A neighbor's dog bit a cow. Days later, eight people were dead.
The Wolf family murders occurred on April 22, 1920, on a farm north of Turtle Lake, North Dakota. Jacob and Beata Wolf, five of their six daughters, and their teenage hired hand were killed in what remains the deadliest mass murder in North Dakota history.
Discovery
On April 24, 1920, neighboring farmer John Kraft went to the Wolf property to retrieve a borrowed tool and noticed the family's laundry still hanging on the line overnight and their horses left untended. Investigating further, he found the bodies of Jacob Wolf and two of his daughters, Maria and Edna, hastily buried in the barn. In the farmhouse basement, he found five more bodies: Jacob's wife, Beata; three more of their daughters, Bertha, Lydia, and Martha; and their 13-year-old chore boy, Jacob Hofer. The children ranged from 3 to 13 years old. Given their ages, we won't detail the nature of their injuries here beyond confirming a shotgun and a hatchet were used. The Wolfs' 8-month-old daughter, Emma, was found alive in her crib, having been alone in the house for roughly two days.
A Community in Shock
The Wolf family were German-Russian immigrants who had settled in Turtle Lake, then a town of fewer than 400 people. More than 2,500 mourners attended the funeral, where all eight victims were buried together beneath a headstone reading, in German, "Die Ermordete Familie" — "The Murdered Family."
A Suspect at the Funeral
At the burial, a neighboring farmer named Henry Layer drew attention by opening each coffin in turn to look at the victims, and by his generally anxious demeanor. He was also found wandering near the Wolf barn by the sheriff and, seemingly eager to assist the investigation, pointed searchers toward spent shotgun shells in the property's feed storage.
Arrest and Confession
Layer was brought in for questioning on April 25, just three days after the murders, and confessed following an all-night interrogation. He later claimed the confession had been coerced through threats and physical abuse, though his appeals were ultimately denied. Investigators established that Layer and Jacob Wolf had feuded for some time, with the immediate trigger reportedly being an incident in which the Wolf family's dog had attacked one of Layer's cows. Layer reportedly told investigators that had he known baby Emma was in another room, he would have killed her too.
Trial and Sentencing
Layer's trial in May 1920 lasted three days; a jury deliberated for six hours before convicting him. He was sentenced to life in prison at hard labor. His wife divorced him in 1922, and North Dakota's Supreme Court denied his appeal that same year. Layer died in the state penitentiary in 1925, ten days after surgery for appendicitis, having maintained his innocence to the end. The location of his grave is unknown.
Lingering Questions
Some researchers and local historians, including relatives of the sole survivor, have questioned whether Layer could have carried out the killings entirely alone, though no evidence has ever pointed to a specific accomplice, and no one else was ever charged. Emma Wolf, the surviving infant, was raised by relatives and lived until 2003; her son has spoken publicly about the lasting toll the tragedy took on his mother throughout her life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Henry Layer convicted alone, or were there other suspects?
Layer was the only person ever charged or convicted. Some researchers have questioned whether he acted alone, but no evidence has ever identified an accomplice.
What happened to the surviving infant, Emma Wolf?
She was raised by relatives, lived into adulthood, and died in 2003. Her son has spoken publicly about how the tragedy shaped her life.
What was Henry Layer's motive?
Investigators attributed the killings to a long-running dispute between Layer and Jacob Wolf, with an incident involving the Wolf family's dog attacking one of Layer's cows cited as the immediate trigger.