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This is the only website dedicated to presenting factual information about the 1912 Villisca axe murder mystery.
This enduring true crime story has been compellingly told in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed documentary feature film Villisca: Living With a Mystery.
Choose from the "Case Files" on the left for more details about the film and this unsolved mystery story.
You will also find information about how and where to see or buy the film.
UPDATE!
Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912 has been published! This definitive written account of the Villisca mystery was written by Dr. Edgar V. Epperly, the foremost historical authority on this Midwestern true crime.
Fiend Incarnate is a companion to Villisca: Living With a Mystery.
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A True Crime History Podcast hosted by Erik Rivenes.
Fiend Incarnate author Edgar V. Epperly is a guest on the Most Notorious True Crime History Podcast hosted by Erik Rivenes. We share the Podcast link here for you to tune into to this 3-part program on the discussion about the infamous Villisca, Iowa Axe Murders of 1912.
Dr. Edgar Epperly, Author
Most Notorious Podcast Host Erik Rivenes: June 9th (or) 10th marks the 111th anniversary of one of the most notorious crimes in American history - the brutal axe murders of Josiah and Sarah Moore, their four children (Herman, Katherine, Boyd and Paul) and Ina and Lena Stillinger, two neighbor girls who had the terrible misfortune of sleeping over that night.
It's a case steeped in mystery, with a gruesome crime scene, puzzling evidence, twists and turns and compelling suspects. My guest - Dr. Edgar Epperly - has spent almost seventy years interviewing eyewitnesses and key figures and pouring over historical records related to the crime. He is considered the foremost authority on the case. The culmination of his decades of work is a comprehensive book on the subject published at the end of 2021, called "Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912". This is an absolute must read for anyone interested in the case.
Listen to the MOST NOTORIOUS Podcast HERE!
Buy the book at Amazon!
Author Ed Epperly with Villisca documentary filmmakers Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films.
Excerpts of story by reporter Melody Parker
Waterloo Courier
Ed Epperly is considered an authority on the worst mass murder in Iowa history. The retired Luther College professor has spent more than six decades delving into the 1912 horrific murders of a prominent Villisca family and two overnight guests.
Epperly’s recently published true crime non-fiction book, “Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Iowa Axe Murders of 1912,” is the result of his comprehensive research.
“This is an iconic case and stands right up there with Jack the Ripper and Lizzie Borden. These murders just haven’t gotten that kind of publicity, and the community of Villisca tried to repress news about it when it happened,” said Epperly.
The tragedy remains unsolved.
On June 10, 1912, the small community of Villisca awoke to the violent murders of Josiah and Sara Moore and their four children, Herman, Katherine, Boyd and Paul, and guests Lena and Ina Stillinger. They were discovered brutally bludgeoned to death in their beds.
Click HERE to read the rest of the story.
For more information about “Fiend Incarnate” visit VilliscaBook.com. To purchase the book via Amazon, click HERE!
To purchase the award-winning documentary "Villisca: Living with a Mystery" visit VilliscaMovie.com.