IA IA - Villisca Axe Murders of 1912

[dub]

Bbm.
I'm somewhat familiar with this case, but have never heard that before.
It's new to me, anyway.
Imo.

I can’t recall the exact nature of the sexual assault in the Villisca murders but it is correct, but the post you quoted is incorrect re: the Mueller murders in general - there were sexual elements of some kind involving a female child in almost every murder likely committed by him (and I fully believe Villisca is one of them.)

Semi-side note: the book referenced in the quoted post, “The Man from the Train”, is one of the very best true crime books I’ve ever read.

 

[Austin023]

I can’t recall the exact nature of the sexual assault in the Villisca murders but it is correct, but the post you quoted is incorrect re: the Mueller murders in general - there were sexual elements of some kind involving a female child in almost every murder likely committed by him (and I fully believe Villisca is one of them.)

Semi-side note: the book referenced in the quoted post, “The Man from the Train”, is one of the very best true crime books I’ve ever read.

I am pretty sure no evidence of actual rape was found by the doctor that examined the bodies. That was found to be very strange. I am NOT certain about this second part: one of the female victims might have been posed or had clothing arranged in a way that at least suggested a sexual motive. But I'll need to go look that up in good sources. However, the fact no rape was found was indeed surprising to authorities.

This case has long interested me. I think this killing was one in a series.

 

[dub]

I am pretty sure no evidence of actual rape was found by the doctor that examined the bodies. That was found to be very strange. I am NOT certain about this second part: one of the female victims might have been posed or had clothing arranged in a way that at least suggested a sexual motive. But I'll need to go look that up in good sources. However, the fact no rape was found was indeed surprising to authorities.

This case has long interested me. I think this killing was one in a series.

If that’s the case - no rape, but postmortem posing and/or manipulation of clothing - that is exactly consistent with the murders attributed to Mueller.

I cannot recommend The Man from the Train highly enough, if you want to know more about the potential connection to other cases check it out.

 

[Austin023]

If that’s the case - no rape, but postmortem posing and/or manipulation of clothing - that is exactly consistent with the murders attributed to Mueller.

I cannot recommend The Man from the Train highly enough, if you want to know more about the potential connection to other cases check it out.

I have read the book and yes, I agree, Mueller makes a pretty good candidate for the Vallisca murders. Mueller had been suspected of killing a family in West Brookfield, Massachusetts in 1897, which is the earliest familicide identified in the book The Man from the Train.
I live only an hour from W. Brookfield, which is near Worcester...lots of train lines cross thru that area and it would have been very easy to move about by train then.
I also think Mueller was responsible for the Burnham-Wayne family murders in Colorado Springs in September of 1911, which has many similarities to Vallisca killings.