The Ruthless Villisca Axe Murders: An Entire Family destroyed

Sometime during the evening of June 10, 1912 or early morning hours on June 11, 1912 in the city of Villisca in southwestern Iowa a family of six and two house guests were brutally murdered with an axe. Though there has been many suspects over the years, even a couple trials, this gruesome case remains unsolved. This is the true story of the horrific Villisca Axe Murders.

The members of the Moore family include parents Josiah (43) and Sarah (39), along with their four children Herman (11), Mary Katherine (10), Arthur (7), and Paul (5).

The Moore family, all killed in the villisca axe murders. — Josiah and Sarah Moore with two of their children.

The other two guests were sisters Ina Mae (8) and Lena Gertrude Stillinger (12) who were invited by Mary Katherine Moore so spend the night at the Moore home.

On the evening of June 10, 1912, the Moore family along with the Stillinger sisters went to a church event which ended at 9:30 pm. Sarah Moore was co-director of this program called “The Children’s Day Service,” in which the Moore children performed in. Afterwards, everyone walked home, the journey being only three blocks long, and arrived between 9:45 and 10 pm. The family then enjoyed milk and cookies together before going to bed for the night.

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Lyda Southard: Killer of Husbands and Escapee of Jail

Lyda Southard was born as Lyda Anna Mae Trueblood on October 16, 1892 in Keytesville, Missouri, about 60 miles Northeast of Kansas City. She is known by many names including “Flypaper Lyda,” “The Black Widow,” and Anna E. Shaw. She is also known as being one of America’s first known female serial killers.

Lyda Southard, Flypaper Lyda, The Black Widow — Lyda Southard

She killed four husbands, a brother-in-law, and daughter. What could be the motive for doing such a thing? How did she get the nickname “Flypaper Lyda”? Read on to find out…

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A Murder on Halloween

It was late on Halloween night of 1957 in Los Angeles. Beauty shop owner, Peter Fabiano and his wife, Betty were turning out all the lights in their home to go to bed for the night when their doorbell rang. Mr. Fabiano went downstairs to answer the door, thinking it was a late trick-or-treater. Mrs. Fabiano, still upstairs, heard her husband ask “Isn’t it late for this sort of thing?” There was a muffled reply followed by a loud pop and then a thump. As Betty ran downstairs she heard the squeal of tires on pavement as a vehicle sped off. She found her husband sprawled on the floor, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest. Mrs. Fabiano called for help, but unfortunately her husband died on the way to the hospital.

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Murderer Sentenced to Hang Walks Away a Free Man

Frank L. Dinsmore spent only 19 years in the Nebraska State Penitentiary after being found guilty for the murder of his wife and his roommate.

Apart from murder, this case includes adultery, claims of hypnotic powers, a failed attempt on Dinsmore’s own life, a commuted death sentence and then the whole case being pardoned by the Governor and Dinsmore walking away a free man once again.

Dinsmore worked for the Omaha Elevator company, a job that required frequent travel, therefore he didn’t own his own home. He and his wife, Lillian, boarded with the Laue family in Odessa, Nebraska.

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AMY ARCHER-GILLIGAN: Murder at the Nursing Home

“Sister” Amy Duggan Archer-Gilligan was born in Milton, Connecticut on October 31, 1873. She was somewhat of a pioneer in the care of the elderly. During her time, not many nursing homes existed because up until then it was considered the family’s obligation to care for their loved ones. She was the owner of “Sister Amy’s Nursing Home for the Elderly,” and later, “Archer Home for the Elderly and Infirm.” Pioneer she may have been, but these are no nursing homes where you would have wanted to send your loved ones. “Sister” Amy was later proven to have murdered at least five people, though that number is likely much higher.

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6 Year Old Tried for Murder

In Paintsville, a small eastern coal-mining town in Kentucky, Carl Newton Mahan became the youngest person ever tried for murder.

On May 18, 1929 Carl, age 6 and his friend Cecil Van Hoose, age 8, found a scrap of iron that they planned to sell to a junk dealer for a little extra money. Cecil took the scrap from Carl and hit him in the face with it. Carl got his revenge by running home and grabbing his father’s 12 gauge shotgun. He ran back to Cecil, pointed the gun at him and yelled “I’m going to shoot you!” And he did, killing the boy.

He was tried for murder, and got up on the stand to tell the court what happened. For the rest of the day long trial he sometimes laid and slept on the defense table. After 30 minutes of deliberation, the jury decided that manslaughter was more fitting in this case. Carl was sentenced to 15 years at a reform school and released to his parents on $500 bail.

A circuit judge issued a “writ of prohibition” that kept the boy from being sent to reform school because it was against procedure to try a person of that age in front of a jury so the jury had no authority to convict. Ultimately Carl was just sent home.

This is all I’ve been able to find on this case, but I’m very curious as what kind of life Carl Mahan lived after the trial.

Serial Killer H.H. Holmes and his Famous Murder Castle

Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, was born May 16, 1861 in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. He was one of the first recorded American serial killers.

Mudgett had a difficult childhood, growing up with a violent alcoholic father. His mother was a devout Methodist who read the Bible to him. He claimed that, as a child, once his classmates discovered he was afraid of the local doctor they forced him to look at and touch a human skeleton. The bullies just wanted to scare him, but some believe that instead this is where his fascination and obsession with death started.

In June of 1884 Mudgett graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School. While attending school he stole bodies from the laboratory, disfigured them and then claimed the people were killed accidentally so he could collect insurance money from policies he took out on each deceased person.

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Frankie Silver Murders Husband in 1831

Frances “Frankie” Silver was born in 1815. She was hung in Morganton North Carolina on July 12, 1833 for killing and dimembering her husband, Charlie Silver. She was only 18 years old at the time of her death.

Frankie married Charlie at the age of 14. A year later she gave birth to their daughter, Nancy. The couple’s happiness did not last for long, however. Charlie began drinking heavily and abusing Frankie.

Just days before Christmas of 1831 Frankie reported her husband missing after he did not return from a hunting trip. Many people residing in Mitchell County helped search for Charlie, but they never found any sign of him. Finally, Jack Cullis who was a local hunter, discovered burnt human remains in the fireplace at the Silver’s cabin in the mountains. There were more body parts found around the property, including underneath the cabin’s floor.

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The Lawson Family Murder: A whole Household Lost

Lawson Family photo taken just hours before the murders.Top Row: Arthur, Marie, Charles, Fannie, Mary Lou.Bottom Row: James, Maybell, Raymond, Carrie. — Lawson Family photo taken just hours before the murders.
Top Row: Arthur, Marie, Charles, Fannie, Mary Lou.
Bottom Row: James, Maybell, Raymond, Carrie.

Charles Davis Lawson was a tobacco farmer from Stokes County North Carolina. The Lawson family owned a farm on Brook Cove Road near Germantown. He lived there with his wife, Fannie (37), and their seven children:

Marie (17)

Arthur (16)

Carrie (12)

Maybell (7)

James (4)

Raymond (2)

Mary Lou (4 months)

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