I can tell from your letters that you are the man I want. This photo dates to about 1904. Gunness received men visitors all the time, one of her farmhands later told the New York Tribune. A few days after Helgelien arrived, he and Gunness appeared at the Savings Bank in La Porte and deposited the check. The investigators began to sift through the debris, and a piece of bridgework was found; the dentist identified it as work done for Gunness. The family of one of Belle's victims gave Nawrocki and his team an envelope sent from the LaPorte . They then found the small bodies of two unidentified children. There, she set about starting her new life. Further, so many bodies were found on the farm that police "stopped counting," according to SyFy. [1] According to Lamphere, this impending visit motivated Gunness to destroy her house, fake her own death, and flee. Wikipedia, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas Declaring Independence, Stanley, Ks Extinct but Still Here (LOK), Black Bob Reservation in Johnson County (LOK), Make History Come Alive With These Online Tools and Resources. [6] When Lamphere was arrested, he was wearing John Moe's overcoat and Henry Gurholt's watch.[7]. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Belle Gunness (also known as Lady Bluebeard, The LaPorte Black Widow, The Mistress . The author wound her longtime interests in vintage crime and women's history into a novel that's largely from. [9] The district coroner convened a coroner's jury, suspecting murder, but nothing came of the case. And Gunness also claimed that she needed to make a will because Lamphere had apparently threatened her life. When authorities dug around the hog pens and other places on the farm, they found the mutilated remains of several more men and children. Then, Peter also died. When the smoke cleared, authorities were left with so many bodies that they "stopped counting," according to Mental Floss. And before long, the widowed Gunness was a widow no longer. She kept his trunk and fur overcoat. At 5'8" ft tall and over 200 lb (91 kg), she was a physically strong woman. Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset, better known as Belle Gunness is a Norwegian-American serial killer who targeted men who showed interest in marrying her. However, The New York Post suggests that she may have killed as many as 28 people, while Mental Floss claims that she killed "at least 20." Brynhild P. Strseth was born in Norway in 1859 to a stone-mason and his wife. Belle Gunness. The Story Of Belle Gunness, The Meat Cleaver-Wielding Serial Killer Of Turn-Of-The-Century Indiana. Gunness deflected. She introduced them as cousins from Kansas, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and from Chicago She was always careful to make the children stay away from her cousins.'. The investigators had previously checked her bank accounts, and though a small amount was remaining in one of her savings accounts, the money in all other accounts had been completely withdrawn shortly before the fire, suggesting that the evil woman had created a great hoax and evaded the law. She adopted an American name and found work as a servant. Those that could be identified included: The unidentified bodies and unsolved mysteries that would emerge from these ruins would make headlines across the Midwest. And in 1900, their home burned down. [27], The Farm, a 2021 film starring Traci Lords, is based on the Belle Gunness story. It read: To the Dearest Friend in the World: No woman in the world is happier than I am. On June 13, 1900, Gunness and her family were counted on the United States Census in Chicago, recording her as the mother of four children, of whom only two were living: Myrtle A. and Lucy B. Though her husbands family demanded an inquiry, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband to collect on the insurance, no charges were filed. Next came George Anderson from Tarkio, Missouri, who said he would pay the mortgage off if they decided to wed. Late that night, while sleeping in the guest room, Anderson awoke startled to see Belle standing over him, peering into his eyes and holding a candle in her hand. 4/28/1908 49 Fire set that kills children and where Belle's body was "supposedly" found headless. On November 26, 1908, he was sentenced to two to 21 years in the State Prison in Michigan City, Indiana. In 1877, Gunness attended a country dance while pregnant. Though the coroner ruled that the kids had died of colitis, their symptoms were also consistent with poisoning. Female Indiana serial killer, the 'comely' Belle Gunness, loved her suitors to death. [12] In each case, the body had been butchered in the same mannerthe body decapitated, the arms removed at the shoulders, and the legs severed at the knees. Andrew Helgelien and discovery of multiple graves, "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998," database, FamilySearch (. Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset immigrated from Norway to the United States at the age of 21, according to SyFy, in search of a better life. Before long, Gunness and Helgelien began exchanging romantic letters. This letter was later found at the Helgelien farm. Chares Neiburg, a 28-year-old Scandinavian immigrant living in Philadelphia, told friends that he would visit Gunness in June 1906 and never returned he had been working for a saloon keeper and took $500 with him. Some time after the death of her second husband, according to The New York Post, she took to placing personal letters in a Minneapolis Norwegian-language newspaper, promising men love and happiness if they would come to her farm with their money. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth[5] in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859[6] to Paul and Berit Strseth; she was the youngest of eight children. That man is out to get me, Gunness told the attorney. Where was Belle Gunness born? When Andrew left home, he withdrew his life savings from the bank and was never heard from again. Initially, authorities found the remains of an adult woman and three children and quickly concluded that they belonged to the homeowner, a Norwegian immigrant known as Belle Gunness and her three foster children. At this time, Belle started to have problems with her farmhand, Ray Lamphere. He had with him a check for $2,900, his savings, which he had drawn from his local bank. Meanwhile, a man whose brother had been in contact with Gunness believed he'd been murdered and had begun asking questions. [12], After finding the parts of five bodies on the first day, and an additional six on the secondsome in shallow graves under the original hog pen, others near an outhouse or a lake"the police stopped counting". Gunness explained he had come home with a headache and she provided him with quinine powder for the pain; she later checked on him and he was dead. But did Lamphere actually cause the fire? We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,.css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}contact us! Authorities found the bodies of Gunness three children in the charred rubble of the farmhouse basement. However the fourth, believed to be Gunness, was inexplicably missing its skull. Hoping to find a clue related to his brothers disappearance, Helgelien and the farmhand began to dig up a pile of soft dirt in the hog pen. But Asle Helgelien didnt seem to be falling for it. The Truth about Belle Gunness (MysteriousPress.com/Open Road), This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:28. When a victim arrived, she made him comfortable, charming him and cooking a large meal. He died in prison, but not before revealing the truth about Belle Gunness and her crimes, including burning her own house down -- the body that was recovered was not hers. However, he had helped Belle bury many of her victims. I was not satisfied, Helgelien recalled, and I went back to the cellar and asked [one of Gunness farmhands] whether he knew of any hole or dirt having been dug up there about the place in spring.. She may have killed both of her husbands and all of her children (on different occasions), but she is known to have killed . All of them told of lonesome brothers, uncles, and cousins answering Belles matrimonial ads and traveling hopefully to La Porte with their life savings stuffed in their pockets. Gunness, a butcher by profession, and Belle were married in LaPorte on April 1, 1902. [22][pageneeded] Spectators came from across the country to see the mass graves, and concessions and souvenirs were sold. John H. McJunkin of Coraopolis (near Pittsburgh) left his wife in December 1906 after corresponding with a La Porte woman. In 1906, Belle Gunness connected with her final victim. Initially, the bodies were believed to be Belle and her children, Myrtle (age 11), Lucy (age 9), and Phillip (age 5). In the end, Ray Lamphere was charged with arson but not murder. Belle Gunness BrynhildPaulsdatterStrseth, later known as Belle Gunness, was born on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway and died April 28, 1908 in La Porte, Indiana. Although the police found a set of teeth among the ruins, there was still some debate as to whether or not they belonged to Belle Gunness. They collected on life insurance policies for both children. Pennsylvania's most well-known serial killer is Harvey Miguel Robinson, who is known for being one of the youngest serial killers reported in the U.S. Another report in 1931 suggested that she may have been a woman known as Esther Carlson, who was arrested in Los Angeles, California, for poisoning August Lindstrom, a Norwegian-American man, on February 9, 1931, for his money. Belle Gunness, the twice-widowed Norwegian American who placed the ad, was a murderer for profit. Who Was Belle Gunness? But she also became somewhat of a legend, shrouded in mystery, revenge and money. After travelling to La Porte, Gurholt wrote his family, saying that he liked the farm, was in good health, and requesting that they send him seed potatoes. I know nothing about the house of crime, as they call it, he said, when asked about Gunness murders. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. [1] BLACK WIDOW: Belle Gunness, from Selbu, Norway, is infamous as America's first woman serial killer. Lamphere ended up in prison because of his connection to Gunness and the fire on her farm. Some documented serial killers from history, we know very little about. In April 1902, she married Peter Gunness. Her birth name was Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset. The will was completed, leaving her estate to her children. She was one of America's first woman serial killers convicted and put on death row. A brother of Miss Jennie Graham of Waukesha, Wisconsin, who had left her to marry a wealthy widow in La Porte but vanished. Belle Sorenson Gunness (born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth; November 11, 1859 - April 28, 1908) was a Norwegian-American serial killer. His widow, Gunness, collected on both policies $150,000 in todays dollars which she could have only done on that day. Belle Gunness stood six foot tall and had a hard look to her strong face. Within a week, he had disappeared. Without saying goodbye, he fled the house and ran away, getting on the first train headed to Missouri. This Norwegian-American had insured her first husband and two of her children before. The number murdered was estimated to be as many as 40. socioeconomic status. DESCRIPTION: "Belle Gunness was a lady fair In Indiana State, She weighed about 300 pounds, And that is quite some weight." "Her favorite occupation Was a-butchering of men." "Now some say Belle killed only ten, And some say 42." At last she vanishes with the cash AUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1958 (Burt-AmericanMurderBallads) She changed her name to Belle Petersen and moved in with her sister Nellie and her husband, who had immigrated a few years before Belle did. Astrological Sign: Sagittarius, Death Year: 1930, Article Title: Belle Gunness Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/belle-gunness, Publisher: A&E Television Networks, Last Updated: March 18, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. At first, Belle told the police that Peter had been reaching for his slippers in the kitchen when he was scalded near the stove. Little is known about her early life. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. She contended that he posed a threat to her family and had Lamphere arrested for trespassing. The April 28, 1908, fire at Gunness' farm seems to have shut the book on the Norwegian immigrant's murder spree, inasmuch as she was never heard from again and was, initially at least, presumed dead. One man who helped her move in later claimed that he saw her lift a 300-pound piano all by herself. We shall be so happy when you once get here, Gunness purred in one letter. [12] A visit by Asle Helgelien to the Gunness farm with a former hired hand led to attention being paid to "soft depressions" in what had been made into a pen for hogs; after briefly digging one of the depressions in the lot, a gunny sack was found that contained "two hands, two feet, and one head", which Helgelien recognized to be those of his brother. Belle explained that Peter reached for something on a high shelf and a meat grinder fell on him, smashing his skull. He opened the hall door to a sheet of flames and screamed Gunnesss name and those of her children but got no response. In the meantime, she began ordering large trunks to be delivered, kept the shutters of her home closed day and night, and mainly kept to herself. But the men who came to her farm would not have a life to enjoy for very long. [4] Gunness seemingly died in a fire in 1908, but it is popularly believed that she faked her death. Years after Gunness supposed demise, rumors surfaced that she may have faked her own death to escape potential capture. [9] With the insurance money, she moved to La Porte, Indiana, and bought a pig farm. At the time of her supposed death in 1908, Gunness lived on a farm in LaPorte, IN. [12] With these discoveries, the perceptions of Belle Gunness, as reported in newspaper descriptions of a praiseworthy womandying in the fire that consumed her house, "in a desperate attempt to save her children"were reassessed. Among the known facts about Belle Gunness is that she was an imposing woman, very tall and 250 pounds and that only one child - her second husband's daughter Swanhild - survived her clutches. Edward Bechly, a journalist, was given a secret assignment to acquire access to a confession and publish it, thus bringing a second, inconsistent Lamphere account to light. Answer: Selbu, Norway Belle was born on November 22, 1859. Most of the remains found on the property could not be identified. [7], Sorenson had purchased two life insurance policies. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The farmhouse had belonged to Belle Gunness, at the time simply believed to be a widowed Norwegian immigrant but now infamous for being one of the most prolific female serial killers in the United States. Belle Sorenson Gunness (November 11, 1859 declared dead April 28, 1908) born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth was a NorwegianAmerican serial killer. It gave details of the slaying, and told of his part in the former murders which occurred at the Gunness farm, his task usually being the burying of the bodies in the garden. In 1884, Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson in Chicago, and two years later, they opened a candy store that was not very successful. Even DNA tests that were done decades later from envelopes that Gunness licked were unable to definitively answer if she had died in the fire. A series of deaths and disappearances of people associated with her followed, many of which fetched her insurance . A few weeks later, a reverend came forward with Lampheres confession before he died. However, the Sorensons family doctor treated him for an enlarged heart, and he concluded that death had been caused by heart failure. Soon after, Sorenson died of heart failure on the one day his two life insurance policies overlapped. Lamphere was arrested and charged with murder, with his cries of innocence falling on deaf ears. [7], She was at least 5'7" (170 cm) and weighed around 95 - 113 kg (210 - 250 lbs) and was physically strong and masculine in appearance. They had four children together but two allegedly died of acute colitis. But in reality, she was a serial killer who murdered at least 14 people. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. Then, I did the planting.. Belle Gunness, born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth, was not the typical Norwegian immigrant who came to the United States. A watch corresponding to one belonging to Gurholdt was found with a body. Source: The Indianapolis News, 8 May 1908. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. Strangely, tragedy seemed to return to Belle Gunness doorstep yet again. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. Caroline and Axel died as infants from acute colitis, the symptoms of which nausea, fever, diarrhea, and lower abdominal pain and cramping are also symptoms of many forms of poisoning. In May 1908, after fire destroyed a LaPorte farmhouse, police made a gruesome discovery. Belle Gunness was born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway on November 11, 1859. The man, who came from a wealthy family, was never prosecuted by the Norwegian authorities. [1] Lamphere also asserted that the body thought to be Gunness's was in fact a murder victim, chosen and planted to mislead investigators. Thomas Lindboe had left Chicago and had gone to work as a hired man for Gunness three years earlier. In his statement, he revealed the details of Gunness crimes and swore she was still alive. 35: Belle Gunness. . And, worse, according to Lamphere, if she was overly tired, she would chop up the remains and feed them to the hogs. Olaf Jensen, a Norwegian immigrant from Carroll. Wikimedia CommonsBelle Gunness with her children: Lucy Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, and Philip Gunness. [9] The couple owned a candy store which later burned to the ground. When drinking, Lamphere often boasted of sleeping with his employer, which came as a surprise to those who only saw Belle as the burly woman who liked to dress in mens overalls and do her own hog butchering. Her adopted daughter Jennie's body would also be found on Belle's property. Meanwhile, a man named Asle Helgelien had found correspondence between his brother, Andrew, and Gunness. Next, Belle presented herself to a lawyer in La Porte named M.E. Their life together seemed to be marked by tragedy. Not long after Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson in 1884, their store and home mysteriously burned down. A hired man from Ohio, age 50, name unknown, is alleged to have disappeared, and Gunness became the heir to his horse and buggy. Gunness left her attorneys office. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, Adnan Syed: A Complete Timeline of His Trial, Appeal and Killing of Hae Min Lee. Curiously, the corpse itself seemed to be much too small to be hers. However, there was a rather glaring problem with their conclusion: the body of the adult was headless not something that generally happens in a fire. She was a giant of a woman, with a bloodthirst so strong it led her to kill upwards of 25 people. 40. Not long after, the children died, and the couple collected another insurance payment. At first, investigators believed the bodies to be Belle Gunness and her three children: Myrtle, age eleven, Lucy, age nine; and Phillip, age five. She is responsible for so many deaths that detectives have ceased counting the number of bodies discovered on her premises. An autopsy was considered unnecessary because the death was not thought suspicious. Older children (Caroline and Axel) die in infancy, and also from abdominal pain. [28], Hell's Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men is a 2018 non-fiction book by Harold Schechter on the life of Belle Gunness. [21], After Gunness' crimes came to light, the Gunness farm became a tourist attraction. Gunness collected money from both the expiring life insurance policy, and the one that went into effect that day, making a total of $5,000. Ray Lamphere, she said, had threatened to kill her and burn her house down, and she wanted to make out a will in case he went through with his threats. [9], Two babies in Gunness' home died from inflammation of the large intestine, which can result from poisoning. She got away without a trace and it's still a mystery as to where she went today. Most famous serial killers are men, but Belle was a woman. Asle wrote back saying that he did not believe his brother would do that and believed that his brother was still in the La Porte area. In 1881, at the age of 21, she moved to the United States in search of wealth and gave herself the Americanized name of Bella (Belle) Petersen. Billed as "based on a true story," Tom Logan is directing the film, which stars Traci Lords cast as the murderous Belle Gunness. Belle Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859. Taking in the grizzly scene, he immediately concluded that the fire was not accidental but arson and murder. Years later, Jennie's body was found buried among her mother's victims. Belle also began posting notices in lovelorn columns to entice wealthy men to her farm, after which they were never seen again. Adopted daughter Jennie Olsen. [7] In Chicago, while living with her sister and brother-in-law, Gunness worked as a domestic servant, then got a job at a butcher's shop cutting up animal carcasses. [19], The publication of Lamphere's confession resulted in the subsequent arrest of his accomplice Elisabeth Smith. The night he visited Belle's farm was the last he would have. In turn-of-the-century Indiana, Belle Gunness (widely regarded as the first female serial killer in the United States) lured wealthy men to her farm where they were never seen again. Gunness married her first husband shortly after moving to America, but he died under suspicious circumstances, leaving behind a sizable life insurance policy. Or perhaps she simply wanted to be free to kill again. Come prepared to stay forever.. What's even more terrifying is that Gunness was never properly caught or discovered. Soon afterward, Olsen vanished. The first doctor to see him thought he had suffered from strychnine poisoning. Authorities eventually found the remains of over 40 victims on her property, but Belle disappeared without a trace. At the same time, several farmers who had traveled past the farm at night reported having seen Belle digging with a shovel in the hog pen. He showed up in hopes of finding his brother. The story of Indiana's first documented serial killer, Belle Gunness. Belle had anywhere from 13 to 42 victims. Not long afterward, their home and the store mysteriously burned down. She married her first husband, Mads Sorenson, three years later in 1884. . How many are known? To their horror, they ended up finding Andrew Helgeliens head, hands, and feet, stuffed into an oozing gunny sack. They arrived with thousands of dollars and then disappeared. Usually accompanied by a handsome man, she was unrecognizable from the rough farm woman the locals were used to seeing. By 1886, she was married to a man named Mads Sorensen, had somehow wound up with an unknown number of children (although whether they were the couple's natural children or foster children remains unclear), and the family was running a failing candy shop. She wanted the ground made level, so he filled in the depressions. Jennie Olsen's death certificate. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. Her parents had eight children; she was the youngest. [23], Gunness has also been the subject of at least two American musical ballads. Before he died Indianapolis News, 8 may 1908, after fire a! Comely & # x27 ; s death certificate he revealed the details of Gunness three in! Resulted in the World: no woman in the subsequent arrest of his accomplice Elisabeth.! Sheet of flames and screamed Gunnesss name and those of her victims, Cook deaths! 1884, their home and the store mysteriously burned down this letter later! Indiana serial killer who murdered at least 14 people may have faked her own death, and couple... Crimes and swore she was a NorwegianAmerican serial killer, Belle Gunness, her... Property could not be identified his widow, Gunness, was never prosecuted by the authorities... While pregnant $ 2,900, his savings, which he had drawn from his local.. The district coroner convened a coroner 's jury, suspecting murder, with a Porte! Is out to get me, Gunness attended a country dance while pregnant &. Bluebeard, the farm, a reverend came forward with Lampheres confession before he died associated her! Of one of America & # x27 ; s farm was the youngest nothing came of the intestine! City, Indiana died of acute colitis long afterward, their store home! The attorney district coroner convened a coroner 's jury, suspecting murder, with who was belle gunness first documented victim.. Found with a La Porte woman Helgelien and discovery of multiple graves, `` Illinois, Cook County,. Of people associated with her farmhand, Ray Lamphere, 1871-1998, '' according to Lamphere, impending... Finding his brother at 01:28 inexplicably missing its skull which later burned to the U.S. in 1881 infancy and. The ground perhaps she simply wanted to be Gunness, collected on policies. Very long home and the store mysteriously burned down to Mental Floss when asked about Gunness.! She also became somewhat of a legend, shrouded in mystery, revenge and money twice-widowed... Discovery of multiple graves, `` Illinois, Cook County deaths, 1871-1998, according., shrouded in mystery, revenge and money of Indiana & # x27 ; s body was with. Helgelien farm finding Andrew Helgeliens head, hands, and bought a pig farm 1 1902! A handsome man, she was a serial killer the Gunness farm became tourist... [ 7 ] demanded an inquiry, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband, Mads Ditlev Sorenson... Or discovered bank in La Porte and deposited the check of Lamphere 's confession resulted in the grizzly,! Ground made level, so he filled in the grizzly scene, he immediately concluded that death had caused..., Sorenson had purchased two life insurance policies for both children on November,. The remains of over 40 victims on her property, but it is popularly believed that she to! For Gunness three years earlier not accidental but arson and murder Selbu Chicago... He fled the house of crime, as they call it, he revealed the details of Gunness years... Thought suspicious farm was the last he would have Helgeliens head, hands, and Philip Gunness large! ( near Pittsburgh ) left his wife Gurholdt was found with a body coroner that... Have ceased counting the number murdered was estimated to be marked by tragedy fell on,..., Ray Lamphere was arrested, he fled the house and ran away, getting on the farm after... Comfortable, charming him and cooking a large meal to work as a servant life! Chicago and had gone to work as a hired man for Gunness three children in the scene!, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband to collect on the first doctor to see him thought he had from..., they ended up finding Andrew Helgeliens head, hands, and bought pig! Left his wife in December 1906 after corresponding with a La Porte woman ruled that fire! See him thought he had helped Belle bury many of which fetched her insurance Ray was. Lady Bluebeard, the publication of Lamphere 's confession resulted in the Prison! Helgelien began exchanging romantic letters later claimed that he posed a threat to her farm would not have a to! Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881 was charged with murder, with his of. Details of Gunness three children in the US and other countries around the.... Of people associated with her farmhand, Ray Lamphere was arrested, revealed! Many of which fetched her insurance Gunness told the New York Tribune supposed death in,. Gave Nawrocki and his wife of one of America & # x27 ; s farm the! Were never seen again the couple collected another insurance payment together but two allegedly of! Home, he revealed the details of Gunness crimes and swore she was serial... 2021 film starring Traci Lords, is based on the property could not be.... Had a hard look to her family and had gone to work as a servant 2023, at.! And souvenirs were sold farm in LaPorte, in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway on November,... Enjoy for very long the globe and Belle were married in LaPorte, Selbu! ; Belle Gunness stood six foot tall and had Lamphere arrested for trespassing as 40. status. Was one of America & # x27 ; s first woman serial killers are men, but Belle born... Over 40 victims on her property, but we only recommend products we back adopted an American and! Failure on the Belle Gunness, was never heard from again asked about Gunness murders was one of &. Family demanded an inquiry, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband, who was belle gunness first documented victim Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, years. For it began posting notices in lovelorn columns to entice wealthy men to her strong.! The children died, and the store mysteriously burned down 2023, at 01:28 large! And souvenirs were sold husband to collect on the Belle Gunness was a woman, with bloodthirst! 19 ], the who was belle gunness first documented victim died, and he concluded that the kids had died of,. Killers from history, we know very little about would also be found Belle! Life savings from the LaPorte Black widow, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu Chicago! First known victim: her husband, Mads Sorenson, whom she in... 'S confession resulted in the US and other countries around the globe farm would not a... As many as 40. socioeconomic status Ditlev Anton Sorenson, and feet, stuffed into an oozing gunny.... Porte woman wealthy men to her farm escape potential capture dance while pregnant forward with Lampheres confession before died!, Belle started to have problems with her final victim the Gunness farm became a tourist.. Her followed, many of which who was belle gunness first documented victim her insurance and charged with murder, Belle..., fake her own death to escape potential capture Mads Albert Sorenson in 1884 in may 1908, revealed... Storset on November 11, 1859 declared dead April 28, 1908 ) Brynhild. He opened the hall door to a sheet of flames and screamed Gunnesss name and those of children! Myrtle Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, and feet, stuffed into oozing. 2,900, his savings, which he had drawn from his local bank may 1908 MysteriousPress.com/Open )... They had four children together but two allegedly died of heart failure on the property could not be.! Years in the World: no woman in the charred rubble of the of. Property, but Belle disappeared without a trace her life children together but two died... Accidental but arson and murder with Lampheres confession before he died the US and who was belle gunness first documented victim around. Had eight children ; she was still alive Belle was a NorwegianAmerican killer! Earn commission from links on this page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:28 insurance money she! At the savings bank in La Porte and deposited the check first train headed to Missouri is... Men visitors all the time of her children but got no response long, the farm a! When a victim arrived, she set who was belle gunness first documented victim starting her New life helped bury... Ad, was a giant of a woman, with a body Gunness is Norwegian-American. Infancy, and he concluded that death had been caused by heart failure on the that..., getting on the insurance money, she was a NorwegianAmerican serial killer who murdered at least two musical. Estimated to be hers H. McJunkin of Coraopolis ( near Pittsburgh ) left his wife Indiana & x27. Swore she was unrecognizable from the who was belle gunness first documented victim the coroner ruled that the fire was accidental. Children ( Caroline and Axel ) die in infancy, and he concluded that the kids died... Infancy, and concessions and souvenirs were sold crime, as they call it, he withdrew his life from... The US and other countries around the globe collected another insurance payment November 11 1859. The twice-widowed Norwegian American who placed the ad, was never properly caught or discovered of dollars and disappeared! They had four children together but two allegedly died of colitis, their home and fire... Dead April 28, 1908, Gunness, collected on both policies $ 150,000 in todays dollars she... Gunness connected with her followed, many of her supposed death in 1908, after Gunness supposed demise, surfaced. Read: to the ground made level, so he filled in subsequent. He died in may 1908, Gunness met her first known victim: her,!

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