SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: Who Committed the 1912 Villisca Ax Murders?

Podcast: Stuff You Should Know

Hosts: Josh Clark & Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant
Date: September 26, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Josh and Chuck revisit one of America’s most brutal and perplexing unsolved crimes: the 1912 Villisca ax murders. They discuss the harrowing details, the investigation, and the enduring theories that surround the case. The hosts explore why the murder remains such a chilling mystery, delve into the prime suspects, and discuss the possibility that a serial killer was responsible for similar crimes throughout the Midwest during that era. Throughout, the hosts maintain a mix of respectful gravity and their trademark dry humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction and Basic Facts

• Setting the Stage (01:09 – 04:02):
  • The murder took place on June 9 or 10, 1912, in Villisca, Iowa, a small town now infamous for the crime.
  • Josh and Chuck deliberate on the pronunciation of "Villisca," even phoning the town hall for confirmation in a light-hearted moment:
    • Chuck [02:48]: "Josh called the town hall and lied."
    • Josh [02:58]: "Well, it was kind of a bet that she settled."
  • They note that the town is now defined by this crime, with local websites and culture revolving around the infamous murders.

2. The Night of the Crime & Victims

• Grim Narrative (06:24 – 13:39):
  • Victims:
    • Joe and Sarah Moore; their four children (Herman, Katherine, Boyd, and Paul); and two visiting sisters, Lena and Ina Stillinger.
    • All had returned from a church Children’s Day Mass and were asleep by 10–10:30 pm.
  • The Attack:
    • An intruder entered (using Joe’s own conveniently available ax), likely while the house was unlocked—a common practice then.
    • Demonstrates how “weapons of convenience” like axes were accessible:
      • Josh [09:35]: "Why were there so many axe murders at a certain period of time in American history? Because everybody had an axe."
    • The killer methodically murdered all eight occupants while they slept. Notably, the killer used the blunt end initially, then returned to crush the skulls further with the sharp side—Joe Moore was struck up to 30 times.

3. Details & Peculiarities of the Scene

• The Odd Behavior of the Killer (13:39 – 15:18):
  • Covered all mirrors and windows, and the faces of the victims, with sheets, clothing, or even the victims’ own dresses for the girls.
  • Left bizarre evidence behind, such as a two-pound slab of bacon wrapped in a dish towel, and a bowl of bloody wash water.
  • Chuck [14:56]: "There was at least a two pound slab of bacon that he'd wrapped in a dish towel and then left on the floor of one of the bedrooms. So weird."
  • The killer remained in the house after the crime, indicating a chilling calmness.

4. Discovery and Immediate Aftermath

• A Chaotic Crime Scene (15:19 – 19:03):
  • Next morning, a neighbor notices inactivity and raises the alarm.
  • Joe’s brother, Ross Moore, enters and discovers the scene, summoning the local marshal.
  • A horde of townspeople, as well as doctors and ministers, tramples the scene, destroying crucial evidence; one town drunk even takes a piece of skull as a souvenir.
    • Josh [18:29]: "The crime scene is utterly and completely lost."
  • Mishandling and lack of forensic knowledge in 1912 make subsequent investigation difficult.

5. Suspects and Theories

A. Frank Jones – The Powerful Local Rival

• Motives (21:52 – 27:27):
  • Methodist state senator, local businessman; Joe Moore had worked for him and left to start a rival firm, taking a major client with him.
  • Rumors of Moore sleeping with Jones’s daughter-in-law, an indiscreet and infamous woman in town at the time.
    • Josh [23:46]: "From what I understand. Beyond a shadow of a doubt. That's understood as true."
  • Jones suspected not as the killer but as the person who might have hired one—namely, William "Blackie" Mansfield, an already-accused ax murderer. However, Mansfield is exonerated through an airtight alibi.
    • Chuck [26:16]: "Yeah, so he was exonerated. But a lot of townspeople still thought that... A lot of people probably went to their graves thinking that."

B. George Kelly – The Eccentric Preacher

• Profile (27:33 – 34:21):
  • Englishman, traveling preacher, described as a "sex maniac" and with known mental instability.
  • Physically small for the crime but noted to be left-handed, which matches coroner’s analysis.
    • Josh [28:29]: "Thumbs, those little guys, you know... usually good with like Jiu Jitsu sleeper holds rather than ax swinging."
  • Sent lewd letters to women, including asking one to type nude—considered “so obscene, lewd, lascivious, and filthy as to be offensive” [Josh, 30:13].
  • Present in Villisca at the time; left by train next morning; rumored to refer to the crime before it was discovered, but this was later recanted.
  • Posed as a detective a week later to tour the house.
  • Signed a confession but later recanted; evidence was overwhelmingly circumstantial, and after two trials, he was acquitted.

C. The Serial Killer Theory

• Pattern of Similar Murders (37:05 – 46:25):
  • Between 1911–1912, a series of ax murders with strikingly similar MO occurs in the Midwest, linking towns like Colorado Springs, Monmouth (IL), Ellsworth (KS), Paola (KS), and Villisca.
    • Common traits:
      • Covered mirrors/windows, use of oil lamps with wicks turned down/removed chimney, weapon of convenience, sexual assault in some cases, attempts (or successes) at additional murders in the same night, and all occurring in train-connected towns.
    • Josh [42:05]: "Just because Henry Lee Moore's out of the equation doesn't mean there's not a serial killer involved."
    • In some cases, the killer disturbed a secondary house/family, suggesting a spree-like component.
    • Theorist Ed Epperly narrows likely linked crimes to five with very close similarities.
    • Theories include a transient, train-hopping serial killer never caught.
      • Josh [45:59]: "They woke up and saw the man who was about to probably bludgeon them all to death with an axe leaving their house. Yeah."
      • Chuck [46:15]: "By all accounts, there was a train going serial killer for a couple of years in the Midwest killing people, hopping trains, never ever caught."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Town’s Reputation:
  • Josh [03:17]: "I think Villisca is on the map, and it is 100% because of this murder."
• On Weapons of Convenience:
  • Josh [09:35]: "That just explained it. That was the question I didn't realize I'd had. Why were there so many axe murders at a certain period of time in American history? Is because everybody had an axe."
• On Crime Scene Tampering:
  • Josh [18:29]: "The crime scene is utterly and completely lost."
• On the “Three Names” Serial Killer Cliché:
  • Chuck [40:24]: "The news reports it that way to distinguish them from every other Henry Moore in the world."
  • Josh [40:33]: "I love it when things are just explained. Yeah. Wrapped up in a nice little bow."
• On Villisca’s Place in True Crime:
  • Josh [17:03]: "Such a small town, such a grisly crime. Any chances of preserving a crime scene... were lost."
• On the Serial Killer Theory:
  • Josh [42:05]: "Ed Epperly says. Not so fast... Just because Henry Lee Moore's out of the equation doesn't mean there's not a serial killer."
  • Chuck [45:59]: "By all accounts, there was a train going serial killer for a couple of years in the Midwest killing people, hopping trains, never ever caught."
• On the Unsolved Nature of the Crime:
  • Josh [46:41]: "You know, when you say stuff like that or when you see stuff like that in print too, like, we'll never know who it was. It makes you wonder, like, what kind of technology are we gonna have in the future? Like, will we never know? Or are we gonna come up with something one day where we're like, oh, it was this guy."

Important Segment Timestamps

• Intro & Overview: 01:09–04:02
• Background/Crime Night: 06:24–13:39
• Killer's Behavior at Scene: 13:39–15:18
• Discovery & Tampered Crime Scene: 15:19–19:03
• Suspects (Frank Jones, Mansfield): 21:52–27:27
• Suspects (George Kelly): 27:33–34:21
• Serial Killer Theory: 37:05–46:25
• Discussion on Modern Discoveries/Future: 46:25–47:21

Tone and Style

• The episode balances macabre historical detail and analysis with Josh and Chuck's signature approachable conversational style, interspersing morbid humor and relatable asides.
• They stress sensitivity to the horror of the events while marveling at the strange details, failed investigation, and lasting mystery.

Resources Mentioned

• Ed Epperly’s Website: Comprehensive research into the Villisca ax murders.
• Smithsonian Magazine Article: “The Axe Murderer Who Got Away” by Mike Dash.

Conclusion

Josh and Chuck explore why the Villisca ax murders captured national attention and have never been definitively solved, despite forensic advancements and decades of speculation. They close with the notion that these kinds of mysteries may one day be solved with future technology but, for now, remain one of true crime’s most chilling cold cases.

This summary covers all substantive content and omits mid-episode advertisements and outro sections.