The Villisca Axe Murder House - Part I (Campfire)

The Villisca Axe Murder House - Part I (Campfire)

Author: Night Owl Paranormal Research Society July 28, 2025 Duration: 1:14:31
Prepare yourself to venture into one of the most chilling true crime cases in American history — the 1912 Villisca Axe Murders.This is part of our Campfire Series — a storytelling format where we gather firsthand accounts, interviews, and stories connected to a haunted location. Unlike our usual investigative episodes where my team and I conduct on-site investigations, these campfire installments bring together voices from afar to share their lived experiences.In this special two-part series, we’ll explore the tragic night when eight people, including six children, were brutally murdered in their sleep. The case remains unsolved to this day. And the house where it happened? It still stands — a modest white home in Villisca, Iowa, now known across the country for both its history and its hauntings. It’s a place you can visit… though some who do report leaving with no intention of returning.Over the decades, the Villisca Axe Murder House has drawn in investigators, authors, and television crews, all hoping to uncover the truth — or connect with something beyond it.In Part I, you’ll hear phone calls with individuals who have direct connections to the house: a current tour guide who walks visitors through the home regularly, a local Villisca resident rooted in the town’s legacy and history, and a man who unknowingly bought the house directly across the street — only to discover that Villisca may have called him there for reasons he couldn’t yet understand. A few months later, he would find himself entangled in a series of events that nearly tore his life apart — beginning when he was hired to manage the murder house property itself.And that  is only the beginning. In Part II, we’ll continue his story, hear from this man’s wife, and speak with both a longtime paranormal investigator as well as an an author who has written extensively on the home’s haunted legacy.So settle in, and listen closely. Because this campfire burns in the shadow of a home where something unthinkable happened over a century ago… and where some believe it never truly ended.Photo provided by Travel IowaEPISODE SPONSORS:

AG1
New subscribers, go to drinkAG1.com/nightowl to get a FREE gift with your first order.

SHADY RAYS
Thanks, Shady Rays. Get 35% off polarized glasses at shadyrays.com - code NIGHTOWL

BETTERHELP

The Night Owl is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/nightowlSupport the show

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-night-owl-true-ghost-stories--7366553/support.

There’s a particular chill that comes not from the air, but from a story told in a quiet voice by someone who lived it. The Night Owl: True Ghost Stories, from the Night Owl Paranormal Research Society, is built on those voices. Host Stephen Belyeu doesn’t just recount spectral legends; he journeys to the very places where they persist, weaving together history, personal journals, and firsthand accounts to understand why a memory might refuse to fade. This monthly series lives in the intersection of society, culture, and the deeply personal, treating each location and narrative with a researcher’s curiosity rather than simple sensationalism. You’ll hear from people who have encountered something inexplicable in their homes, on their travels, or in the shadows of historic sites. The result is an intimate and grounded exploration of the paranormal that feels less like a campfire tale and more like a conversation with a friend who’s piecing together a fascinating, unsettling puzzle. New episodes arrive on the last Monday of each month, offering a regular dose of authentic atmosphere and human connection to the unseen. It’s for anyone who wonders about the stories etched into old walls and the quiet moments that defy easy explanation.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Night Owl: True Ghost Stories
Podcast Episodes
Haunted Vision - Part III [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:48
A boutique vision center, nestled in the Texas Hill Country has been experiencing a plethora of unusual phenomena. The staff experience eye frames falling off the racks, objects going missing then rediscovered in unusual…
Haunted Vision - Part II [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:35
With initial phone interviews and a preliminary investigation of Dripping Springs Vision Center complete, the Night Owl team learned that this establishment was experiencing a wide range of unusual activity - including w…
Haunted Vision - Part I [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:02
Whenever you go to see your eye doctor, you expect to see and hear the usual sights and sounds associated with an Ophthalmologist's office. Eye Charts, rooms filled with the latest examination equipment, walls covered in…
The Demons That Haunt Us - Part IV [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:46
In this concluding episode of the series, the team work to help single mother Luna and her two children, obtain some much needed answers for the oppressive and disturbing paranormal activity in their home. Taking what he…
The Demons That Haunt Us - Part III [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:17
A single mother, Luna, along with her teenage son Finn and young daughter Shiloh had to recently flee their home due to unsettling activity in their home. Unable to afford staying in a hotel for an extended amount of tim…
The Demons That Haunt Us - Part II [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:17
After fleeing their home for a week, Luna and her two children now return to their home where unexplained activity has plagued them for the last 7 years. Disturbing sightings, unsettling sounds, foul odors, and more upse…
The Demons That Haunt Us - Part I [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:59
A single mother and her children have now reached a breaking point with the disturbing paranormal activity in their home. Over the last 7 years, they’ve experienced voices, knocking, phantom putrid smells, oppressive fee…
Haunted Gaslight Baker Theatre - Part II [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40:58
Previously, in Episode 30, we began an investigation of a historic theater located in beautiful downtown Lockhart, Texas. We interviewed several people with first-hand accounts of experiences they’d had at the Gaslight B…
Announcement: A Night Owl Pause [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:37
Hi listeners, You may have noticed my absence over these last few weeks as I’ve been taking a break for my physical and mental well-being. It is with a heavy heart that I announce this break will continue for longer than…