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Mike Conley's Tales of the Weird: Is it the most haunted house in America?

By Mike Conley | The McDowell News

Published: February 25, 2009

Located in the southwest corner of Iowa, Villisca is a small Midwestern town with about the same population as Old Fort. The town's Web site describes Villisca as a "great place with a unique history" and "a great place to call home."
I don't think anyone would dispute those descriptions, especially the first one. That is because for almost a century the little town of Villisca, Iowa has been associated with one of the most notorious unsolved murders in American history. This horrendous event that happened more than 96 years ago has cast a very dark shadow over what is otherwise a pleasant and peaceful community.
In 1912, Josiah Moore and his wife, Sarah, lived in a modest white frame house in Villisca with their four children. They were a typical hardworking Midwestern family. Josiah, 43, was one of the town's most prominent businessmen and his 44-year-old wife was a devoted spouse and mother. Their children were Herman, 11; Katherine, 10; Boyd, 7; and Paul, 5.
On the night of June 9, 1912, the Moore family had two houseguests staying over with them, sisters Lena and Ina Stillinger who were close friends of Katherine. That evening, they all participated in a children's day program at the local Presbyterian Church and walked home from the service. The Moore family and the Stillinger sisters came back to the white frame house between 9:45 and 10 p.m. That was the last time anyone would see them alive.
The following morning, a next-door neighbor realized she had not seen any of the Moores going about their daily routine. The house itself seemed strangely still and silent. The neighbor called Josiah's brother Ross and asked him to come over and check out the place. What he and the local authorities found would horrify everyone in Villisca. It still does.
Sometime between midnight and 5 a.m., an assailant entered the home of Josiah and Sarah Moore and brutally murdered everyone inside. All eight of the people, the Moore family and the Stillinger sisters, had been bludgeoned to death with an ax left at the scene. To this day, the identity of the murderer is still unknown.
When news of the mass murder got out, hordes of curiosity seekers arrived to check out the place. The town's small police force quickly lost control of the crime scene and soon hundreds of people walked through the small house to view the bodies, touch just everything they could and destroy what evidence might have been left, according to a Web site.
Despite the compromised crime scene, local authorities came up with some suspects. But nothing could ever be proved and the few suspects they had seem to have airtight alibis. It is one of the nation's greatest unsolved crimes.
Since the murders, the white frame house at 323 East Fourth St. went through a series of owners and renters. And some of these people reported that the bloody events of June 9, 1912 still haunted the house.
For example, in the early 1930s, a young couple named Homer and Bonnie Ritner rented the house. The newlyweds were expecting their first child and the house seemed suitable for their needs, despite its notorious history.
Shortly after moving in, Bonnie began hearing noises during the night. She repeatedly told her husband that someone was in the house. Night after night, the young wife awoke to see the image of a man with an ax at the end of their bed. She became hysterical and apparently Homer had a tough time trying to calm her down. In desperation, he took her to see the local doctor who informed him that if she continued to become so distraught, she could lose her child, according to a Web site.
Because of their financial situation, moving was not an option. In an attempt to calm her, Homer tried staying awake during the night so his wife could sleep. One night as he sat at her bedside, Homer started hearing the same noises his wife had complained about. He could hear someone walking up and down the stairs, even though no one else was in the house.
The next day, Homer and Bonnie Ritner moved out.
Other similar stories have been told over the years about the "ax murder house" being haunted. By the mid-1990s, the structure was run down and had become a local eyesore. Many people thought it should be torn down. However, Darwin Linn, a retired farmer, bought the house and restored it to its 1912 appearance. He thought it was time for this notorious place to become a tourist attraction. After all, the unsolved murder of the Moore family and the Stillinger sisters had put the town on the map.
Since then, numerous paranormal groups have come to investigate Villisca's axe murder house. Some of them spend the night in the very rooms were the murders were committed. They have reported all kinds of strange activity there. One investigator said it might be the most haunted house in America.

Contact Mike Conley at 652-3313, ext. 3422 or e-mail nconley@mcdowellnews.com.