Buried Bones – “Axed Pt. 1” [January 14, 2026]

Hosts: Kate Winkler Dawson & Paul Holes
Episode Theme:
A deep-dive into the infamous 1912 Villisca Axe Murders—a brutal, unsolved multiple homicide in small-town Iowa—using modern forensic insight. Kate presents the case; Paul analyzes the killer’s behavior and the investigation’s handling, discussing historical context and possible links to other similar murders.

Episode Overview

In this gripping first part, Kate and Paul examine the Villisca Axe Murders, dissecting the crime scene, victimology, and early 20th-century investigative methods. The episode is rich in forensic theory and historical context, with Paul assessing behavioral sings and procedural failures. They also consider the possibility that this unsolved massacre was work of a mobile serial killer, possibly responsible for similar attacks in the region.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Moores and Discovery of the Crime

• Villisca, Iowa, 1912: A quiet, affluent town of 2,500. The Moore household is bustling, with four children aged 5–11: “She’s alarmed... nothing is happening at that house, it shouldn’t be quiet. And also, the shades are drawn.” (Kate, 07:06)
• Mary Peckham, neighbor, senses something amiss at 7:30 AM. No activity at the Moores’—shades drawn, uncharacteristic silence.
• Ross Moore, a relative, enters and finds two blood-soaked child figures. He alerts authorities, declining to investigate further.
  • “At least from a preservation of a crime scene, you know what is actually going on at that moment... but we can't expect Ross, you know, to take that type of responsibility on.” (Paul, 10:22)

2. Crime Scene Details and Victimology

• Victims:

  • The Moore parents (Josiah, 43; Sarah, 39)
  • Four Moore children (ages 5–11)
  • Two Stillinger sisters (Ina, 8; Lena, 12), sleepover guests

• State of the House:

  • Downstairs guest room: Two Stillinger girls, “brutally bludgeoned.”
  • Upstairs: Parent’s bedroom—faces covered, extreme cranial trauma (approx. 20–30 blows; Josiah especially). Every mirror covered. Children’s room: 4 siblings in individual beds, faces covered.
  • “Every mirror in the house is covered with a blanket or an apron or a skirt or some other garment.” (Kate, 12:06)
  • “That’s significant... the offender is potentially has a closer relationship to the victims than what a stranger would... or is not accepting what his actions have been.” (Paul, 14:09)

• The Weapon:

  • The Moore’s own axe, left by the killer.
  • “The use of a weapon inside the victim's house... is a very, very common thing.” (Paul, 27:44)

• Notable Scene Elements:

  • Low ceilings (7’4”). Axe blows gouged plaster and wallpaper, indicating violent overhead swings.
  • “You think about the length of an ax... if you’re going to swing... you’re going to hit the ceiling.” (Paul, 16:46)

3. Behavioral Clues & Offender Profile

• Modus Operandi and Behavior:
  • Precise, targeted killing, likely after the family went to sleep.
  • Faces and mirrors covered, all shades/blinds drawn—suggests shame, remorse, or a need to not see himself or the carnage.
    • “Anytime you see an offender do something that is not necessary... he doesn't want to see himself in the mirror.” (Paul, 25:12)
  • Two guest girls' faces not covered—potential difference in the offender’s relationship or psychology.
  • Sexual assault of Lena Stillinger: “... she is, of the kids in the house, she's the oldest female... is there any indication she had been killed prior to the sexual assault or did it occur first?” (Paul, 22:23)
  • Use of lamp to illuminate/expose Lena’s body—a deliberate display: “That’s my working theory, without taking a look at any of the photos.” (Paul, 23:49)
• Killer’s Behavior After the Crime:
  • Used house resources to clean up, lingered to eat, left food and bacon out—suggests comfort, possibly felt safe inside.

4. Crime Scene Mishandling

• Massive contamination:
  • Crowd gathers quickly (“crowds starting to form... doctors arrive... reverend…” (Kate, 28:45)).
  • Dozens, eventually hundreds, walk through the crime scene. Items are broken, objects (including victim skull fragments) stolen as souvenirs.
    • “This crime scene is so contaminated that any evidence... could have been just completely lost. It's abhorrent in terms of how this crime scene is being treated.” (Paul, 41:32)
  • National Guard called in; modern techniques (fingerprinting, dog tracking) largely ineffective due to the mess.

5. Timeline and Entry

• The Moores spent the entire Sunday at church events, returning home (walking) near 10 PM. Guests Ina and Lena were last-minute additions due to their mother's pregnancy and fear of the dark.
• Barn “stakeout” theory: Killer lay in wait in barn, spied through a knot hole, moved in after the family slept.
• Doors may have been locked afterward by the killer; Paul notes it’s likely the house would not have been locked until after the murders—possible use of spare keys.
• “He doesn't have the self confidence to confront this family while they're still awake... he basically wants to ambush them while they're asleep.” (Paul, 48:03)

6. Wider Regional Context & Serial Killer Theories

• Rise of Mass Hysteria:
  • After the crime, Villisca becomes a “sundown town”—no one trusts outsiders.
  • Sixteen other ax murders in the Midwest over prior 9 months—Colorado, Illinois, Kansas—raise fears of a “Billy the Axeman” or “Midwest Axeman.”
• Comparative Cases:
  • Illinois: Family ax-murder; daughter displayed similarly to Lena.
  • Kansas: Sexual assault with unusual objects, lamp at bedside, ‘linger and wash’ patterns.
  • Key identifiers across cases: drawn blinds, faces covered, clean-up at scene, weapon left behind.
  • “...I would say, with even as little details as you provided on those cases, I’d be highly interested in taking a closer look to see is there even more overlap than just what you provided.” (Paul, 57:13)
  • Kate plays devil’s advocate: Could these be “copycat” or coincidental? Paul maintains that patterns—especially covering faces—are meaningful but not definitive.
    • “There is some aspect to it, to where you have a psychology, a similar psychology between the offender that committed these other state crimes and the one that killed the Moores...” (Paul, 58:33)

7. Law Enforcement Response & Early Profiling

• Task force is considered but consensus splits:
  • Colorado Springs sheriff thinks it's a religious fanatic, moving from town to town; Illinois sheriff disagrees, sees separate killers.
  • Paul encourages both parallel and independent investigations in cases without concrete evidence.
    • “The mistake that agencies often make is they choose one path and not the other as the way that they conduct their investigation.” (Paul, 60:53)

8. Suspects and What's Next

• After fruitless leads (estranged relatives, a “weird Bulgarian salesman,” itinerant laborers), investigation stalls, then three main suspects emerge:
  • A convicted killer
  • A wealthy businessman
  • A minister
• The trio will be discussed in detail in “Axed Pt 2.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On covering mirrors and victims' faces:
  • “That is a very significant behavior. The offender is not wanting to see himself in the mirror, you know, and my... thinking as he’s walking around, maybe he’s already committed the crime. And he’s thinking, ‘oh, you’re a piece of ----.’ And you know, he doesn’t want to have to just keep reminding himself of what a piece of ---- he is.” (Paul, 33:12)
• On crime scene chaos:
  • “They take tours of the house... carry the axe from room to room. And someone actually stole a piece of Josiah's skull which was about the size of a cigarette package.” (Kate, 41:32)
• On historic investigation blunders:
  • “This is how you don’t do it.” (Paul, 52:27)
• On possible serial connections:
  • “It has to be more than just the use of an ax... it’s the signatures, the unusual things that the offender did inside the Moore’s house that I would want to see. Is there any other similar unusual things happening... such as the covering of the mirrors?” (Paul, 54:02)
• On the killer's cowardice:
  • “He doesn’t have the self confidence to confront this family while they’re still awake... he wants to ambush them while they’re asleep. That’s... cowardly... but it’s also a very practical one...” (Paul, 48:03)
• Next episode tease:
  • “One is a convicted killer, one is a wealthy businessman and one is a minister. Okay, so we're going to go over them next week.” (Kate, 63:49)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• (07:06–08:51) Discovery of the quiet house and initial suspicions
• (12:06–14:09) Details of the covered mirrors and analysis of behavioral significance
• (16:46–18:39) Analysis of crime scene mechanics and physical evidence
• (21:21–23:49) Sexual assault of Lena and Paul’s crime scene sequence theory
• (28:45–30:12) Community swarms the home, doctors, and ministers arrive; crime scene ruined
• (41:32–41:56) Kate and Paul react to crime scene contamination and crowd behavior
• (46:45–48:03) Family timeline and barn “lying in wait” theory
• (54:00–58:14) Comparative analysis of similar regional murders; exploration of possible serial killer
• (60:53–63:01) Law enforcement turf war and the difficulty of linking cases
• (63:49–63:59) Next episode teaser: introduction of the three principal suspects

Final Thoughts

This episode offers a compelling, detailed breakdown of the Villisca Axe Murders, highlighting how criminal profiling, crime scene preservation (or lack thereof), and historical context shape both public memory and investigative opportunity. Paul’s modern forensic expertise contrasts with the investigative chaos of 1912, while Kate’s storytelling lays out both horror and mystery. The story pauses here, with the promise of a deep dive into the main suspects in the next episode.