Villisca, Iowa town square, the year before eight residents were brutally murdered with an axe. (Photo courtesy Fourth Wall Films. All rights reserved.)
He spent over 60 years studying and interviewing eyewitnesses and key figures in Iowa's worst mass murder, the 1912 Villisca, Iowa axe murders, in addition to examining historical records connected to the crime and is now considered the foremost authority on the unsolved mystery. Dr. Edgar Epperly, author of the new true crime book "Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912" will appear at the Maxwell Public Library, 107 Main Street, Maxwell, Iowa, on Thursday, October 26th at 5:30 p.m. to answer questions about the notorious case and take part in a book signing. "Fiend Incarnate" will be available to purchase at the library for $25.
Sometime during the dark early morning of June 10, 1912, a person or persons unknown bludgeoned to death Josiah B. Moore, his wife Sara, their children Herman, Katherine, Boyd and Paul, and two overnight guests, Lena and Ina Stillinger. The sensational crime led to nearly ten years of investigations and trials. The small southwest Iowa town of Villisca split over the guilt or innocence of a local businessman and State Senator. A traveling minister from England with a history of window peeping was charged and tried. Investigators and reporters across the country speculated that the brutal crime was the work of an early serial killer. Similar crimes had been committed in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Ellsworth, Kansas; and Monmouth, Illinois. Public frustration in the inability of law enforcement to solve the Villisca Axe Murders led to the formation of the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The fingerprint collection compiled by the expert who also examined the Villisca crime scene became the basis of the F.B.I.’s current database.
The comprehensive 416-page historical non-fiction book is illustrated with over 190 rare images.
"Fiend Incarnate" author Dr. Edgar Epperly recently presented the Villisca axe murders case to the Preston Library. He is always a crowd-pleaser.
Epperly was the key consultant and interview in the award-winning documentary feature film “Villisca: Living with a Mystery” by Fourth Wall Films. His research journey was the subject of the award-winning short documentary film AXMAN.
Epperly has written dozens of articles and blog entries, and appeared on CourtTV and other television and radio programs. He is a popular guest speaker at colleges, universities, historical societies, museums, libraries, and book stores. He resides in Decorah, Iowa.
For more information and to order “Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912” visit VilliscaBook.com.