The Night Owl: True Ghost Stories
Episode: The Villisca Axe Murder House - Part I (Campfire)
Date: July 28, 2025
Host: Stephen Ballew, Night Owl Paranormal Research Society

Episode Overview

This chilling installment of The Night Owl Podcast’s Campfire series immerses listeners in the true story and haunted legacy of the Villisca Axe Murder House. Host Stephen Ballew guides the audience through a tapestry of personal stories and paranormal encounters linked to the horrifying, unsolved 1912 murders of the Moore family and two Stillinger children. Structured as a collection of first-hand accounts and interviews, the episode balances historical context, haunting testimonies from a tour guide, a tourism worker, and—most dramatically—the current property manager, who shares an escalating series of disturbing experiences as caretaker of the infamous home.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Villisca Axe Murders: A Haunting American Tragedy (04:22 – 09:35)

• Historical Account:
  On June 9, 1912, eight people (the Moore family and two Stillinger girls) were brutally murdered in their sleep in Villisca, Iowa. The killer was never identified, and speculation has endured for over a century.
• Crime Scene Details:
  grisly details include the assailant possibly hiding in the attic, use of the Moore family's axe, the discovery of a bloodied bowl of water and a slab of bacon, and a contaminated crime scene due to early 20th-century investigative mishandling.
• Suspects & Theories:
  • Frank F. Jones: A local senator with professional grudges.
  • Reverend George Kelly (Kelly): A traveling preacher present at the church event, later tried (unsuccessfully) for the murders and diagnosed with schizophrenia.
  • The “Man from the Train” Theory: Suggesting a transient serial killer.
• Lingering Legacy:
  Stories of the haunted house have since overshadowed the original crime, drawing in investigators, tourists, and paranormal enthusiasts from all over.

“A crime so horrific it shattered the innocence of this rural community and left behind questions that still echo more than a century later.”
— Stephen Ballew [04:22]

2. Inside the House: The Tour Guide’s Experience (09:35 – 23:17)

Narrative by “Kelly” – The Villisca House Tour Guide

• House Tour Structure:
  Kelly describes the layout—the kitchen, parlor (“cylinder room”), bedrooms, and attic—pointing out areas of heightened paranormal activity, especially the attic and children’s rooms.
• Storytelling Purpose:
  As a local, she emphasizes telling the story of the victims rather than the killer, honoring the memory of those lost.
• Personal and Reported Activity:
  • Regular occurrences: disembodied footsteps, children’s giggles, tugs on clothing, voices, moving objects, and sightings of shadow figures.
  • Personal encounters: Feelings of profound sadness and dread, sightings of a large shadow in the attic, objects being pulled out of her hands, and days where oppressive or “cheerier” atmospheres oscillate within the house.
• Notable Quote:

  “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 [spelled] for the last time. As a tour guide, I spend every day in the house ... I have definitely experienced a lot of unexplainable things.”
  — Kelly [15:02]

• On the Haunting:
  Distinguishes between “childlike” energy and something “darker, almost elemental, like it’s just part of the grounds.”

  “I don't believe that it is the killer. Some people do. But I believe it might have been there before the Moores happened.”
  — Kelly [22:58]

3. Visitor Perspective: The Profound Weight of the House (28:08 – 34:02)

Narrative by Jessica – Iowa Tourism Office

• First Encounters:
  Jessica describes being unnerved even by the house’s website. On her tours, she’s struck by the building’s smallness and the chilling proximity of those murdered.
• Personal Experiences:
  • An unexplained missing photograph from her phone.
  • A closet door swinging open seemingly by itself—without the bells on the handle making a sound.
  • Recurring sense of deep sadness, especially standing in the parents’ and children’s rooms.
• Ethos of the Community:
  Praises staff for protecting the victims’ memory over sensationalizing the crime.
• Notable Quote:

  “I just go back to how bad I felt leaving that house. I just want to say how I think it was so amazing…how much care they take into protecting the family ... letting the family's memory be, you know, more about the family than the murderer.”
  — Jessica [32:30]

4. The Caretaker’s Descent: Living Across from—and Inside—the Haunt (35:18 – 71:03)

Narrative by Unnamed Property Manager

• Chance Relocation:
  Moved from Colorado to Villisca, bought the house directly across from the Axe Murder House (initially by coincidence), then accepted a job as the site’s property manager.
• Early Skepticism:
  Dismissed stories as legend, found first week uneventful.

Escalating Paranormal Experiences:

• First Incident:
  Attempted to reenact events with his wife in the house. Both experienced physical illness, dizziness, and overwhelming dread. He became physically sick after mimicking the murder scenario.

  “We just felt sick, dizzy, almost like seasickness or car sickness. And ... I was just spooked. I mean, I had a fear of this place is not going to let us leave.”
  — Property Manager [44:40, 63:51]

• Mental and Emotional Effects:
  Increasing confusion, difficulty focusing, irritability—despite “one of the coolest jobs in the world.”

• Visual and Auditory Phenomena:

  • Witnessed what he believed was an apparition of a former guest peeking over the stair rail.
  • Experiences with guests claiming to be witches, finding evidence of ritualistic activity left behind (burnt sage/dirt under beds).
  • Shared disturbing, possibly psychic dreams with his wife—including themes of evil presences and personal threat.

• Malevolent Influence:
  Reports a pattern of harm befalling deeply involved staff (caretakers, not visitors), including mounting threats to marriage, family stability, and mental health.

  “...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.”
  — Property Manager [64:29]

• Mysterious Connections:
  Family and house history intertwine—his wife’s mother (recently deceased) and the house’s original owner shared the same name.

• Neighboring House Phenomena:
  The next-door home, also connected to the original crime, allegedly triggers dread, especially in visiting women.

• Flight from Villisca:
  Eventually flees with his family in the middle of the night to Florida, seeking respite from the house’s grip.

• Theories:
  Suggests the presence is not the murdered family or killer, but a deeper, pre-existing evil—possibly tied to Native American lore and the meaning of “Villisca” (“evil place” in old Sac and Fox language).

• Notable Quote:

  “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.”
  — Property Manager [63:51]

  “The Sac and Fox tribe, ... called Woliska ... meant evil spirit, spirit or evil place … 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.”
  — Property Manager [67:59]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Stephen Ballew’s Reflection:

  “It’s not just the memory of what happened in the house that lingers, but something deeper, more present.”
  [23:17]

• Kelly on Dark Presence:

  “I feel like it’s definitely darker … like it’s almost elemental, just a part of the grounds.”
  [22:58]

• Jessica on the House’s Atmosphere:

  “I felt a more profound sadness in the house more than anything else.”
  [29:41]

• Property Manager’s Warning:

  “It’s not the footsteps and the apparitions that … really scare you. It’s the unseen and the unknown, in my opinion, that makes it even more horrifying.”
  [63:51]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00]–[04:22] | Stephen Ballew’s introduction, warning, episode setup
• [04:22]–[09:35] | History of the Villisca murders and the haunted legacy
• [09:35]–[23:17] | Kelly the tour guide’s walkthrough, personal experiences, and theories
• [28:08]–[34:02] | Jessica (Tourism office) shares her outsider’s perspective and subtle paranormal experiences
• [35:18]–[71:03] | Property manager’s story: move-in, deepening involvement, and chilling escalation leading to his family’s flight

Tone and Narrative

The episode is somber, reflective, and deeply respectful to the victims and their stories. The speakers’ language avoids sensationalism in favor of conveying both emotional resonance and the unsettling nature of the phenomena. The cumulative effect is one of mounting unease, underscored by personal honesty and an open-minded approach to the unexplained.

Conclusion & Teaser for Part II

Stephen Ballew closes the episode with a sense of urgency and empathy, highlighting the gravity of the experiences shared and foreshadowing deeper revelations in part two. The story of the Villisca Axe Murder House continues to echo, both historically and paranormally, affecting all who become entwined with its legacy.

“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 ... the deeper I go, the more complex this story becomes.”
— Stephen Ballew [71:03]

End of Summary – Listen to Part II for further unfolding of the property manager’s ordeal, his wife’s testimony, and expert insights into Villisca’s haunted legacy.