10 haunted houses that drove their tenants mad (With Pictures)

8. Villisca Murder House

In the early morning hours one day in June of 1912, in this small Iowa town six members of the Moore family, as well as two house guests, were found bludgeoned to death. The eight victims bore head wounds from an axe. Investigators would locate the murder weapon inside the house in the guest bedroom. Based on the position of the bodies it was thought that all of the inhabitants were asleep during the murders, except for Mrs. Moore whose arms showed defensive wounds. Numerous suspects were brought in for questioning, including a traveling pastor, and a drifter who was passing through town but who had stopped for a few days after finding manual work.

The investigations lead to two trials but neither trial ended with a conviction and to this day no one has been convicted of the murders. The house where the murders took place still stands and the owners offer day and overnight tours. Visits by paranormal investigators are common, as well as psychics. A recent visit by a paranormal group turned especially bizarre. Robert Laursen Jr. was with a paranormal investigation when at some point during the night he stabbed himself in the chest. He was taken to the hospital and local authorities could not pinpoint a motive to his actions. Did the tragic history of the house cause him to harm himself? Also See: Top 10 Nigerian celebrities who were born rich (With Pictures)