“Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912" at the Bettendorf Public Library -- October 14.
Friday, October 14, 1:30 p.m.
Bettendorf Public Library, 2950 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf IA
Presented as part of the Bettendorf Public Library's “Community Connections” series, a number of Iowa's most notorious and horrific unsolved killings will be explored in the October 14 program Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912, with Dr. Edgar Epperly discussing his book of the same title and the Midwestern mystery that continues to puzzle professional and amateur true-crime investigators.
Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912 explores the brutal slayings of Josiah B. Moore, his wife Sara, their children Herman, Katherine, Boyd and Paul, and two overnight guests, Lena and Ina Stillinger, all of whom were discovered in the early-morning hours of Monday, June 10, 1912 in the village of Villisca, Iowa. The sensational crime led to nearly 10 years of investigations and trials, with citizens of this small southwest-Iowa town 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, while investigators and reporters across the country speculated that the brutal crime was the work of an early serial killer, as similar crimes had been committed in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Ellsworth, Kansas; and Monmouth, Illinois. In the end, a lengthy investigation yielded several suspects, one of whom was tried twice, with the first trial concluding in a hung jury and the second in an acquittal. The Villisca murders remain unsolved.
The author of the book on which his Bettendorf Public Library presentation is named, Dr. Edgar Epperly spent more than 60 years interviewing eyewitnesses and key figures in the Villisca murder case, in addition to examining historical records connected to the crime. He is considered the foremost authority on this dark event in Iowa's past, and his comprehensive, 416-page historical-crime publication Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912 -- copies of which will be available for sale after the October 14 program – is illustrated with more than 190 rare images. Epperly was also the key consultant and chief interview in the award-winning documentary feature Villisca: Living with a Mystery by area filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films. In addition to writing dozens of articles and blog entries, Epperly has appeared on CourtTV and other television and radio programs and is a popular guest speaker at colleges, universities, historical societies, museums, libraries, and book stores. He resides in Decorah, Iowa, and more information is available by visiting VilliscaBook.com.
Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912 will be presented at 1:30 p.m. on October 14, participation is free, and more information is available by calling (563)344-4175 and visiting BettendorfLibrary.org.
