A fictional account of the Villisca Axe Murders

by Stephen Bowman

The first book written on the Villisca Axe Murders, "Morning Ran Red", was published in 1987 and written by Stephen Bowman, a native of Omaha Nebraska.

Mr. Bowman's other books include "Operation Monarch" and "When the Eagle Screams". Although Bowman's "Morning Ran Red" is billed as fiction, it is loosely based on the actual murders of J.B. Moore, his wife, his children and Lena and Ina Stillinger.

The name of the town and the names of the main characters have been changed but for anyone with any background on the Villisca story, it's not difficult to figure out who's who.

I read Bowman's book when I first began researching the history of the crime for this website and I must admit, when I put it down - he had me convinced that the crime had occured exactly the way he had written it. Quite honestly, he's had me believing his story for several years.

Although the name changes can prove frustrating for anyone who knows the real identities of his characters, "Morning Ran Red" is a great introduction to one of the many theories behind the Villisca Axe Murders.

Bowman's book intially came out in a hard bound edition and was later released in paperback. It was out of print for quite sometime so interested readers may only be able to find used copies.

Rumor has it, however, that the release of the documentary, "Villisca, Living with a Mystery," and the upcoming feature length film, "Haunting Villisca", have created an interest that will result in another printing. For more information, please visit Mr. Bowman's website at www.bowmanbooks.com.

Here's the book's promo from Bowman's website:

Morning Ran Red

Based On The Villisca Axe Murders

On June 10, 1912, the Iowa village of Villisca awoke to discover that eight people had been axed to death in their sleep.

Greed. Love. Hate. Fear. Power. Jealousy. Family honor. Pride and Prejudice. All have been the subject of novels. But nothing is more suspenseful or intriguing than when all of these are brought together - and based on one of the more infamous and enduring unsolved crimes of the 20th Century.

On a hot summer morning tragedy struck the idyllic village of Villisca. Eight people, including six children, were found brutally murdered while they slept. The murders and the ensuing investigation captured the nation's imagination and concern. That this tragedy could happen here, where doors were never locked and strangers were always welcome, demonstrated all too clearly that it can surely happen anywhere.

Historians say that the mass murder represented a New Age for America. An example of "Innocence Lost" that, for a time, overshadowed even the mystery and uproar of the sinking of the White Star Titanic, which sank shortly before the murders.

This true story serves as the backdrop for Morning Ran Red.