Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Supposedly Dr. Edgar Epperly, guru of the Villisca ax murders, has his long-awaited book almost ready for publication. In the meantime Bill James published The Man From the Train which makes every bit as much sense as Rev. Lyn Kelly as the perpetrator. Hi Judy!

This is sort of like Villisca meets Lizzie. In my home state of Iowa. John Hossack was bludgeoned to death, although he survived about ten hours after the attack, while supposedly asleep in bed with his wife Margaret. She roused the five children still living at home, and as a family they went back into the room where John and Margaret were sleeping to find John near death from what was thought to be the family ax. As far as investigations go, this one was muddled. Important evidence was ignored and other evidence was fabricated. In the end, Margaret was convicted. Then the Iowa Supreme Court corrected several judicial errors and should've cited the prosecutor for misconduct. She spent a year in prison before the second trial which ended in a hung jury. If anyone is interested in the book-length story, I can lend you my pdf version. It's called Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland by Patricia Bryan and Thomas Wolf. Once again we have a dead man with suspects only from the home yet none of them look quite plausible.

Hi Debbie!!! Welcome back to the forum; you have been so missed!!!

Thank you for sending me a copy of your pdf version of the this intriguing unsolved murder. I am in the process of reading the story, and so far, I am finding several similarities between the Hossack and Borden murder cases. I find it interesting that Margaret had the same reaction to the murder of a loved one in the same cold way that Lizzie did.

What is the best book or archive about Villisca? Is it true that Uncle John Morse was sought for questioning even though he had died months before?

Hey Debbie!

It's been awhile since I've been to the forum. I'm interested in reading your Midnight Assassin, if you would be so willing to send it to me? My email address is Knapp.MP@gmail.com

Thanks,
Mystery Reader

Supposedly Dr. Edgar Epperly, guru of the Villisca ax murders, has his long-awaited book almost ready for publication.


Can anyone PLEASE tell me the name of the book? I can't find him anywhere.

What about the title of the book by James Hill and daughter, Rachel McCarthy?

xyjw wrote: ↑Thu Nov 21, 2019 2:23 am What is the best book or archive about Villisca?

I think the best book on the Villisca murders is probably, Dr. Edgar Epperly's book, "Fiend Incarnate", although I don’t know if it has been published yet.

xyjw wrote: ↑Thu Nov 21, 2019 2:23 am Is it true that Uncle John Morse was sought for questioning even though he had died months before?

Yes, it is true. Here is an article I found online about the investigation of John Morse in the Villisca murders: http://tinyurl.com/y62qhqr8

Here is John Morse’s Find-A-Grave page: http://tinyurl.com/yyoanmww

MysteryReader wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 10:37 am Supposedly Dr. Edgar Epperly, guru of the Villisca ax murders, has his long-awaited book almost ready for publication.

Can anyone PLEASE tell me the name of the book? I can't find him anywhere.

Epperly's "Fiend Incarnate" Villisca axe murder book nears completion: https://tinyurl.com/y63teg84

MysteryReader wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 10:37 am What about the title of the book by James Hill and daughter, Rachel McCarthy?

https://tinyurl.com/yxlyskfr

Here is an article on the Villisca Murders that was written by Dr. Edgar Epperly, that you may find interesting: https://tinyurl.com/yadvupfb

Thanks, Twins!

Hope you're doing well.

You're very welcome, Mystery. It's so good to see the forum active again!

I'm hanging in there. The pandemic has changed a lot of lives, and I'm afraid that we are not going to see an end to it for a long time to come. I hope I'm wrong about that, but ...

I hope you and your family is also doing OK.