In 1912, the small community of Villisca was shocked by a horrible mass murder occurring in its midst. The bodies of eight people — six of them children — were found chopped to pieces with an axe.

Fourth Wall Productions, a film and video production and publishing company, has created a historic documentary detailing the Villisca murders. The film, titled “Villisca,” is scheduled to be released later this year.

The documentary features not only dramatic re-creations of the murder (including the siege of the murder scene by hundreds of townsfolk, the funeral which was attended by more than 5,000 people and the trial), but also interviews with present Villisca citizens and researchers and a 3-D computer-animated walk-through of the crime scene.

The unique Villisca case was Iowa’s worst mass murder in state history (Iowa was a territory when the Spirit Lake massacre took place), and it remains an unsolved mystery that involves a former state senator and a minister.

State Senator Frank Jones was originally accused in the gruesome crime because of his status as a business competitor of Josiah Moore, head of the murdered family. Moore was also allegedly having an affair with Jones’ daughter-in-law.

Jones was acquitted of the crime and the focus shifted to Lyn George Jacklin Kelly, a traveling peeping-tom minister. Kelly was found guilty in the first trial but was acquitted on appeal.

There were also a lot of difficulties during the investigation. Evidence was frequently lost by the police, communication between the FBI and local authorities was nonexistent and political pressure was influencing action. As a result, the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation, now the Division of Criminal Investigation, was formed.

Tammy Rundle, producer and writer of the documentary, said she hopes the film will shed some light on the unsolved murders. In addition to the reprinting of court documents, like the coroner’s report and testimony, the film will also present new forensic and technological evidence.

Rundle has worked closely with Robert Ressler, who did the original crime scene profile for the FBI. His work led to a completely accurate portrayal of the murders.

Ed Epperly, who has spent more than 40 years researching the Villisca murders, was also recruited to help with the production. He acted as a primary consultant and compiled the photographs, trial information, technical details and town history which will be included in the film.

Rundle also invested a lot of money in the film. She enlisted the help of the Iowa Sesquicentennial Commission to help fund and endorse the film. She also received a donation from a private midwestern investor and a major media project grant from the Iowa Humanities Board. The Board, which is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, gave Fourth Wall Productions $5,000.

The film will premier in Des Moines and will eventually move on to a limited national theatrical release, foreign and national home video and broadcast distribution.