Villisca, IA - The Axe Murder House

Villisca, Iowa is filled with rich history. The town is steeped with esteemed war veterans from conflicts dating back to World War I. Villisca also has a rich history as an early Coca-Cola bottling town. A bottling company that still operates today. Of course, as with many towns, it only take a good ghost story to steal the spotlight from these interesting narratives. And haunting tales from an old brutal unsolved axe murder dominate local history even more.

In 1912, the Moore family returned to their home after a church gathering with their children and 2 of their children's friends who would stay the night at the home. They entered their home late on that Sunday night and would not be seen again until later the next morning when all of their bludgeoned bodies were discovered. Everyone one of them were murdered while they slept by an axe wielding maniac. The axe, lighted wipe of it's blood, was left at the scene but no signs of forced entry. Many assume the assailant had lay waiting in the home when the Moore's and children arrived home on Sunday evening, then proceeding to his or her ghastly crime while all the victims were sleeping.

Today, the crime would have easily solvable but in the early 1900s there were no advanced fingerprinting tactics or DNA analysis. Many investigators and even spectators entered the home after the incident and may have tainted the crime scene or overlooked several clues. Details of the horrid crime are heavily debated today. A slab of bacon found near a victim, the position of one of the victims bodies and even a missing piece of Jo Moore's skull are all items discussed by crime enthusiasts today.

The house was eventually restored and now frequented by tourists, psychics and paranormal investigators today. Of course many of them claim to find evidence the murdered children's ghosts, the unknown murderer or other paranormal activity. The faint sound of children's voices or psychic communication about the unsolved wrongdoing are common elements of the Axe Murder house today.

For more info try Villiscaiowa.com

Lake City, CO - The Colorado Cannibal

“There were seven Democrats in Hinsdale County! But you, you voracious, main-eating son of a bitch, you ate five of them. Therefore I sentence you to be hanged by the neck until you’re dead, dead, dead!”-Judge Melville B. Gerry

In the winter of 1873, Alfred Packer was hired as a guide in Salt Lake City by 20 men for a prospecting trip into the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The group stopped over at the village of Chief Ouray and were warned not to try crossing the mountains until spring. Packer and five of the group decided to continue on into the mountains.

Spring came and Packer appeared at the Los Pinos Indian Agency. He was alone. He was also seemingly well fed. In fact, upon arriving he was more interested in finding whiskey than food.

A search party went looking for the remainer of his party. Bodies, some stripped of flesh, were found on the trail. Packer was questioned. He ate them.

He was sentenced to death but that was reduced to 40 years. By 1901, he had been released on good behavior. His was the first case of cannibalism tried in the U.S. court system.

Source:Ramsland, Katherine, “Alfred Packer: The Maneater of Colorado“, Court TV’s Crime Library,2004.

Photo: Littleton Historical Society

Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA - The Donner Party

In the spring of 1846, the Donner party left Independence, Missouri and began the pilgrimage westward to California. This pioneering family met up with other families; totaling 87 people. Together, a train of wagons could traverse the hardships ahead more easily. Their hardships became legend.


First, they choose a “short-cut” known as the “Hastings Cut-off”. It took 30 days to reach Reno, Nevada instead of the usual week. Here they spent extra days repairing wagons, getting warm and re-supplying. This waiting proved fatal, as winter storms were poised to dump snow on the Sierra Nevadas.

The party was stopped by heavy snowfall east of today’s Truckee, California on October 28. A camp of lean-tos was set. The snow kept falling. Food ran out. One died of malnutrition. They began to eat bark and boiled hides.

A small party was sent out to bring back help. On February 19th, the first of four rescue teams found forty-eight survivors. It took almost two months to get all the survivors out. The second rescue team discovered “half-eaten bodies” littering the camp. The survivors were described as “more like demons than human beings, surrounded by the remains of their unholy feast.”

87 people started out for California. 46 arrived.