The 1912 Villisca Axe Murders Blog

"Villisca" Filmmakers Receive Regional Emmy® Nomination for New Documentary

Villisca: Living with a Mystery filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films have received a Regional (Mid-America) Emmy® nomination in the Historical Documentary category for their award-winning documentary film Country School: One Room – One Nation.  This is the first time the Rundles have entered a film in the Emmy® competition following a March 2012 qualifying broadcast on WQPT-PBS.

“We are deeply honored by this nomination,” said Tammy. “And, we gratefully share this wonderful distinction with everyone who helped us make the film,” added Kelly.

Country schools took rough-hewn pioneers and multilingual immigrants and transformed them into a literate and patriotic new nation. Country School: One Room - One Nation provides a never-before-seen perspective on one-room schools in the Upper Midwest. From the first schools in new states to the demise of their widespread use in the 1950s and 1960s, the visually stunning film takes viewers "back to school" for a dramatic new look at the lasting impact of America's one-room schools.

Country School premiered in 2010 at the State Historical Building in Des Moines and has since screened more than 60 times in cities throughout the United States. The critically-acclaimed film was released nationally on DVD in 2011. Iowa Public Television (IPTV) will feature broadcasts in late August and September, and broadcasts on other PBS stations will continue through the balance of 2012.

The 2012 Mid-America Emmy® Awards will be held Saturday, September 22, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. at the historic Midland Theatre in Kansas City.

Country School was partially funded by grants from Humanities Iowa, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, the Wisconsin Humanities Council, and the Kansas Humanities Council.

The Rundles' Fourth Wall Films is a film and video production and distribution company formerly based in Los Angeles, California and now located in Moline, Illinois. In addition to Country School, they have produced the award-winning films Villisca: Living with a Mystery and Lost Nation: The Ioway. They are currently in post-production on Lost Nation: The Ioway 2&3 slated for release in November 2012. Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg, produced with Emmy-nominated filmmaker Garry McGee, will be released in May of 2013.  Visit www.FourthWallFilms.com for more information.

The Mid-America chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) includes television markets primarily in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Illinois and surrounding DMAs.
 
NATAS is dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational and technical achievements within the television industry. It recognizes excellence in television with the coveted Emmy® Award. For more information visit www.emmymid-america.org.

Robert Moore, Jr. Receives Silver Star

Silver Star recipient Captain Robert Moore, Jr.  Photo courtesy the Marietta Daily Journal.

We join many in extending our heart-felt congratulations to Retired Army Captain Robert Moore, Jr. who was presented with a Silver Star on July 16, 2012.  Bob is the great nephew of Josiah Moore and appears in the documentary Villisca: Living with a Mystery.

~Tammy & Kelly Rundle, Producers, Villisca: Living with a Mystery.

From the Marietta Daily Journal:

MARIETTA--Retired Army Capt. Robert “Bob” Moore Jr. said he was surprised on June 6 to hear he had received the Silver Star for his actions in Vietnam more than four decades ago.

Moore, now 66, said he knew an award application had been resubmitted two years ago, and that the office of U.S. Rep Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta) was working on his behalf. But the application that was submitted sought a Bronze Star, so Moore was taken aback when he found out the Awards and Decorations Branch determined he had earned the Silver Star, the Army’s third highest honor.

“I was stunned. I started crying,” he said. “It brings closure to my Vietnam experience.”

On Friday — the 43rd anniversary of the day when Moore lead his platoon to regroup and secure the area after a booby trap exploded while on a search and destroy mission in the Phan Thiet area east of Saigon — a flag was flown in his honor over the U.S. Capitol in Washington. On Monday, he received the award, as well as the flag, at a half-hour ceremony before 250 people at the Joint Headquarters Building at Clay National Guard Center in Marietta.

“Captain Moore exemplified the kind of leadership and courage that many of us can only dream of,” Gingrey said. “He’s the epitome of a hero.”

Gingrey said his office got involved in trying to secure Moore’s honors after being notified of his acts by one of Moore’s colleagues in healthcare administration.

“As it turned out, when they went back and did the history of what happened and interviewed witnesses, they upgraded that medal to a Silver Star,” Gingrey said after the ceremony. “Believe you me, they went through this with a fine-toothed comb. You don’t pick these things up at the Varsity. It took several months of intense work.”

Moore, at the time a second lieutenant, was on his second six-month tour of duty in Vietnam in July 1969, leading a platoon in Company A, 3d Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky.

His commanding officer, Capt. Robert Catchings, said Moore had volunteered to have his platoon lead the way across a treacherous minefield after Catchings had been threatened with a court martial by an inexperienced battalion commander.

“Bob came up and said, we don’t want to lose you, we will volunteer to go,” Catchings, a native of Thomasville, recalled.

After following Moore’s platoon, Catchings said they crossed over several booby traps in the pitch darkness.

“I was close enough to hear the sound of the booby trap, so I was able to hit the ground,” Catchings said.

Moore lost his left kneecap during the explosion, and only recently had shrapnel removed from his right leg. Catchings said one man died in the incident, while others were wounded, including a platoon sergeant who lost both his legs.

“Bob was functioning as if nothing had happened to him,” Catchings said. “We were able to clear out the area, it was in a wooded area, for a med evac.”

Catchings said Moore was nominated for a Bronze Star shortly after the incident, but the paperwork was lost.

Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth, Adjutant General of the Georgia National Guard, which hosted the ceremony, said the hostility that many Vietnam veterans received when they returned home prevented some heroes from receiving the recognition they deserved.

“Somebody had to pick up the issue, and say this deserves the recognition,” Butterworth said. “To use Calvin Coolidge’s quote, ‘A nation that forgets its defenders will soon itself be forgotten.’ We’re not forgetting, and I think that’s one of the keys.”

Moore comes from a family where military service is expected. His father, Robert Moore Sr., was pictured in a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph when he returned to Iowa from service in World War II in 1943. Moore met his wife, Lynn, in 1970 when both were serving in the military. The two have lived in the Atlanta area since 1977.

Moore, who worked his way up from private to captain after volunteering for the Army, was moved by the turnout for Monday’s ceremony. He said that when he talked to John O’Keefe, a Gingrey staffer who had helped with his paperwork, he asked if he was supposed to just go to Gingrey’s office to pick up the Silver Star.

“He said, ‘That won’t happen,’” Moore said.

Moore said he hopes today’s servicemen and women won’t have to wait as long for recognition as he did.

“I want (the public) to be more attentive to appreciating what the soldiers today are going through in Afghanistan and Iraq,” he said. “Be as appreciative as they could humanly be for their service.”

Villisca Axe Murder House Owner Darwin Linn has Died

Darwin Linn seated in a Model-T Ford near Villisca, Iowa. (Fourth Wall Films photo)

Darwin Ernest Linn, 76, of Corning, passed away July 15, 2011 at Creighton University Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. Celebration of Life services will be 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at the Roland-Ritchie Funeral Home, 905 Benton Avenue, Corning, with Reverend Ken Rummer will officiating. Internment will be at the Villisca Cemetery. Open visitation will begin at 3:00 p.m. with family present 5-7:00 p.m. at the Roland-Ritchie Funeral Home. Memorials may be given in Darwin’s name. Memories may be shared at www.ritchiefuneralhome.com. Arrangements are entrusted to the Roland-Ritchie Funeral Home of Corning.

Darwin Ernest Linn was born September 23, 1934 at home on the family farm near Elliott, to Ernest and Grace (Lloyd) Linn. He attended grade schools in the Elliott and Red Oak areas before the family moved to a farm near Morton Mills when he was in eighth grade. He was a graduate of the Villisca High School Class of 1953. During high school he had a love of sports, particularly football and track and was also active in FFA. He was President of the Villisca FFA Chapter and an elected State Vice President. Darwin was also a member of the Iowa National Guard Company F while in high school and after graduation.

Darwin’s love for farming continued after graduation, working with his father, Ernest, and cousin, Harry Olson. Darwin worked farms in the Morton Mills, Grant and Corning areas. Darwin’s passion for farmer’s rights led him to a position with the National Farmers Organization and worked out of the Corning office. After the NFO left the Corning area, Darwin continued to find ways to assist farmers. One of these ventures was the creation of Pheasants Galore. Pheasants Galore provided hunters with a place to stay and hunt pheasants. In turn, the farmers were compensated for managing and protecting the pheasant populations.

While not a veteran that served in a war, Darwin’s work in the National Guard and strong appreciation for veterans, lead to his active involvement with the American Legion in Corning. As Commander, he ensured that there were Memorial Day Services and was instrumental in the creation of the Veterans Memorial in Central Park. Darwin also oversaw the construction of permanent flag structures throughout Corning to allow for easy flag placement during holidays. Darwin also had a strong commitment to children and helped established Veteran Day programs in the elementary school. He also formed a collaboration between the American Legion and the Rotarians to provide a meal for the 4-H kids during their preparation for the first day of the fair.

Darwin enjoyed the preservation of history and after working many years with his cousin, Harry Olson, was given the opportunity to become a partner in the Olson-Linn Museum. It was during this time that the Villisca Axe Murder House became available and he and Martha purchased and restored the house. The property is now on the National Historical Register and is one of Southwest Iowa’s most popular tourist attractions. He was also a charter member of the Johnny Carson Birthplace Society and an active member of the Old Tyme Power Club. He served as superintendent of the Antique Show at the Adams County Fair for many years. Darwin wrote many short stories for the Extension Publication, “Time Out”. These stories recalled Darwin’s life and times as a youth growing up on the family farm and were later compiled into a book called “The Good Old Days”.

Darwin’s love of sports continued after graduation. He was a football and basketball official for several years. After moving to the Corning area, he actively participated in a men’s slow pitch softball league and later assisted in the acquisition and construction of men’s slow pitch softball diamonds in Corning. He was an avid fan of his daughters’ sports and activities in Corning and this dedication extended to his grandchildren. He graduated a Villisca Blue Jay, but was also a dedicated Corning Red Raider, Centerville Big Red and Eddyville-Blakesburg Rocket fan.

Darwin married Martha Darnold on November 10, 1957, at the Methodist Church in Villisca. He is survived by his wife, Martha, of Corning, two daughters, Patty (Randy) McPherren, Unionville and Margaret (Tom) Lee, Eddyville and three grandchildren, Blake McPherren and Morgan and Grace Lee. He is also survived by sisters, Sara Peterson, Red Oak, Barb Focht, and brother, Jack, of Villisca. He will also be missed by many special nieces, nephews, and friends.

Preceding Darwin in death include his parents, sister, Alice Lantz, and brothers-in-law Carl Vansant, Richard Peterson, Merrill Lantz, and. Marvin Focht.
____________________________________________

Editor's note: Darwin Linn appeared in the documentary feature film Villisca: Living with a Mystery and in numerous television shows related to the 1912 Villisca axe murders.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from the Rundles!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Thank you for following America's greatest unsolved mystery!

Kelly & Tammy Rundle, Fourth Wall Films

VilliscaMovie.com

Victims' Relative Robert Moore Offended by "Merry Ax-mas" at the Villisca Axe Murder House

Robert Moore discussed his family's unusual legacy during an interview in Atlanta, Georgia for the documentary feature film Villisca: Living with a Mystery in 1994.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE VILLISCA REVIEW:

I've recently been informed that a television production company in cooperation with the owners of the J. B. Moore house is sponsoring a "Merry Ax-Mas" event in Villisca at the J. B. Moore home.

When the Moore home was rehabilitated to its original appearance and decor, I was assured by the Linns that it would always be an historic site memorializing the terrible tragedy that so deeply impacted the victims' families and the citizens of Villisca.

I'm deeply disappointed that in recent years the Linns, as owners of the property, have turned history into a carnival side show for profit and publicity.  This publicity has a negative connotation for the city of Villisca.  The upcoming "Merry Ax-Mas" event is tasteless and disrespectful for the victims' family and the Christian holiday that celebrates our Savior's birth.

In the past, I have said nothing in an attempt to stay above 'side show' atmosphere.  Occasionally, the Moore family attorney, Mr. Tom Stamets, will follow up on some of the more egregious situations.  So this is unusual as well as quite uncomfortable for me to write this letter.  It is my hope that the sensationalizing of the family murders and the abuse of using private (not public domain) photographs will stop.

Respectfully,

Robert R. Moore
November 29, 2009

The Villisca Review

Read the full article on the "Merry Ax-Mas at the Villisca Ax Murder House" event.

Victims' Relative & Townspeople Object to "Merry Ax-Mas" Event in Villisca Ax Murder House

A blood-drenched sign reminds vistors and locals of a tragedy that took eight innocent lives in Iowa's worst mass murder. The house is the site of a Christmas-themed event that many feel is disrepectful to the victims of the still-unsolved crime and the Christian holiday.

VILLISCA, IOWA -- A sold-out "Merry Ax-Mas" event planned by representatives of Santa Monica, California-based The American Ghost Hunter and hosted by the Villisca Axe Murder House in Villisca, Iowa is drawing harsh criticism from a relative of the victims and local townspeople.

Forty tickets were sold at $200.00 each for a weekend of paranormal activities including an "investigation" of the Josiah B. Moore house where eight people were murdered with an axe in 1912.  Two separate teams will occupy the small white frame house from 8:30 pm until 1:00 am on Saturday, December 5, 2009.

The event features, along with documentary screenings and lectures, an "Ax-Mas gift exchange" according to AGHnation.com.

In a letter-to-the-editor printed in the current issue of the Villisca Review, Robert Moore called the event, "tasteless and disrespectful for the victims' families and the Christian holiday...this publicity has a negative connotation for the city of Villisca."

The Villisca Ax Murder House is owned by Darwin and Martha Linn of Corning, Iowa.

"In the past I have said nothing in an attempt to stay above the 'side-show' atmosphere...it is my hope that the sensationalizing of...the family murders will stop," wrote Moore.

Moore appeared in the award-winning historical documentary feature film Villisca: Living with a Mystery and supplied privately-owned family photographs that appear in the film.

Locals are still searching for ways to curtail or cancel the Villisca portion of the event that is set to begin on Friday, December 4, 2009 and continue through Sunday, December 6th.  According to event organizer Chad Calek, most of the activities will take place in a local hotel in conjunction with several hours spent at the Villisca Ax Murder House.

"I don't know what can be done legally to stop this - if anything," Villisca resident and community blogger Roxanna Sieber wrote in an online piece entitled Yet Another Disgraceful Presentation. "But I do know that the citizens of Villisca should let those involved know how disgraceful what they are doing is and bring enough pressure that the event be cancelled."

Calek explained that the use of "ax-mas" was just a play on words, and that it was not meant to be disrespectful.  Calek has been a writer for the Paranormal State television show and is a former resident of Persia, Iowa.

In addition to Calek, Laura Calek, Brian Calek, Joe Ansley, Justin Holstein, and Mary Beth Wylie will also appear before ticket-buyers.  In addition, Villisca Ax Murder House "historian" Johnny Houser will speak to visitors at the Moore house on Saturday night.

Calek and his associates schedule several similar events each year.  Previous and future events include an investigation of the Bullock Hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota and an examination of the U.S.S. Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Calek was asked, and agreed to remove copyrighted materials belonging to Robert Moore and Fourth Wall Films from graphics posted online promoting the Merry Ax-Mas event.  The images, he said, were provided by a third party.

Organizers are also auctioning off a private investigation of the Moore House that will take place on Satuday night from 2:00-3:00 am.  A "candlelight prayer session," meant to assuage the concerns of victims' relatives and townspeople, is also planned for the site of Iowa's worst mass homicide.

Merry Ax-Mas event schedule link HERE.

A link to one of the bands appearing at the event HERE.

A link to The American Ghost Hunter website HERE.

Robert Moore's letter-to-the-editor will appear in its entirety in a separate post.

Villisca Axe Murder House Mentioned in Paranormal Public Radio Broadcast

 

Yesterday, Iowa Public Radio's Ben Kieffer interviewed two authors of books that feature "haunted" locations in Iowa.  The Halloween Eve special featured Iowa Road Guide to Haunted Locations author Chad Lewis and Jeff Belanger, author of Encyclopedia of Haunted Places.

We'll have more to say about the historical veracity of the Iowa Road Guide's description of the Villisca axe murder case in a future post.  We have yet to review the Encyclopedia.

The Villisca, Iowa axe murder house was mentioned as follows:

BEN KIEFFER: Judging from your encyclopedia, Iowa looks like a great location for haunted places.  Of the fifteen haunted places you have listed for the Great Plains section, four of them are in Iowa.  Let's talk about them.  We have two in Newton, one on I-80 near Mitchellville, and the Villisca Axe Murder House--perhaps the best-known here in Iowa.

JEFF BALANGER: Sure.  Yeah, that's a place that comes up again and again on people's paranormal radar.  Fans of this subject know Villisca, which is interesting because it's a very small town and you probably would never have heard of it for any other reason except for this brutal murder that took place back in 1912.  Eight people killed, bludgeoned to death, a whole family and friends of the family, children too.  Horrible, horrible crime and no one ever punished for it.  And today, I think there's a whole romantic ideal for why ghosts may stick around.  One could be unfinished business, could be seeking vengeance, whatever.  Is the killer haunting the building because he's bound there?  Are the victims haunting the building because they still want justice?  That's for our very human egocentric-al minds to try to speculate on.  But no matter what, people believe this place to be haunted.  It's been decorated to look as it did back in 1912, people can stay the night there, and they're having experiences: doors opening and closing, seeing fog appear and dissipate inside the house and around the house, hearing voices.  All these kind of things come up again and again.

KIEFFER: I hear the current owner also will be celebrating an upcoming, and these are his words, "Merry Ax-Mas Celebration."

BALANGER: Oh, isn't that nice.

KIEFFER: So we have the bounds of bad taste know no barriers, I guess, there.

BALANGER: Yeah, and here's the other part of it, that I've discovered over the years, the subject of ghosts and the paranormal just gets more popular as more and more television shows come on the air and websites and books and all this other stuff, and ghosts are good for business.  I now have people contacting me saying, "hey, stay the night in my bed and breakfast for free," or, "let us give you a free dinner in my haunted restaurant and you can write about it," in the hopes the haunted legend will be propagated.  And that's not to say that these people are lying, but for me, it's a lot more work because I need to talk with former owners, former employees, people who don't care if the business succeeds or fails.  Because I've seen a lot of places now really playing up that haunted reputation because it puts butts in seats, it gets dinner sold, people come to the bars, the restaurants, the inns.  People to have this experience.  They don't want to have it at home.  They want to go somewhere, have it, and bring the story home. 

CLICK HERE or on the link below to listen to the entire broadcast

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuni/news.newsmain/article/1586/0/1572313/The.Exchange.from.IPR/The.Exchange.103009

Friend and "Villisca" Film Supporter Marcia Lea Hostetler Dies

Marcia Hostetler (right) examines family photos with her mother Ervalene Curtis Brown. (1993)

Marcia Lea Hostetler Age 81, was born on January 26, 1928 in Des Moines and died on Wednesday, October 28 in Des Moines of renal failure.

In August 1993, we announced, via a press release, that we intended to produce a historical documentary about the 1912 Villisca, Iowa axe murders.  The notice was printed throughout Iowa and the first person to contact us was Marcia Hostetler.

Marcia called to tell us about her mother Evalene Curtis Brown.  Ervalene, she said, was 14 at the time the murders took place and remembered events connected to that event vividly.  We were also contacted by Glenna Achter of Muscatine, Iowa.  Glenna was a bit younger, but still recalled the way her own family and others responded to the tragedy.

Knowing both women were elderly (Ervalene was 95!), we flew from Los Angeles to the Midwest on October 1993 to shoot the first interviews for our documentary.

Meeting Marcia for the first time, we discovered immediately that we had something in common: a love for animals.

We later wrote about Ervalene's interview on our website:

"We found ourselves in Ervalene's apartment on a brilliant autumn day of that year.    She was 95, slender in stature, poised in a periwinkle blue dress, her snow-white hair combed perfectly in place, and ready for her close-up.  We fiddled with the placement of lights, arranged a lamp just so, and carefully positioned a small framed photograph of her parents.  Far from being impatient, our fussing over details was consistent with the way she had pursued her own photography hobby.  Her grandfather was a professional and she was initially inspired by his studio technique and heirloom results.

As she sat patiently underneath the hot lights, hands resting in her lap, the camera finally began to roll.  She closed her eyes and began, "It was a cloudy, humid day.  If it sprinkled, it didn't rain I know."   Ervalene's memories of her native Villisca, her family's friendship with the Josiah Moore family, and the effects of their murders on her parents, her father's business, and the town in which she spent much of her childhood began to unfold, reluctantly at first.   Through her eyes and vivid reminiscences, turn-of-the-century Villisca came to life.  And what occurred in June 1912, and the events that followed, became more clear and tragic.

We grew to know Ervalene as a refreshingly candid and brilliant woman; a surrogate grandmother; a link to the past and what can be learned from it.  She reminds us that tragedy should not be taken lightly.  It is a real event, even if it happened many years ago and those who were lost should be remembered honorably and respectfully."

Marcia Hostetler (right) with Ervalene and the Rundles. (2002)

Marcia facilitated the interview with her mother, helped us collect photos, and later made a financial contribution to the project.  Both Marcia and Ervalene became friends and we stayed in touch with Ervalene until her death at the age of 104.

Marcia wrote this about our online tribute:

"My mother would be so pleased with your honoring her with this web page.  She dearly loved you and was so proud of the documentary.  After her 1993 interview she became able to discuss openly the events of June 1912 and the impact on her parents, sister, friends, and self.  Never before had she been able to verbalize the real horror and fear they felt.  She met life and each new event with joy, enthusiasm, and generosity.  She met the inevitable adversities with patience and dignity."

We also interviewed Marcia for the film, but like so many of the 50 people who sat before our camera, her comments didn't make the final-cut of the film.  Each person helped us better understand a very complex story.

As we struggled to shoot and complete our first independent film over a ten-year period, Marcia was among those who never lost hope, who cheered us on, and who cared about us and our endeavor.  In short, she let us know she believed in us.

Contact with Marcia continued and she attended both the premiere of Villisca: Living with a Mystery and Lost Nation: The Ioway.  Until we moved back to the Midwest in early 2007 most of our contact was via emails and phone calls.

After the Ioway premiere she wrote: "Thanks for inviting me and my friend Jamie to the premiere!  We truly enjoyed it! Now you have made many more friends for life and broadened your horizens once again! You work so hard and touch so many lives, and we love you for being able to share a bit with you.  I'm doing better and gaining back my strength a little more each day and learning to cope with my situation.  I miss traveling and showers!"

Knowing how deeply her own mother and family was affected by the murders in 1912, Marcia was staunchly opposed the the paranormal commercialization and escalating exploitation of the ax murder house in Villisca, and was never shy about expressing this view to anyone who broached the subject.

The last time we met her for lunch in Des Moines she was struggling with kidney failure and difficulties with early dialysis treatments.  She told us about her new cat, scaling back her dog show activities, and memories of Ervalene and Villisca.  Later we talked on the phone and her treatments were going better.

Lunch in Des Moines proved to be our last visit in person.  We tried to connect during a visit to Des Moines last January, but it conflicted with a scheduled dialysis treatment.  Our last phone conversation was in March.

Marcia's family will receive friends to celebrate her life at the Des Moines Botanical Center, in the Walsh Room, on Sunday, November 1, 2009 from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Her lifelong interest in animals was both a hobby and an avocation.  She bred Maltese and Vizslas for many years and exhibited them at Dog Shows and Field Trials.  She was active in the Des Moines Kennel Club and over the years the Vizsla Club of America and the American Maltese Club.

In 1981, she began judging dogs as a licensed AKC judge.  She was a member of the Dog Show Judges of America, Senior Conformation Dog Show Judges and American Dog Show Judges.

Marcia was preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Ervalene Brown; her husband, William L. Hostetler; an infant son; her brother, William C. Brown and numerous happy dogs.  She is survived by her sons, John L. (Berniece) Hostetler and Curt D. Harvey; four granddaughters; and several great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.  Dunn's Funeral Home in Des Moines is handling arrangements.

As with her mother before her, we will miss Marcia and the special light she brought into the world of people, and animals.  We were proud to have known her and we treasured her friendship.

Kelly & Tammy Rundle

The article above contains material from Marcia's obituary as printed online and in print.

Villisca Axe Murder Exhibit Removed from Historical Society

Photo courtesy the Villisca Review.

Exhibit Featuring a Factual and Historical Rendering of the Famous 1912 Villisca Axe Murder Mystery Closes

An exhibit depicting the 1912 Villisca, Iowa axe murders was removed from the Montgomery (Iowa) County History Center in Red Oak on September 23, 2009, just weeks after it opened.

History Center Director David McFarland says the closure was due to negative feedback.

The display featured a recreation of the murder scene bedroom of victims Josiah and Sara Moore along with a host of historical photos, documents, and citations. The Moores, their four children, and two visiting children were murdered with an ax by a killer unknown on June 10, 1912 in Villisca, Iowa.

The case remains unsolved.

Local history topics to replace the Villisca true crime exhibit are under consideration.

Researcher, Author, and Publisher Donald Doyle Brown Has Died

A Des Moines Register article from 2004 featuring Don Brown.

 

Iowa and Villisca axe murder historian Don Brown Dies

 

Once owned infamous murder axe

 

Made mark as Iowa history writer and publisher

 

Writer and Iowa historian Donald Doyle Brown, formerly of Leon, Iowa died on Saturday, September 5, 2009 at 3:00 pm at Genesis Care Center in Des Moines.

 

Brown was a former owner of the 1912 Villisca murder axe and the author of an elementary school Iowa history textbook that dominated Iowa schools during the 1960s and 1970s.

 

Brown was also the author of a syndicated newspaper column on Iowa history that was carried in over 30 Iowa papers.  He later distilled his Iowa history stories into the popular book entitled Tell a Tale of Iowa.

 

As one of the original researchers in the 1912 Villisca axe murder mystery case, Brown acquired the notorious murder weapon used in the killings from the widow of former Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation head James Risden.  Risden was a former special investigator in the Villisca axe murder inquiry.

 

The Villisca axe occupied a glass display case in a Leon bookstore owned by Brown until he left the state in the late 1970s and gave the axe to fellow researcher and college classmate Edgar V. Epperly.  Dr. Epperly donated the axe to the Villisca Historical Society in 2006.

 

Brown found financial success as a publisher of books on antiques and collectibles.

 

A private burial in Leon is scheduled for later this month.