸻ 🗂️ Sources & Research This episode was researched using publicly available information, including reporting from local Florida news outlets such as WBBH-TV, WINK News, and Fox 4 Now, as well as national coverage from NBC News and People. Additional details were gathered from arrest records, court documents, and publicly released information from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, along with other publicly available timelines, legal filings, and investigative summaries related to the case. ⸻ ⚠️ Disclaimer All information presented in this episode is based on publicly available records and reporting available at the time of production. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, some details may change as new information becomes available. ⸻ If you’re drawn to dark, immersive true crime storytelling, make sure you’re following Chasing the Dark—and don’t forget to leave a rating and review. It helps others find the

Introducing: Whispers After Dark — The Apartment from Hell

Welcome to the very first installment of my new bonus interview series, Whispers After Dark… where the stories get a little more personal—and a lot more unsettling. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Cameron as he shares what it was like living in an apartment he believes was haunted. What started as small, unexplainable moments slowly turned into something much more intense… the kind of experience that sticks with you long after the lights go out. This isn’t just a ghost story—it’s what happens when the paranormal stops feeling distant… and starts becoming real. 🔊 Follow & Support If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you’re following Chasing the Dark so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Leave a rating and review—it really helps the show grow and reach more listeners. ⸻ ⚠️ Disclaimer The story shared in this episode reflects the personal experience and perspective of the guest. Some content may be unsettling. Listener discretion is advised. ⸻ 🎧 Music Credit Music: “Breathe” by Shane Ivers https://www.silvermansound.com