The Villisca Ax Murders: Iowa’s enduring mystery
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WEBSTER CITY -- Edgar Epperly, of Decorah, will present the story of the Villisca ax murders at the Mulberry Center Church on Saturday.
The Mulberry Center Church is in the Wilson Brewer Park, located at 220 Ohio St. in Webster City.
Epperly spent more than 60 years interviewing eyewitnesses and key figures in the Villisca murder case. His research began in 1955 as a college student in Cedar Falls. This has resulted in both a documentary which was filmed on the subject and released in 2004, and the book he completed in 2021.
Epperly’s research began when he was a senior at the Iowa Teachers College, now known as the University of Northern Iowa, in the mid 1950s. Working as a team with two friends, they negotiated with the teacher who assigned them to do a paper on a historical topic in Iowa.
Although he wasn’t the principal writer, which earned him and his two friends all A’s for their research paper, he became hooked on the story, and has since taken this on as his personal hobby.
Today, he is considered the foremost authority on the crime, and he has narrowed down the suspects. He thinks he knows who did it.
But you have to listen to his presentation to learn what he uncovered.
Epperly has spent the past 60 years visiting communities, interviewing people and studying crime scenes that may have a connection to the Villisca murders. At one point, he had in his possession the ax used in the murders that occurred in a private home in Villisca.
That ax was used to kill Josiah Moore, his wife, Sara, their three children, and two of their friends. The investigation involved nearly 10 years of investigations and trials. Eventually the ax was in the possession of James Risdon, who was an agent during the trials. He later became the head of the Iowa State Bureau of Investigation.
“There are only two artifacts still today, the house and the ax. The ax was in the hands of the police,” he said, “There were litigations going on over a 10 year period.”
The ax eventually was carried by Epperly when he did presentations, but it now is in the hands of the Montgomery County Historical Society in Red Oak.
Today, the house is still standing, open for tours, and even to lease for a night.
Epperly spent years pulling together his research, and after working on the documentary, was encouraged to put his findings into a book, which he will have for sale with him on Saturday. The book, “Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Iowa Axe Murders,” was published in December 2021.
Epperly, who was born and raised in Leon, spent most of his years teaching.
“I was a history major, and taught history in high school,” he said.
He completed his doctorate and then taught at Luther College in Decorah where he and his wife, Joyce, continue to live today.
After so many years of researching the subject, he admits that it was a hobby that sometimes led him to travel out of his way to take photos or to interview people when he was with his family.
“One reason it has taken so long to get the research done, was that I tried to lead a normal life along with it,” he said,. “For example, I’ve been to all the towns where the serial killer was at, and I photographed and interviewed people in each of the communities.”
This sometimes was done while on a vacation with his family. His wife, he admits, has been a good sport about it.
“She basically has been willing to go along with it,” he said, “Our daughter is a lot more interested in the murder than she is.”
But spending over 60 years researching, talking and then writing about it, makes the book nearly a lifelong project.
“I guess it was a hobby, maybe an obsession,” he said.
The program Saturday which begins at 1 p.m. will allow him to share more of the details of his research. Books will be available to purchase at the program.
The program is free to attend, but donations are appreciated to help support the maintenance and upkeep of the Mulberry Center Church.
If You Go
What: Presentation on the Villisca ax murders by author Edgar Epperly
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Mulberry Center Church at Willson Brewer Park in Webster City