More than a century ago, in the quiet town of Villisca, Iowa… a horrifying crime shattered a sense of small-town innocence: two adults and six children were brutally murdered in their sleep with an axe. The case remains unsolved to this day.

Today, the home where it happened still stands — preserved not just as a historical site, but as one of the most chilling and active paranormal locations in the country.

Previously on this Campfire Series, listeners heard from the current tour guide of the Villisca Axe Murder House… a tourism rep who left the home feeling deeply unsettled… a seasoned paranormal investigator… and a researcher and author who has studied the house for years.

But at the center of this series is one family: the caretaker and his wife, who unknowingly moved into the house directly across the street from the Villisca Axe Murder House — and soon after, began experiencing something they couldn’t explain.

In Part I, the caretaker shared his side of the story — but it became clear there was more he wasn’t ready to say. Since then, others have echoed the idea that a dark presence lingers in Villisca. And now, in Part III, the story returns to its heart.

Listeners will hear what the caretaker held back during that first interview.

And for the first time… his wife’s side of the story will finally be revealed.

Photo provided by Travel Iowa

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In Part I of this Campfire Series, you heard from a range of voices connected to the site of one of the most notorious unsolved crimes in American history — the 1912 Villisca Axe Murders.

You heard from the current tour guide of the Villisca Axe Murder House, who walks its haunted halls regularly. You also heard from a representative with Iowa’s tourism office, who described the same strange unease that so many others have reported after visiting. And you were introduced to the gripping account of a man who unknowingly moved his family into the house directly across the street from the Villisca Axe Murder House — only to be hired as the property manager of the very home he once thought was just part of local legend.

Over the course of five months, his skepticism gave way to fear as a series of unsettling events unfolded — ultimately leading him and his family to flee Villisca entirely, relocating to Florida with no clear plans of returning.

Now, in Part II, we’re taking a short detour from that story to bring you two new voices whose experiences with the house span years and miles: a seasoned paranormal investigator with a personal history at Villisca, and an author who has spent years preserving the legacy of the case and the home in writing.

Together, their stories offer deeper context — and raise new questions — about what might truly linger inside the Villisca Axe Murder House.

And later, in Part III, we’ll reconnect with the caretaker you met in Part I and hear from his wife for the very first time — bringing this Campfire series to its unforgettable conclusion.

Photo provided by Travel Iowa

FEATURED GUESTS:

Richard Estep - Book “A Nightmare in Villisca”
Colin Browen - The Paranormal Files “The Axe Murder House of Villisca”
The Paranormal Files YouTube Channel
The Conspiracy Files YouTube Channel
Murder in America Podcast

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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 Iowa

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In tonight’s episode, the Night Owl team returns once more to Freddo ATX — the historic Victorian café where unexplained activity continues to raise questions. In their last visit, three psychic mediums were brought in separately, blind to the location, and kept apart throughout the investigation. What they uncovered — children’s spirits, multiple women, and even the name Walter — pointed to a complex spiritual presence lingering in the home. But they’re not done yet.

Now, they return for a final night inside Freddo ATX, this time with all three psychics together. And with new tools and experimental methods in hand, they’re pushing deeper — to see if the spirits of this place are ready to reveal more.

Photo by Meg Blohm

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In tonight’s episode, the Night Owl team returns to Freddo ATX — a cozy café and bar tucked inside a stunning Victorian home at the corner of South Congress and Oltorf in Austin, Texas. In their previous visit, they gathered stories from the owners, staff, and a local ghost tour group that routinely stops at the property. The reports were unsettling: a heavy, foreboding presence on the first floor, strange thuds and disembodied voices, whispered names, phantom footsteps, and sightings of a woman — and even children — in the upstairs windows. The sightings were so frequent, someone once threatened to call CPS. Still, with Freddo only occupying the house since 2021, the staff aren’t quite sure what — or who — might be haunting the place. Some point, half-jokingly, to the home’s most famous former resident: Walter Tips — a rags-to-riches entrepreneur who rose to become one of Austin’s most successful merchants and eventually a Texas state senator. He lived — and died — in this home. But could he still be here? And if so, could there be others trying to make themselves known?

Tonight, the team returns to Freddo, joined by not one, not two, but three psychic mediums — all with no prior knowledge of this location and blind to the address until arrival. Their goal: to validate the claims shared in Part I, and perhaps, uncover something entirely new.

Photo by Meg Blohm

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Tonight, the Night Owl is opening a new case—one that takes us to Austin, Texas, where a striking Victorian home, built in 1876 and relocated to South Congress in the 1970s, has quietly stood with its secrets tucked beneath decades of history.

Originally built in 1876 for local businessman and senator, Walter Tips, the house is now home to Freddo ATX, a cozy café and cocktail bar with a growing reputation… not just for its drinks, but for its spirits.

Over the years, people have reported strange sensations—feeling watched when no one’s around, hearing voices, whispers, loud thuds, and unexplained electrical issues. Doors rattle or swing open on their own. Some guests swear they’ve seen children staring down from the upstairs windows.

And when something unexplainable happens? The staff all say the same thing: “That’s just Walter.”

In this episode, you’ll hear directly from Freddo’s three owners, several staff members, and even two local ghost tour guides—each with their own story to tell.

Photo by Meg Blohm

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Over the past four episodes in this series, the Night Owl team has been immersed in a chilling investigation of the Sunset Strip Comedy Club, located on Austin's legendary 6th Street. From eerie disembodied voices and shadow figures to a haunting presence in the back stairwell, the team has uncovered a disturbing pattern of paranormal activity tied to the building's long and mysterious past. Early on, they uncovered the tragic story of John Waller Stephens Jr., whose alleged suicide by self-administered Lysol ingestion was thought to haunt the club, but the investigation has since revealed far more than they could have expected.

In Parts 2 and 3, psychic mediums Jeffery and Kate the Brave helped validate staff experiences, while introducing new and unexpected spirits. Jeffery even identified a spirit named "Hank" who had no connection to the original story of John’s death. And Kate brought to light that the negative energy in the building might not be tied to John at all—but to something darker lurking in the shadows. Then, in Part 4, a game-changing revelation completely shook their understanding of John’s death.

Nicole Riccardo, a trusted member of the paranormal community, revealed that she had investigated the speakeasy below the Sunset Strip, Eden, years earlier. Through extensive research, she uncovered startling contradictions in the narrative surrounding John Waller Stephens Jr.’s death. Newspaper articles described his death as the result of a car accident—no mention of Lysol or suicide. Even more puzzling was the strange police report showing that, after the accident, John was driven across town, past his house and two hospitals, directly to his workplace at Wilson Furniture Company—now the very building they had been investigating. This discovery raised more questions than ever about the true circumstances of his death.

Now, armed with new evidence and insights, including the help of Nicole and the team of psychics, the Night Owl team returns to the Sunset Strip Comedy Club determined to uncover the truth. Will the investigation reveal what truly happened to John Waller Stephens Jr., and what dark forces are still at play in this historic building? Join them as they continue their journey to solve this mystery and confront whatever spirits may be haunting the Sunset Strip Comedy Club in Austin, Texas.

Photo by Meg Blohm

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In the first three parts of this investigation, the Night Owl team uncovered unsettling paranormal activity at the Sunset Strip Comedy Club, particularly around the back stairwell of the building. Staff have long attributed the ominous energy in this area to the mysterious suicide of John Waller Stephens Jr. Reports of shadowy figures and an overwhelming sense of dread have made this spot a hotspot for eerie encounters. But during their last investigation, working with psychic mediums Jeffery and Kate the Brave, they made an intriguing discovery: the shadowy presence both mediums saw appeared to be a completely separate energy from John’s spirit, and it was likely the source of the darker activity reported. In this episode, the investigation will continue with Jeffery and Kate, reflecting on what has been uncovered so far, and Stephen will reveal a fascinating new breakthrough that sheds more light on the mystery of John Waller Stephens Jr. and his tragic death.

Photo by Meg Blohm

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