The 1912 Villisca Axe Murders Blog

Vote "Villisca" On to Victory!

Villisca: Living with a Mystery has been nominated for a Capote Award in the Best True Crime Documentary category.  The winner is decided by votes from visitors to In Cold Blog, a true crime blog.

Can you help us win by voting for Villisca?

Visit http://incoldblogger.blogspot.com/, look for Villisca in the right hand column, cast your vote (ignore the ads!) and see the results in real time.  You can vote once a day, or twice a day if you use a different computer at work.  Voting may continue for another week.

We're in a close race with another film, so every vote counts!  Thanks for helping us increase awareness of the Villisca story and our true crime documentary film on DVD.

Check back soon for final award results!

Villisca Axe Murder Suspect Profiled in Iowa Blog

Reverend Kelly (sometimes called the "Little Minister") and Wife Laura in 1917 during his trial for murder in the still-unsolved Villisca ax murder mystery.

Douglas Burns does a nice job profiling 1912 Villisca axe murder suspect Reverend Lyn George Jacklin Kelly in his most recent blog entry on the Iowa Independent.

A similar article appeared in the Carroll, Iowa Daily Times Herald in conjunction with a theatrical booking of Villisca: Living with a Mystery at the Fridley Theatre in Carroll.

Burns also penned a review of Villisca. (to find the review, click link above and scroll UP slightly)

More reviews of Villisca: Living with a Mystery can be found here.

Villisca documentary FAQ.

"Villisca: Living with a Mystery" Nominated for Inaugural Copote Award in Best True Crime Documentary Category

Our documentary feature film Villisca: Living with a Mystery as been nominated for an inaugural Capote Award from In Cold Blog in the Best True Crime Documentary category.

"Thanks for making such a fantastic documentary," said Corey Mitchell of In Cold Blog.  "Everyone should make it their New Year's resolution to find this film and watch it in 2008."

Villisca tells the epic true story of the 1912 Iowa Children's Day murders.  Following just two months after the sinking of the Titanic, America's greatest unsolved mystery built and ruined political careers, created a lasting community split, and produced dozens of litigations and three sensational trials.

The documentary also explores the possibility that the Villisca crime may have been connected to similar axe murders in Illinois, Colorado, and Kansas.  Was it the work of one of America's first serial killers?  Former F.B.I. profiler Robert K. Ressler helps unravel this compelling unsolved mystery.

True crime bloggers have been kind to Villisca.  Laura James of Clews: The Historic True Crime Blog called Villisca "...absorbing..." and said it is, "The best movie ever made in the true crime genre."

"I can't give a stronger recommendation to a true crime documentary than the one I give Villisca: Living with a Mystery," said Steve Huff of True Crime Magazine (fomerly CrimeBlog.US) "Held together by the sure-footed storytelling on the parts of Kelly and Tammy Rundle as well as the affable and informed voice of historian Dr. Edgar Epperly, this movie sets a high bar for full-length documentary treatments of crime stories."

The Capote Awards are named for writer Truman Capote.  Capote is best known for In Cold Blood, his true crime book about the 1959 Holcomb, Kansas murders.  Winners of the inaugural Capote Awards will be determined by the readers of In Cold Blog.

As soon as the ballot is posted we will provide a link along with a shameless suggestion that you cast your vote for Villisca: Living with a Mystery. : )

Happy New Year from Fourth Wall Films!

Kelly & Tammy

KPTS Roundup

Our "Villisca: Living with a Mystery" broadcast on KPTS in Kansas went very well the other night.  The station even received a few calls asking if/when it will be shown again.  If you live in Kansas and missed it, call 316.838.3090 and request that they run it again!

A special thanks to ultra Kansan Peg Britton (she claims to have "mowed" Kansas) for mentioning our "Villisca" on her blog.  Peg's been a great help to us and our project over the years and we encourage you to check out her website as well.  Thanks Peg!

Coming soon...a Missouri public television broadcast.  Stay tuned.