← The Night Owl: True Ghost Stories
The Night Owl: True Ghost Stories
The Villisca Axe Murder House - Part I (Campfire)
01:14:30
Prepare yourself to venture into one of the most chilling true crime cases in American history — the 1912 Villisca Axe Murders. This is part of our Campfire Series — a storytelling format where we gather firsthand accounts, interviews, and stories connected to a haunted location. Unlike our usual investigative episodes where my team and I conduct on-site investigations, these campfire installments bring together voices from afar to share their lived experiences. In this special two-part series, we’ll explore the tragic night when eight people, including six children, were brutally murdered in their sleep. The case remains unsolved to this day. And the house where it happened? It still stands — a modest white home in Villisca, Iowa, now known across the country for both its history and its hauntings. It’s a place you can visit… though some who do report leaving with no intention of returning. Over the decades, the Villisca Axe Murder House has drawn in investigators, authors, and te...
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- [00:00]
Stephen Ballew
Listener discretion is advised. This campfire series contains detailed accounts of real life violence, including the brutal murders of children, references to animal harm, and personal stories involving emotionally difficult subject matter, including inappropriate behavior. While some guests are sharing their experiences publicly, others will remain anonymous. In those cases, names and identifying details have been changed to protect their privacy. Our intent is not to accuse, speculate or sensationalize, but to respectfully honor these voices and explore the emotional and paranormal impact these events had on those involved. The Night Owl podcast Campfire Episode 14 the Villisca Axe Murder House Part 1 welcome to the Night Owl Podcast. I'm your host, Stephen Ballew, and this is a place for all you restless spirits out there to tune in and hear true tales of the paranormal. I hunt these stories down, capture them from the mouths of those who've experienced them, and share them with you right here. We're currently looking for more personal ghost stories or haunted locations, so if you or someone you know has one, please submit it to us. For consideration, go to thenightoutpodcast.com Click on the Submit yout Story page and let us hear your ghost story. Tonight we venture into one of the most chilling true crime cases in American history, the 1912 Villisca Axe Murders. This will be part of our campfire series, a storytelling format where we gather first hand accounts, interviews and stories connected to a haunted location. Unlike our usual investigative episodes where my team and I conduct on site investigations, these campfire installments bring together voices from afar to share their lived experiences. In this special two part series, we'll explore the tragic night when eight people, including six children, were brutally murdered in their sleep. The case remains unsolved. To this and the house where it happened. It still stands. A modest white home in Villisca, Iowa, now known across the country for both its history and its haunts. It's a place you can actually visit, though some who do report leaving with no intention of returning. Over the decades, the Villisca X Murder House has drawn in investigators, authors, television crews, all hoping to uncover the truth or connect with something beyond it. In part one of this series, you'll hear phone calls with individuals who have direct connections to this house. A current tour guide who walks visitors through the home regularly, a local Villisca resident rooted in the town's legacy and history. And lastly, a man who unknowingly bought the house directly across the street, only to discover that Villisca may have called him there for reasons he couldn't yet understand. A few months later, he would find himself entangled in a series of events that nearly tore his life apart, beginning when he was hired to manage the Murder House property itself. And that's only the beginning. In part two, we'll not only continue his story and hear from his wife as well, we'll speak with both a longtime paranormal investigator who's visited the home three times, as well as an author who has written extensively on the home's haunted legacy. So settle in and listen closely, because this campfire burns in the shadow of a home where something unthinkable happened over a century ago and where some believe it never truly ended. Stay tuned, Night Owls if you're planning to be outside at all this summer, whether it be for work or pleasure, you need to have a good pair of sunglasses to make the time outside in that bright summer sun enjoyable. Shady Rays is the perfect place to shop for stylish built to last shades. Go to shadyrays.com and use code NIGHT OWL for 35% off polarized sunglasses. Just a couple of reminder announcements Our Spirit Social event is back and this year it's happening on the most perfect night of all Halloween. Join us on October 31, 2025 for our annual Once a year Paranormal Gathering featuring the full Night Owl team, psychic mediums from the show, guest speakers and trusted collaborators from our extended paranormal network. Expect a full night of immersive panels, live experiments, haunted storytelling, spiritual history, and behind the scenes tales from the investigations you've heard. On the podcast you'll find a massive spirit market with Tarot astrology oddities and more flash tattoos, a photo booth, food trucks, a live taping of the Night Owl podcast and Team Q and A an after hours mixer for All Access guests. We're thrilled to be returning to a venue close to our hearts, the Ballroom at the former Spider House, the location featured in our very first episode, now beautifully restored and reopened. Tickets are currently on sale now and VIP passes have already sold out. Our all access passes are limited and going fast, so if you've been waiting, don't grab yours now@thenight owlpodcast.com or visit our link on our Instagram bio. We cannot wait to gather with you all, our fellow restless spirits out there for a night of connection, wonder and things that go bump in the night. Also, if you're a spooky vendor, artist or reader with wares to share, we're currently accepting vendor applications for the Spirit Social. We're seeking Tarot and astrology readers, psychics, energy practitioners, oddities and haunted collectibles, artists, crafters, jewelers, vintage sellers and more if your work at all vibes with the weird, witchy or paranormal, we'd love to hear from you. Apply now at the night owlpodcast.com or visit the direct link to apply in our Instagram bio. In the quiet town of Villisca, Iowa, tucked among rolling fields and dirt roads, stands a simple white frame house at 508 E. 2nd St. On the night of June 9, 1912, this unassuming home became the site of one of the most brutal and mysterious murders in American history. A crime so horrific it shattered the innocence of this rural community and left behind questions that still echo more than a century later. That Sunday evening, Josiah Joe Moore, a well respected businessman, and his wife Sarah, gathered their family for a night of fellowship. The Moores had four children, Herman, 11, Catherine, 10, Boyd, 7, and Paul, just 5 years old. That night they had invited two young friends, Lena and Ina Stilinger, to stay over after a Children's day program at their Presbyterian church. By all accounts, it was a night filled with laughter, prayer and neighborly warmth. No one could have known the horror that awaited them. Sometime after midnight, as the town slept and the Moores and Stillinger girls lay tucked into their beds, an unknown assailant crept through the house. It's believed the killer hid in the attic, waiting for the household to settle. Armed with Joe Moore's own axe, the intruder struck first in the master bedroom. Joe and Sarah Moore were bludgeoned to death in their sleep. The killer then moved methodically from room to room, extinguishing the lives of the four Moore children and the two Stillinger sisters. In total, eight souls were slaughtered with such violence that the ceiling above the parents bed showed gouge marks from the upswing of the ax. When a concerned neighbor noticed the house eerily quiet the next morning, she called Joe Moore's brother who discovered the grisly scene. The local sheriff and townspeople soon filled the yard, contaminating the crime scene in an age before modern forensic science. Despite fingerprints found on the axis handle and a few chilling clues, a bowl of bloody water left on the kitchen table and a slab of bacon near the axe, no one was ever convicted. Over the years, suspicion fell on several suspects. There was Frank F. Jones, Joe Moore's rival and former employer, rumored to hold a grudge over stolen business and possible infidelity. There was the traveling preacher, Reverend George Kelly, a peculiar man obsessed with the case, who even confessed though later recanted. And then there were whispers of a transient serial killer, the so called man from the train theory and who roamed the countryside, leaving a trail of bloodied homes behind. Yet with every lead came dead ends. The case remains officially unsolved to this day. But the story of the Villisca ax murder house did not end with the victim's burial. For more than a hundred years, people have claimed that something still lingers inside these walls. Visitors report footsteps echoing across empty floors, children's voices giggling in the darkness and doors creaking open. On their own, some have felt icy hands brush against them, while others have witnessed shadowy figures lurking at the top of the narrow staircase. Paranormal investigators from all over the world have come to Vilisca to try to connect with who or what remains. Television crews, ghost hunters, and brave overnight guests all gather in search of answers, hoping the spirits will share secrets and that the living never could. Tonight, we'll get the rare chance to hear from those who have stepped across the threshold of the Villisca axe murder. House Caretakers, historians, and those who felt the chill of the unsolved murder in the dead of night. Perhaps through their stories, we'll get closer to understanding what happened in that little house more than a century ago and why its tragic tale refuses to rest. So let's gather around the fire and begin this journey.
- [09:36]
Kelly
I am Kelly and I am a tour guide at the Villisca X murder house. I've been a tour guide for. It'll be a year in July, so I'm going to walk you through story of the house. So we'll start cute little small town of Villisca, Iowa, where from the outside it looks like it's your typical small town. Nothing ever wrong goes here. But what you don't see is at the corner of second street, there's a small little house, two story. You walk into the back door and you walk right into the kitchen. And then through the kitchen you can either go up the stairs or into the parlor room. The parlor room then breaks off into the back bedroom and that is the what we call the cylinder room. And that is one of the most active rooms. But then you go upstairs and the first room you get to is the parents room. And then through the parents room, their closet opens up to the attic, which is probably the most active room. And then the last room upstairs is the children's room and that's kind of where you get more. It's almost more childlike in there being just, you know, it's the kids room. It just seems more light in there. So it was June 9, 1912. The Moore family consisted of Joe and Sarah Moore and their four kids. Paul, Boyd, Herman and Catherine. There was a normal night for them. They just went up to the church, the Presbyterian one, which was just a few blocks from them. But it was their normal church. They were going up there to do a youth program. The program was to show off what the kids had learned in Bible school. Something that the whole town was going to. Everybody was going to be there. So while they were there, the Moores were hanging out with the Stillinger girls, Ina and Lena. Ina and Lena had plans to go spend the night at their grandparents house that night. But for some reason the city of Aliska was in an argument with the power company. And so the power company just decided to shut off all the streetlights. So the Cylindrical girls didn't really want to walk alone in the dark. So they talked to the Moores and decided to come home and spend the night with them. Which sadly meant that the girls were there. Wrong place, wrong time and they didn't know what was going to happen that night. The program ended about 10 o' clock and the moors came straight home. And knowing that it's pretty late, we're guessing that they went straight to bed. Sadly, they were found the next morning all bludgeoned to death in their beds as if no one had woken up. So when the bodies were found, a call was made out and the whole town ended up hearing this call. So they showed up before the police could get here. And they were in the house. They touched all sorts of things. They found the murder weapon and they were passing it around. People were even touching the bodies, some even taking bone fragments. Some women who knew Sarah knew she wouldn't like the house to be dirty. So they proceeded to try to clean up the blood. And then once the police finally got there, they ended up having to call the National Guard. So this house had one bedroom downstairs and that's where the Spilling girls were found. And then upstairs, the parents room was the first one at the landing at the stairs. And then they had one other bedroom which is the children's room. And all four of the more kids were sleeping in the children's room that night. But with as many people that went through the house, the police really had no evidence to go on. There was rumors and that's basically what most of the cases are based off, is rumors. One of the main suspects was the senator at the time. His name was Frank Jones and he was an Iowa state senator. But him and Joe had worked in the farm implement business together, selling farm equipment, seed. Joe then, after working nine years, decided he was going to start his own rival business. And he did that literally across the street. And then when he left, he also took the senator's biggest client with him, which was John Deere. So the senator wasn't happy about that. And people knew, seen them arguing in the street. Never anything physical, just verbally. And that's why he was one of the main suspects. And then the other main one would be the reverend. His name is Reverend George Kelly. So he was a traveling reverend and he just kind of went wherever he wanted. He was actually from Macedonia, Iowa, and he came into town the morning of the 9th to preach at the youth service. And he had a lot of things that just connected a little too well. He preached at the youth service, he did it towards the beginning of it, and then nobody saw him afterwards. Then the next morning, he got on a train that had left the station about 5:15, and he was already talking to people on the train. People said that he was telling people that eight souls were stuck in Villisca, eight people had been murdered, and that they should pity the killer because he had no control. So the bodies weren't found until 8 o'.
- [15:03]
Unnamed Property Manager
Clock.
- [15:03]
Kelly
So him getting on the train and telling about it was before the bodies were found. So how he knew is crazy. He also had sent, like, dry cleaning out to be cleaned that week, and it included a bloody shirt. So he was actually the only suspect to be arrested and taken to trial. He was actually tried twice. The first time he was tried was for one of the Stillanger girls, and it was actually a hung jury, so they dropped the case. So then the next time he was tried, it was for the other one and he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. And he had actually been in and out of mental institutions his whole life. So because of that, they ended up dismissing all the evidence. He even had confessed. But after he confessed, he claimed it was out of coercion. So they ended up dropping all the charges and he went free. There are so many other theories. There was rumor that there was a guy riding a train and going around like a serial killer. And it kind of fit what had happened here, but it was also different. So the town was divided. The town was also very scared. They wanted to stay the quiet little town and weren't too thrilled with it. So day of the funeral, they had taken all the Moore's furniture out of the house and they burned it all. The city just kind of wanted to push it under the rug, and so they offered the first six months free rent to anybody who'd live in the house. And People, of course, would take them up on the offer and then would leave middle of the night, leave all their stuff, lasting maybe a week, maybe more. And that's when a lot of people think that the paranormal started happening. Then in the 80s, some family came into town, had no clue what had happened, moved into the house and they lived there for a few years. They said, you know, there was some creepy things that had happened. So we became a museum in the 90s, and we have been a place to come and visit since then. We just kind of. We tell the story of the moors and cylinders and try to keep it alive. As a tour guide, I was told when I first started is probably about the best thing I've ever heard. And it fits so well with this job. People die three times in their life. The first time is when they die. The second time is when their name is said for the last time. The third time is when your name is Spot for the last time. As a tour guide, I spend every day in the house. I experience a lot. I grew up in Villisca, so I heard all the stories of it being haunted again. The town, that was another thing the town was split on was if it was haunted or not. Some people didn't believe that it would be. And then some people were scared to go on property because it was so haunted. So when I got the job, I was like, I'll just experience for myself. I've always loved the paranormal, so it was kind of one of the perks of the job. But I was really there because I wanted to be able to tell the more story. And it was, you know, history. And it was part of my history because I grew up in Villisca. Now that I've been here for almost a year, I have definitely experienced a lot of unexplainable things. A lot of people say that it's childlike, typical, you know, tugging on your shirt, pulling your hair, stuff like that. But there's also definitely something darker in the house. One of the probably weirdest, and I would almost say scariest things I've had happen in the house. It was just kind of a weird day altogether. I got to work, it was raining, so it was super dark out. Like it was thunderstorming. I just knew it was already going to be an off day. So I walked into the house and I could just feel it was not a good feeling. I felt sad. And I opened up the house and I just like kind of pushed on because, you know, it's my job. I gotta keep doing tours and My first tour got there and they just kind of said some out of pocket stuff and I was not prepared for it. But again, I just kind of kept pushing on. And then my next tour I just had this like feeling of sadness. But I, like I said, pushed through. And I got upstairs to the parents room and I was talking to them through our tour and got to in front of the attic and I all of a sudden got this feeling that somebody was walking up behind me. And I knew nobody was behind me because the tour group was in front of me. And then out of the corner of my eye I saw this shadow figure. It was like 6 or 7 foot, but it was big. And then all of a sudden I just got hit with more sadness. I wanted to cry. And I looked at the crowd and noticed they hadn't seen anything. So I just continued on. But like the rest of the tour, I just felt sad. And then we went right back downstairs and I was showing them how to use one of the EMF readers. One literally got ripped out of my hand while we were talking. It was like someone had pulled a string. And then I just got the feeling that like I wasn't wanted there. And it was just probably the weirdest. I really haven't had a day like that since. And it's just now I go in and there's like some days it will be like cheerier, not like happy, but like not such a bad feeling. And sometimes it's I kind of scared to go in, but I keep pushing on. And then like during tours we'll get people who like we heard footsteps, seen closet doors closed. And then some days it's completely quiet. So some of the stuff that's happened, stories that I've heard, I had a lady in there, she was with a group and she had just hit the bottom of the stairs, opens up to where the kitchen is. And just as she hit the floor, a box went flying across the room. She was the only one at that point downstairs. People have seen smaller shadows, so like children's size. There was a gentleman who was upstairs alone. He was the only one in the house and he heard footsteps downstairs and he thought somebody had came into the house and so he went downstairs to look and there was nobody there. Footsteps is the most thing that happens. Actually most common is getting younger child voices. And sometimes it's just like trying to be playful, but sometimes it comes over as they're trying to tell you who they are and what they want. I have heard an actual. It sounded like a older male voice. Come through one time, and it was just simple. But I had asked a question and it answered back who? And it was. It just sounded like an older male, so I presumed it was the father, Josiah. But voices are actually common. Sometimes you can go into the house all by yourself and just sit there and listen, and it'll sound like there's a conversation going on somewhere else in the house. I definitely believe sometimes there is a childlike spirit or spirits, and then sometimes you do get more of a parental. But I also believe that there's something.
- [22:56]
Unnamed Property Manager
In that house that's dark.
- [22:58]
Kelly
I don't believe that it is the killer. Some people do. But I believe it might have been there before the Morse happened. Like it's almost elemental type, like it's just a part of the grounds. But I feel like it's definitely darker.
- [23:18]
Stephen Ballew
Kelly's perspective echoed what I've heard time and time again, that it's not just the memory of what happened in the house that lingers, but something deeper, more present. Some believe the spirits of the children remain tied to the home in ways that we may never fully understand. But alongside that sadness, many visitors, even skeptics, report something else entirely. A darkness, a heaviness, a presence that feels altogether different and far less innocent. After this short break, we'll hear a short reflection from someone who, questions, grew up in Iowa and now works for the state's tourism office. Someone who's had a brief but memorable encounter inside this home. And then we begin the first chapter of a story far more complex. It comes from the man who now manages the Villiska Axe murder house property, a man whose connection to it didn't just come through work, but through a series of events that seem almost orchestrated. His journey will begin to unfold in the second half of this episode and continue in part two of this series. Stay with us. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. For 10% off your first month, go to betterhelp.com nightowl. You know, in the world of paranormal stories and human experiences, I've come to realize just how many of us are quietly wrestling with things. Grief, anxiety, loneliness, past wounds. And if you've ever gone down an Internet rabbit hole looking for advice or answers, you know how overwhelming it can get. Cold plunges, meditation apps, diet, fads, journaling. Everyone's got a fix. That it's hard for us to know what actually works for us. That's why having a real person to talk to, someone who's trained to help you navigate those challenges, can make all the difference. Therapy has actually done a lot for me personally. It's helped me understand and process some painful chapters in my life. But even if you haven't gone through something big, therapy is great for building boundaries, learning better coping skills, and just feeling more grounded in who you are. BetterHelp makes taking that first step a lot easier. They've got over 30,000 licensed therapists and they've already helped more than 5 million people around the world.
- [25:36]
Unnamed Property Manager
World.
- [25:37]
Stephen Ballew
It's all online and super flexible. You can do sessions from anywhere and you can switch therapists at any time if it's not the right fit. The app itself even has a 4.9 rating based on over 1.7 million reviews, which says a lot. As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. Talk it out with BetterHelp Night Owl listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com NightOwl that's BetterHelp H-E-L-P.com Night Owl a big shout out again to Shady Rays for supporting the Night Owl Podcast. Our friends at Shady Rays can provide you with the perfect pair of polarized sunglasses that are stylish, well made and affordable. Go to shadyrays.com and use code NIGHTOWL for 35% off polarized sunglasses. Shady Rays are very proud of the fact that their sunglasses are high quality, durable sunglasses at an affordable price and I have to say I agree with them. I have had my Navigators from Shady Rays for about three months now and trust me, I use them almost every single day. If the sun's out, my Shady Rays are on my face. I wear them when I'm hiking, running on the trails here in Austin, Texas or even just here at home doing yard work. These sunglasses really are built to last with durable frames and crystal clear optics that are perfect for any outdoor activity. Shopping for sunglasses at Shady Raised is extremely easy and convenient as well. Go to their website and see the wide selection of colors and styles to find the pair or pairs of sunglasses that are perfectly suited for you. Shady Rays can offer you the top tier quality and style you deserve that rivals even the most expensive brands, all for a much lower price. This past week I was able to take a much needed break and visited a beautiful mineral spring spa and retreat here in Texas. Unique thermal mineral springs, saunas and heated pools with waterfalls and outdoor courtyards for relaxation were just a few of the amenities they offered. And you guessed it, my Shady Rays were right there along with me Keeping me stylish and comfortable in that outdoor setting. Get yourself a pair of Shady Rays and see for yourself how comfortable, stylish and affordable great sunglasses can be. Exclusively for my listeners, Shady Rays is giving out their best deal for the season. Head to shadyrays.com and use code NIGHT OWL for 35% off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated five stars by over 300,000 people.
- [28:08]
Jessica
My name is Jessica. I work at the tourism office in the state of Iowa and I have been for 18 years. I have learned so much about Iowa. I grew up in Iowa and yet still always learning, even all these many years later. And I had never heard of the Villiska Axe Murder House before I started at the tourism office and it was probably like my first Halloween at the office that someone mentioned Villisca Axe Murder House. And I think I said, wait, what? What is that? And so they briefly told me the story, sent me to the website, which just freaked me out. I couldn't even look at the website for more than two minutes without it just giving me weird vibes. And so it's like, okay, noted. In my job, I do a lot of media pitching, so it comes up often either in June for the anniversary of the event or Halloween with ghost hunters, all of that. But I had never actually been to the house for a very long time. I remember driving by at one time with a colleague of mine and she got out and posed by the sign and I would not even go on the sidewalk. I was, I think I took the photo of her from the street because I didn't, I just couldn't. And another time I stopped. I was going to another meeting and I thought, oh, I'm going to go by the house. I'll just drive by. I parked across the street, rolled down my window, took my phone out to take a photo. And then I thought, oh, I should post this on Facebook, but realized I was going to be late for the meeting I was supposed to go to. So I'll do it later. And I went back to do it and it was gone. I swear, I will swear to you. I took that photo, but it was not on my camera. And I think I drove my mom by once and she didn't want to get out of the car either. And then it was finally last year that a co worker and I were like, we're gonna go. Neither of us had taken the tour, so we wanted to go. It was the fall. We're driving down there. It's about a two hour drive or so from Des Moines. And we're coming into town and we're crossing this bridge and. And there was, I'm not kidding you, like 20 crows sitting on the, on the bridge. And we kind of looked at each other and we thought, what, what are we getting into this? It just felt weird. So we pulled in, we met with the caretaker who took us into the house. And what I was most struck by was how small this house is. I just to think about this murder, all of them in the same house, and nobody escaped, nobody woke up, nobody tried to fight back. It's just mind boggling when you're in there and see how small the rooms really are. Called the parents room. Literally right next door to the kids room. And even the kids that were staying overnight were downstairs. So this person had to come in from the front door floor and totally missed the kids in the first floor, go up the stairs, take out the mom and dad and then take out the kids, then go back downstairs and take out the other. And for nobody to have been able to move, it just, it was very eerie just to stand there and realize how close these rooms were. Parents were literally feet from the children. And I just as a mother, can't imagine what that mom must have felt like knowing that was happening and she couldn't get to her kids. And it really. I thought it would feel really spooky and eerie, although the attic kind of was. But it was really just. I felt a more profound sadness in the house more than anything else. The caretaker and the tour guide were giving us great stories about things they've experienced in the house and their theories about the case. But it just kept coming back to how sad it was. What a tragic loss of life. I mean, those young children, the mom and the dad, and then get the tour done. We're standing in the parents bedroom and we decided to go back into the kids room. We were going to do some footage for some social media videos where I was going to roll a ball across the floor and my coworker was going to shoot it. So it looked eerie, you know, flooded in crust. And we walked back in the room and the closet door was open and we swear it had been closed before. And there are bells hanging on the back of the door so that you would be able to hear it if it had moved. And we looked at each other and we said, did that what happened? Because we swear it was closed. Now it's open. And we asked the tour guide, we're like, did you? Because we also noticed this toy box was propped up A little bit more like the lid was propped up more than it had been before. We're like, what? What happened? She's like, well, I put a ball in there. We're like, okay, that makes sense. But we could not understand the door because the bells would have rung. We even went so far. We talked about it all the way back to Des Moines. And then she and my coworker, who had been recording the whole thing, even when we. While we were talking to the caretaker. So she went back to listen to see if she could hear the bells on the audio, couldn't hear it. So we have no idea. But that's the only sort of quote unquote paranormal experience we had in the house. Again, I just go back to how bad I felt leaving that house. I just want to say how I think it was so amazing. Both the tour guide, whose name I think was Emily, and the caretaker, how much care they take into protecting the family and, like, letting the family's memory be, you know, more about the family than the murderer. So they really were protective of the family.
- [33:53]
Unnamed Property Manager
And I just thought that was.
- [33:54]
Jessica
They weren't in for the gore and stuff. They were just, this is this family. It happened to them. But this is the way that they can live on and we can help.
- [34:02]
Unnamed Property Manager
Take care of them.
- [34:03]
Jessica
But I just can't speak to the type of people that go stay there because you can stay overnight, obviously, or people who visit. But I think I want to believe that most of the people who go are not being mean spirited or intentionally.
- [34:18]
Unnamed Property Manager
Cruel.
- [34:21]
Stephen Ballew
Like so many others. Jessica described a familiar feeling during her visit to the Villisca axe murder house. An overwhelming sense of unease and sadness. Something she couldn't quite explain but couldn't ignore either. Her experience continues to echo the countless reports and stories that have been reported, reported over the years here. But next we move into something much deeper and far more disturbing. What you're about to hear comes from someone who didn't just tour the house. They unknowingly moved in across the street. And soon after, they were hired to manage the property itself. Out of respect for their privacy, no name will be used. But their story is very real, and this is only the beginning. What started off as a strange coincidence quickly unraveled into a tangled series of events that seemed almost intentional. This is where their story begins.
- [35:19]
Unnamed Property Manager
Originally spent my entire life in Colorado, in the mountains of Bailey. Colorado is where I grew up. So moving to Villisca, my wife and two children, we were looking for a home to, you know, buy outright, pay Cash for. We started noticing that Iowa was more feasible to get that accomplished than probably any other state in our country. My wife actually found a home in Villisca, and it wasn't the home we purchased. So I called on this house, and I had no idea where Villisca was or I knew it was in Iowa. Called on the house, and that one was not available. So there was another one available that I asked the realtor about. I said, well, there's this other one like, to take a look at. And I actually gave her the wrong address. I gave her the Axe Murder house address by mistake because the house we ended up purchasing was directly across the street from the ex house. And again, I didn't know any of this at that time. Anyway, she gives me the right address. We schedule a time to come see our home, and we make a trip to see the home. And, you know, we saw its potential. It's a very old home and needed a lot of work, but we decided this is the home for us. Backtrack a little bit. Before we went to see the home, I started to Google Villisca. Like, what's Villisca, Iowa about? And the only thing I could find anywhere is the Villisca X murder house. And again, I didn't know at that time it was directly across the street from this home we were interested in. Basically until we got down there. I was GPSing our way to the home that we were gonna look at, and actually, for whatever reason, got lost in this small town and ended up pulling into the side parking lot of the Axe house. And I remember thinking, oh, this is the Axe house. But, wow, we must be really close. And realized, jesus, we are literally across the street. That was an oddity in itself. Anyway, we look at our home. You know, we were interested in our home, and we ended up deciding to move forward and close on our house. That was in December of just last year. So we actually make our way out full time from Colorado to our new home in early January of this year, 2025. And literally, literally within a week of starting renovations on our home. And even before we moved into it full time, I found the job on indeed for historic property manager. And I kind of figured it was for the ex house. You know, I thought that would be interesting to work across the street. So I applied and got a phone call very quickly, and I was given the job within, like, less than a week. And I'm thinking this whole time, it's probably because, you know, I live across the street. You know, it's Perfect. So I got the job as the property manager of the Willis Gaxmore house. I wasn't quite sure exactly what they were expecting of me at first as a property manager. They talked about being in charge of the property itself, making sure renovations are done when needed, and also participating in trying to promote stuff like that. Stuff I really had no experience with. So my first week at the Villisca X house, I met the only employee at that time. She was the only one. She was the tour guide. So I took over as, you know, her boss. And my first week, I didn't feel odd or anything strange. I started to get more interested in the case, what happened to the poor people in 1912, really digging deep into the case and learning the story. And in case I ever had to give it to her, I wanted to do it right. So the first week really consisted of me learning the story, also going in and getting some cleaning done, stuff like that. So to be honest with you, my first week there, I didn't experience anything. I didn't feel anything odd. It was just. I almost started to think, you know, I think this whole Villisca X murder place is probably a farce. Very, you know, like it's all fake. Maybe it wasn't until after my first week, my wife and I decided to go in late at night and kind of rehearse what we had read about the case and what we had. You know, we're pretty sure it happened. So we go into the house, which is a very small house. It's like 936 square feet, you know, three bedrooms, two bedrooms upstairs, one bedroom downstairs. The house has been renovated back to 1912, with 1912, no period specific items in it. So just to give you kind of an idea of the home, it's been put back to as close as it could be. 1912, when the murders happened. So we decided, I've been there like five days. We said, my wife and I said, let's go in the house. Let's try to recreate what we thought happened with some of these notes that we'd had from experts in the past. And there's a yardstick that we keep in the bottom room, which is where the Stillinger girls spent the night that night on the main floor. And that yardstick is only there to symbolize where they found the X that was used to murder all the two adults and six children. And that's the only reason it's there. I always wondered why they never put a real ax in there, but at this point, I thought Maybe that wasn't a good idea. Anyway, so we go in late, you know, it's about 11pm you know, we're all alone. There is no electricity in this house. No electricity, no plumbing. And this is in February, so it's, it's cold, completely dark. My wife and I walked in there and we took that yardstick and we went upstairs to the where the parents, the parents bedroom where the parents were found. And there's an original axe mark in the wall of the parents room. And the biggest theory on the axe mark is the way it's positioned and where it is in height. The murderer had to have been someone short, you know, of short nature, 5 foot 5 foot 2. Otherwise to wield an axe you're going to be hitting the ceiling. And they didn't find any ceiling gouges in the parents room, just that 1x mark in the wall. Basically from a backswing, the blade hitting the wall and then coming down with the blunt end on the two parents. So my wife took the yardstick, which was almost the same length of an ax and started to mimic that swing, left handed swing. And she was actually a spot on match hitting that axe mark and coming down every time. So. And my wife's an even 5 foot tall so thought okay, I think we're pretty clear that you know, whoever did this to kill her was short at that point. We went downstairs to the bottom bedroom where these Jillinger girls were found. They were, that was the room that they were staying when they spent the night. And we both had a theory, I think together that most likely these poor girls that were downstairs were killed last due to the fact that whoever did this didn't realize the Moore family had two overnight guests spending the night. So we were saying, you know, we believe this is something that they were killed last. You know, the other thing we talked about was man, I bet these girls, what if they woke up and heard upstairs, you know, their impending doom that's about ready to come down to them. Can only imagine. So we were doing little scenarios of like one of the girls possibly waking up, kind of creeping out of the bedroom, peeking into the kitchen. Because we do know that the killer at some point went to the kitchen and most likely cut a slab of bacon, wrapped it up, was going to take it, we don't know, maybe made a meal, maybe not had time to also pin up sheets and clothing on all of the downstairs windows using actual pins. So we were acting like one of the Stillinger girls, possibly getting up just to see if you creep out of their bedroom and peek around the corner. How much of the kitchen can you see? So when we started doing those movements of possibly what those little girls could have done, it's almost like we started to get, like, a. Like a seasickness feeling. I started to feel dizzy or just a feeling of dread, a feeling of, we really shouldn't be doing this. And, you know, even before we went downstairs, my wife, when she was upstairs wielding yardstick, you know, she didn't like doing that. But I was persistent on telling her, oh, let's just keep trying. And so, but toward the end of that, it's like we just felt sick, dizzy, almost like seasickness or car sickness. And we just kind of left the yardstick there in the bedroom and says, let's go. This doesn't feel right. We need to go. So we go outside, and I'm literally at this point, pretty sick, pretty nauseated, actually threw up in the grass when we walked out. And again, you know, we had a normal meal hours ago. We weren't drinking. There's no drugs involved. This is something that was quite odd. Then we went home, and we're actually planning to go back a little later, maybe one in the morning to, you know, do some more, like, ghost investigation stuff. But I can remember pulling in our driveway, looking at my wife going, we don't want to go back. And she says, no, I don't want to go back either.
- [45:45]
Stephen Ballew
Up until that point, he'd chalked the stories up to exaggeration, clever lore meant to attract paranormal enthusiasts and curious thrill seekers. Perhaps, as the new property manager, he'd heard it all, and he wasn't quite convinced yet. But that all changed the night that he and his wife decided to reenact the murders inside the Villisca X murder house, not as a stunt, but as a way to better understand the space and what happened there on that fateful night. Something shifted that night. He became physically ill, overwhelmed by what he'd experienced, and was unable to return to the house that night. From there, things only got stranger. When we returned from this final sponsor break, his story will deepen, growing more complex, more tangled, and eventually lead to a reveal I never saw coming. Stay with us. Hey, night owls. Here we are in July, already the middle of summer, and I'm wondering how many of you have actually stuck to your New Year's resolutions to be healthier or fitter versions of yourself. I've actually done a pretty good job myself. But the one daily health habit that has been the easiest to adhere to is drinking my AG1 daily for my nutritional needs if you haven't done so already, why not give AG1 a try yourself? Visit drinkag1.com nightowl to subscribe for less than $3 a day. If you use my link, you'll also get a free welcome kit. I personally use AG1 myself for its convenience. With AG1 I can get all my key daily nutritional needs taken care of first thing in the morning. A lot of healthy habits are hard to maintain, such as daily trips to the gym for workouts, runs at the park or hiking. Because of the timing and motivation, AG1 is one healthy habit that is easy to stick to. With AG1, all it takes is one scoop and a glass of water first thing in the morning and I'm ready to tackle the day. A 30 second routine that sets me up for an entire day of healthy nutrition, immune support and gut health. Doesn't your body deserve the absolute best nutritional supplement on the market? Introduce AG1 into your daily health routine and find out for yourself how easy and convenient it is to provide your body with the nutrient support it needs to power through the day. Start giving your body the nutrients it deserves. Just head to my link drinkag1.com NightOwl to subscribe for less than $3 a day. If you use my link, you'll also get a free welcome kit with free a shaker bottle, five AG1 travel packs and more with your first purchase. That's drinkag1.com Night Owl.
- [48:21]
Unnamed Property Manager
So from that point on, things started to ramp up for me at that house. So you know, fast forward maybe another day or two for me. I'll give you another example. I can't remember exactly what day this was, but I again, I live across the street, but I would drive my car, you know, the 50ft to the parking lot at the Axe House by the barn. You know, it was cold and I just, you know, would drive. I can't even remember that morning really coming into work. All I can remember is I'm in the house. It's about 9am I'm all alone and I'm standing in the parlor. And the parlor consists of, you know, a few chairs and a wood stove and a piano. And I'm staring at this piano and I come to all of a sudden and I'm thinking, why am I in here? How did I get in here? I don't remember even getting in my car that morning and coming to the house. But all of a sudden I'm in the parlor staring at a piano. So I you Know, start to walk out and leave. And as soon as I start to walk out, my ears started to, not necessarily ring, but like clogged up with an immense amount of like, air to where I couldn't hear and I couldn't clear my ears. So I walked outside, went to my car and was trying to wrap my head around everything and calm down and clear my ears. And then finally my ears popped and, you know, so that, that experience alone itself, I think should have been, you know, big red flag for me, but I don't think it was at that point. As the time went on, I started suffering just bouts of mental confusion to where I would come to work. And I couldn't even get myself to do something simple as to answer a work email or go into the house to straighten the beds, or I couldn't even get myself to go to the post op, which was, which is down the street to mail a package. Extreme bouts of confusion, also anger, irritation. And I remember thinking, you know, this is one of the best, the coolest jobs in the world, I think, but why is this so complicated? I can't get anything done. So for me, it was a mental type thing. After my first week of just being there, the only time I ever saw anything was around that second or third week. I decided to go in early and take my shop vac and, you know, vacuum the place up. So basically what had happened is the overnight guest that particular night before it was three elderly women and two, two younger, I would say girls, maybe 19, 20. The elderly women claimed to be witches and they said they had a covenant somewhere in Iowa. I don't remember exactly where. At this point I'm thinking, okay, witches. And the two young girls that were with them were their new apprentices or whatever, their new young girls that they're trying to teach the ways of witchcraft. So the three elderly women, which I guess were the witches, kept talking about, you know, they had to leave early that night because of a storm coming in and. But the two younger girls were going to stay the whole night. So the next morning, well, actually that evening I, I could see that home and eight windows of my house and I peeked through to see who's still there. Oh, there's still two cars. At some point in the night, I noticed that one of the cars was gone. And I thought, okay, the, you know, older women left because of the storm, the older witches, I guess. And there was one car there which was the young, younger girls. So the next morning, all the other car was gone too. So it's about 9am And I start vacuuming in the house. And I get to the stairs that lead upstairs, and I'm at the. At the bottom third step, and I'm vacuuming. And the shop vac is pretty loud. And upstairs in my peripheral, I see what looked like a woman or somebody kind of walked by and peeked down at me through the railing and then walked back in the hall towards the children's room. And I know I noticed it because I ended up turning off my vacuum. And I thought to myself, oh, crap, you know, the overnights are still here, but their car's gone. So I start to make my way upstairs and I. I yell out, hello. And starting to walk upstairs. And I get upstairs to the parents room and I start heading down the hallway where I saw whatever this was, walk back in the room. And I said, I'm sorry, I didn't know you guys were still here. And then I peeked into the children's room and there's nobody there at all. At that point, you know, the chill runs up your back, your hair stands up on your arms. And I thought, okay, could just be me. Let's just focus on what needs to be done, you know, they went about my day. And my peripheral, the one that peeked over the railing and looked at me was exactly one of the younger girls that I had seen the night before. And that's probably why I was so quick to turn off the vacuum, say hello, and then think to myself as I'm walking up the stairs going, oh, crap, they're still here. The young girls are still here. And the reason I know it was her is that her hair was one of those very full, kind of wavy, frizzy type hairstyles. Very long, you know, Burnett. And that's exactly what I saw on my peripheral. And then when I get up there and they're completely gone, I thought, okay, I really didn't play too much on the whole witchcraft thing. But that's exactly who I saw, was one of the younger girls that I saw the night before. The other thing I didn't mention with that whole scenario is once I got up to the children's room, where I'm assuming the younger girls had slept all night in that room, I noticed the bed had been messed up and actually slept in or laid in, you know, underneath that bed. Again, I'm in there vacuuming and I'm getting under the beds and everything underneath the bed they slept. I did find a little porcelain dish under the bed in the. Directly under the middle of the bed. And I Remember going, what the heck is that? And I pull it out and in. In this little dish was some dirt and some leaves and what looked like maybe some sage or some kind of other plant life that was dried up and it had been burnt. I think they had burnt all of this and some remnants of leaf and dirt and whatever. And I remember thinking, okay, they're probably doing like a kind of ceremony or whatever, not to go off topic. But again, again, there was another group of witches that again claimed to be witches, only this time there were six elderly women and no younger females with them. They said they were witches. I said, okay, nice. If you have any trouble threatening, let me know. There's my number. That particular evening, we were asleep in our home and my wife had. We shared a very evil dream together. And we didn't realize. My wife had a dream of like floating out of something was floating her off her bed and leading her out of our bedroom. She wakes up and immediately, you know, later tells me, I felt so disconnected when I woke up. She goes, I was looking at my kids in a disconnected fashion of like, I don't know them. I don't have any care for them. I don't. I don't even know who these people are. And I think she wakes up and gets out of bed and looks at the Axe house. And this is at 3:30 in the morning. And every light inside that house, flashlight or lantern, whatever they brought with them, was the entire home was lit up like a Christmas tree. And at 3am nobody usually investigates like that. But my dream that same time I was having that dream, was there was something evil, almost demonic or whatever, beating on my bedroom door. And it was either trying to get in and it was either speaking to me in tongues or I was rebuking it in tongues. And I don't know basically what who was saying what. So that's my dream as she's having her dream of being floated out. But she was one actually woke up, looked at the house at like three in the morning and, you know, it's lit up like a Christmas tree. So I mean, I can go on for days with the amount of stuff that has happened to us and these signs and I mean, it involves witches, it involves a cat, it involves a biker gang, it involves. I mean, it's just so much that I have to literally chronologically start to write everything down because there's so many things from January 2025 until now that are just like, this is the weirdest thing ever. The house we bought was owned by Margaret ann landers. In 1912, my wife just lost her mother in a very horrible way. My wife's mother's name was Margaret Ann. And we had a joke saying that your mother Margaret and the other Margaret are in heaven right now, bringing us to her old house. She had in 1912, Margaret Landers went by Mother Margaret. My wife's mother went by Mother Margaret. Their gravestones say the same thing. So there's so many connections that shouldn't be. I mean, you start to take away coincidence at a certain point. And I really started to take away coincidences and saying, no, this is a sign, and I don't know why or what it means. So after that, it was just mainly a couple of instances where, you know, my wife and I would go in like at 5pm to maybe try a REM pod or, you know, try the Ghost tube app to see what words come out. And we were in the attic upstairs, there's a small little attic, and we literally heard somebody trying to come in through the back door, actually open the back door and start to walk in. And we're thinking, first of all, how did anybody get in here? Because the door is locked and it must be the overnight guest checking in. Wife looked out the window, says, nobody's there. I go downstairs, and there's no nobody there. Like, but we're like, well, we know what we heard. So as far as, you know, hearing and seeing things, for me, that's really been the only thing. However it started to. It's almost like the house started to change. Like, it started to mess with me in an odd mental type way. And then it would change to, okay, now you're going to hear more of those footsteps or more of someone coming in, or it was almost like the change itself. And again, you know, before I started this whole venture, I was more of a skeptic on ghosts. You know, I am a Christian. I do believe in evil. I do believe, you know, in life after death. But my skepticism started to dissipate the longer I was there. However, not towards ghosts, but more towards an evil type entity, demon, something like that. So this went on until, God, I would say March. The home next door, which was owned by Mary Peckham, and she was the neighbor that came over that morning in 1912 and started knocking on the doors and raising concern about the Morph family not being awake. So this is her home next door, and the company I work for also owns that home. And it was emptied out. And I was now in charge of the neighboring home. I think in my opinion, Things started to get a little worse once I started getting involved with the neighboring home. I started to feel the need to stay away from the ex house itself. Like I thought, you know, if I go next door, maybe set up my computer in like the kitchen area, maybe it'll help some of these weird, odd mental confusion type feelings. My wife comes over and is immediately drawn to the home and liked the neighboring home and you know, made her way upstairs one day and right away she felt going up those stairs, there's three bedrooms upstairs and the one in the middle was Mary Peckham's room. But the two bedrooms on the side. My wife started to feel like this very uncomfortable dread or something, like, not good. So she comes down and says, you know, it's not good up there. This is not good, you know. And eventually she started telling me, you probably shouldn't spend much time in this house. Me, I'm not feeling anything in this house at all, but my wife is. So eventually what we started to do with the neighboring home was kind of like an experiment. We started to bring females that were visiting the Axe house over to the neighboring home and seeing what they felt when they go upstairs. And every woman that we brought over there, whether you know, be young teenager, you know, 50, 60 year old woman, every time they go upstairs in that neighboring home homes, they would feel the sense of evil dread, just, I gotta get out of here. And guys wouldn't feel the same. So we started to make note of, okay, these two homes are connected somehow. This neighboring home really doesn't number on the females. The Axe house is more of maybe both or honestly more mental, misunderstood, manipulating towards men. So that started to become, I would say, an obsession of mine or an interest until things just got, in my opinion, so bad. And I don't have any evidence to support any of this, but I do believe it was affecting not just me now, but it was affecting my wife and you know, eventually my son.
- [63:28]
Stephen Ballew
What, what he just shared there was something I'd never heard before. The house across the street from the Villiska Axe murder house may have been more than just a home. It may have been a catalyst, a trigger point where things began to escalate for not just him, but for his wife and young son as well. But what he was about to reveal next was even more unexpected.
- [63:51]
Unnamed Property Manager
Fast forward to today. I'm actually currently on a leave of absence. We did the typical pack up in the middle of the night, almost our car, and we came all the way down here to Florida where we have family just To, I think, get away and to, I don't know, clear our heads maybe to see if some of these things dissipate or not. But I will be quite honest with you. Up until a few days ago, when we finally got down here to Florida, I've been. I mean, I was just spooked. I mean, I had a fear of this place is not going to let us leave. I mean, it was a strong, strong feeling. But luckily we were able to make it down here. And, you know, we've only been down here less than a week, so that's as short as this is. From February 5th until now, that's pretty much my entire story. And it's not a good one. It's more of a horrible feeling. You know, my wife and I shared dreams of Lesadiac's house when we got down to Villisca, but also even before we came down to Villisca. So in my opinion, the home, or both homes, or maybe it's the land or the entire town of Aliska, has a way of drawing you to itself, gripping a hold of you. And I'm. In my opinion, it just wants to destroy your life, whether it be end your marriage or destroy you financially or make you go absolutely crazy, God forbid, hurt somebody. I mean, I don't think it's a good place. And if you're a visitor, I think you're fine. You know, however, if you're involved, and I think you have to be really involved, like in a position of, let's say, caretaker, like me, I think that's when it's going to play with you, and it's going to try what it can to destroy. I think whatever you have, have. And that's the biggest reason we just left and took my family and said, we gotta get out of here. I don't know what we're gonna do. I don't know if we're gonna come back. I mean, we have a home sitting there that still needs to be fixed up and sold or whatever. You know, our daughter was enrolled in school there. I always tell people it's not. It's not the footsteps and the apparitions that, you know, really scare you. It's the. It's the unseen and the unknown, in my opinion, that makes it even more horrifying. And that's basically what I'm experiencing right now. And my wife's experienced it. My children have experienced a little bit.
- [66:49]
Stephen Ballew
Learning that this new caretaker had quietly packed up and fled Villisca, relocating his entire family to Florida genuinely caught me off Guard. What made it even more unexpected was how this interview came to be in the first place. The idea for this campfire series was sparked after travel, Iowa, and individuals connected to the Villisca Axe Murder House reached out to express their appreciation for this show and to see if I might be interested in sharing some real stories from their staff. It was through this outreach that I was connected with the current property manager. What they didn't seem to know at the time was that he was already gone, on a leave of absence, hundreds of miles away, and deeply uncertain about whether he would ever return. That gave this conversation a different weight. His story felt separate, more candid, like he was finally able to speak freely. As our first call came to a close, I knew I wanted to follow up. I could feel there was more to uncover here. But before we wrapped, I asked him to share one, one final thought. What he believed was really happening inside that house and why he thought it affected his family so deeply.
- [68:00]
Unnamed Property Manager
I think right now, currently, for me, in my head, I've placed it more on a dark force. I feel like it knew I was coming and it was ready for it, and it knew everything about what I like and how. How I can be enticed to get involved with something like this. You know, I'm. I love antiques. I love history. I love true crime. I love old houses. I think it knew all these things, and it really started to, I think, play on me and entice me more and more just to destroy something of me, possibly destroy my marriage, destroy my children. But the scariest thing, aside from myself, though, is my wife has been going through a very hard, vulnerable period, struggling with her faith. You know, losing her mother really, really damaged her in a lot of ways, especially spiritually and in her faith. So at the same time, I'm struggling with. Well, I don't think it even really wanted me per se. Maybe just to entice me enough to get me in that situation, but also to get at my wife, to really work on manipulating her. And that's kind of where I'm feeling lately, just this dark. Call it demonic, call it whatever spirit. Just all it wants to do is destroy lives. And I really am putting that in my head as to what's, you know, really going on. I. I do not think it's the. The family that lived there. I do not think it's even the murderer, whoever that was. But then again, we have to talk about Villisca itself. You know, the Sac and Fox tribe, when they have that land, it was called Woliska. And to them it meant evil spirit, spirit or evil place. They would bury their unwanted individuals that passed. Maybe they were criminals or skin walkers or whoever. They would bury them there face down so their souls couldn't reach, you know, heaven whatever. When E.H. smith came in in the 1850s and bought all of the land of Villisca, he. He put a V in front of it instead of a W and called it Valiska. And he coined the phrase Villisca means prison, pretty place or pretty trees. So it might not even be the Axe House at all. It just might be the land or a part of the land that the Native Americans probably knew. This is not a good place. Maybe not the whole town, but just maybe that part. Maybe those two homes next to each other on. On second street there could be the small little circle evil has always resided. That pretty much sums up my time in Villisca at the Ax House. So.
- [71:03]
Stephen Ballew
In this first part of our Villisca campfire series, we've heard some powerful testimony from those who walk the halls of this infamous house every day to others who felt its presence in a single visit. But it was this final account from the current caretaker that shifted something for me. There was a rawness to his story, a vulnerability. And as he spoke, I couldn't help but feel there was more beneath the surface, more he wanted to say, but maybe wasn't quite ready to share. As a storyteller and someone who's always chasing the deeper thread, I knew I needed to follow that instinct. So in this next part of this series, we'll dive further into this unlike unsettling tale, continuing our conversation with the caretaker and bringing in new voices that offer even more layers to this mystery. We'll hear from his wife, who eventually agreed to share her side of what happened. I'll connect with a longtime friend in the paranormal field, someone I didn't even realize had their own long and complicated history with the Villisca Axe murder house. And finally, we'll speak with a researcher and author who has devoted years to preserving the truth and legacy of this tragic home. But get ready, because the deeper I go, the more complex this story becomes. Thanks for listening to this campfire episode of the Night Owl podcast. Be sure to join us as this paranormal series continues on August 25th. Don't forget to visit the Night out podcast.com for info and tickets to our big annual event, the Spirit social, happening on Halloween 2025. And if you're a vendor of the spooky, witchy, or weird variety, you can apply to be a vendor at this event on our website or a direct link in our Instagram bio. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter on our website thenight owlpodcast.com follow us on Instagram or Facebook Henight Owl Podcast and consider becoming a patron and supporting our show. Show on patreon.com thenight owlpodcast to stay up to date with our show's news and events. Stay restless out there. I'd like to thank my investigative team, Alexis, Franklin and Jeffrey for going on these crazy adventures with me Nicholas Fair for his talented musical contributions to this show my dad Sam for his incredible historical research Mikey for his assistance editing Beau, Tristan and Devin for their help with our Night Owl events and tours Sandra for keeping us all on schedule and on budget and last but not least, David Dalton of Driftworks Sound for mastering every single episode on the tight turnarounds I give him. Please support their works by visiting our website thenight owlpodcast.com and clicking on the about tab. There you can find links to all their individual works and websites. This podcast was mastered by David Dalton of Driftworks Sound. Do you have a song that could use a professional touch to get it across the finish line? Do you wish you could remove the sound of a loud air conditioner or distracting mouth noises from your podcast recording? Whatever your issue, David can repair and enhance your audio and help you achieve rich, full professional sound at industry standard loudness levels. Quit struggling with audio engineering and get back to creating. To discuss your options, reach out to davidriftworksound.com that's D R I F T worksound.com and set your creative self free.