The Villisca and Hinterkaifeck Ax Murders

Published: Oct. 26, 2019, 4 a.m.

In this Halloween week episode of Criminology, we're discussing two horrific and infamous ax murder cases. In 1912, in Villisca Iowa, eight people were murdered in the Moore family farmhouse. All six members of the Moore family were killed along with sisters Lena and Ina Stillinger who were staying the night. In 1922, at the Hinterkaifeck farm in Bavaria, Germany, 5 members of the Gruber family and their maid were brutally murdered. These are two very infamous unsolved cases of massacres carried out with some type of ax. And even though the two incidents occurred years apart, and far away from each, there are many similarities between the two cases. Some have theorized that they were both carried out by the same person or persons. The other thing that ties these two cases together is that they both involve a little bit of the supernatural. You can help support the show at patreon.com/criminology An Emash Digital production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices