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Villisca Historical Society & The Montgomery County History
Center
will co-sponsor a special Centennial Commemoration of
the 1912 Villisca, Iowa Axe Murder Mystery on June 10, 2012
Villisca Axe will be on public display for first time in 4 years
Program features preview of new AXMAN short documentary and an encore showing of
the award-winning Villisca: Living with a Mystery
Filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle will appear with
historian Dr. Edgar V. Epperly for Q & A and discussion with audience
June 2012
RED
OAK--The centennial anniversary of Iowa's worst mass murder will be commemorated
June 9-10, 2012 in Red Oak, Iowa. Organized by Director David McFarland of the
Montgomery County Historical Center, and co-sponsored by the Villisca Historical Society,
the special event will include a sneak preview of AXMAN, a new short documentary by
filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle, and an encore showing of their award-winning film
Villisca: Living with a Mystery. Dr. Edgar Epperly, the foremost historical
authority on the still-unsolved crime, will join the Rundles for Q&A following the
film presentations. An accompanying historical display will include the actual
murder weapon, a long-handled axe removed from the crime scene by authorities on June 10,
1912.
Sometime
during the night of Sunday, June 9, 1912, a person or persons unknown entered a modest
house in Villisca, Iowa and bludgeoned to death Josiah B. Moore, his wife Sara, and their
children Herman, Katherine, Boyd, and Paul and overnight guests Lena and Ina Stillinger.
The crime, known thereafter as the "Villisca axe murders", is the most
notorious mystery in Iowa history. The tragedy spawned nearly ten years of grand jury
investigations and three sensational trials all centered around the Montgomery County
Court House in Red Oak. The crime made and broke political careers and led to the
establishment of the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation. The crime also split
residents of the small community of Villisca, Iowa over the guilt or innocence of a local
suspect, Iowa State Senator Frank Fernando Jones.
One hundred years
later, the tragic unsolved murder now attracts visitors and tourists to the
privately-owned Villisca Ax Murder House. The mystery has generated books, a play,
paranormal investigations, television programs, a fictional film and feature-length
documentary. Kelly and Tammy Rundle's Villisca: Living with a Mystery premiered in 2004,
enjoyed a limited theatrical release in over 60 cities including Los Angeles where it
qualified for the 2005 Academy Award® competition. The film screened in Red Oak in
2004 in the courtroom where the 1916 and 1917 axe murder trials took place. Villisca
is still available nationally on DVD from online and conventional retailers and it can be
rented from Netflix and Family Video.
The critically-acclaimed documentary tells the epic true story of the Children's Day axe
murders and the chaos and division that followed. The Rundles combined rare period
photographs, computer animation, original art, limited re-enactments, and fascinating
interviews with historians, eye-witnesses, town residents, and forensic experts to shed
light on the spellbinding mystery and to dramatically reveal the face of a new suspect.
The Rundles are
also offering a sneak preview of their 25-minute documentary AXMAN. In 1955, a
college student named Edgar Epperly began researching the details behind Iowa's worst mass
homicide, the 1912 Villisca Axe Murders. Now, nearly 60 years later, the retired
college professor is still actively searching for a solution to the crime. Exclusive
interviews with Epperly and others close to his unique work reveal the secret reason
behind his dogged devotion to America's greatest unsolved mystery.
AXMAN and Villisca: Living with a Mystery will screen 2-5 p.m. Sunday, June 10, 2012 at
the Montgomery County History Center, 2700 North 4th Street, Red Oak, Iowa. The
program includes Q&A with the filmmakers and Dr. Epperly. The axe, on loan from
the Villisca Historical Society and the State Historical Society of Iowa, will be included
in a special historical display. Tickets for the Commemorative Program and History
Center exhibits are $5 per person and may be purchased in advance at the History Center,
or by visiting www.VilliscaMovie.com. Seating is very limited. This special
commemoration event is sponsored by The Montgomery County History Center and the Villisca
Historical Society. Call (712) 623-2289 for ticket information.
The Rundles' award-winning feature-length documentary, "Country School: One Room -
One Nation" will also screen at the History Center on Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 2
p.m. The film features the Pittsburg school in Red Oak, the Cramer school in
Stanton, and the Golden Rod school in Clarinda.
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Photos available
upon request.
Contacts:
David McFarland, Director
Montgomery County History Center
mchsociet@qwestoffice.net
2700 North 4th Street
Red Oak, Iowa 51566
712.623.2289
Kelly & Tammy Rundle
Fourth Wall Films
309.797.0544
FourthWallFilms@aol.com
www.VilliscaMovie.com
For
more information visit:
VilliscaMovie.com
VilliscaHistory.org
Villisca.com
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