Mass Murder In North Dakota: Revisiting The Wolf Family Tragedy

While North Dakota is a relatively safe state, statistically, every now and then, horrific things do happen.

I love history and researching all things true crime, and for the most part, I thought I had heard every gruesome and tragic North Dakota tale.

To my surprise, I stumbled upon a story I hadn't heard before, and awful doesn't begin to cover it.

**Be advised that the following content may not be suitable for all ages/audiences.**

The Turtle Lake Murders

In Turtle Lake, on April 22nd, 1920, eight people lost their lives. The murders were said to have been motivated by a neighborly dispute.

According to the Bismarck Tribune, after much suspicion and a widespread investigation, Jacob Wolf's neighbor, Henry Layer, was the prime suspect.

Layer was caught returning to the scene of the crime, and his whereabouts were unaccounted for on the day of the murder.

Later in the investigation, Layer did admit to committing the murders, but why did he do it?

The Motive

Layer had disagreed with Jacob Wolf several times over the years, but the final straw was the Wolf-family dog attacking a cow from Layer's farm.

Yes, Jacob (41) and Beatta Wolf (35), along with their children, Bertha (13), Maria (10), Edna (8), Martha (3), and Lydia (6), lost their lives that day over a cow. It was a neighborly dispute. Jacob Hofer (13), a chore boy on the Wolf family farm, was also slain that day.

There was one survivor, eight-month-old Emma.

According to the Bismarck Tribune, the bodies were discovered by a man named John Craft; he described a horrific scene. He witnessed something that I'm sure haunted him for the rest of his life.

Most had been shot; one was struck with a hatchet. The source speculates that investigators didn't believe Layer had gone to the Wolf farm with the intention to kill the family. An argument turned into a scuffle, which quickly escalated to familicide.

According to Findagrave.com, the family was put to rest at Turtle Lake Cemetery. 2,500 people attended the funeral.

So, what was Henry Layer's fate after his confession? According to the source, he was sentenced to life in prison with hard labor.

Layer died five years later.