It was reported that both the boat and carriage houses burned to the ground shortly after she acquired the property. Christie Hilkven of Dovre, Wisconsin, sold his farm and came to La Porte in 1906. And Gunness also claimed that she needed to make a will because Lamphere had apparently threatened her life. The will was completed, leaving her estate to her children. No explanation was provided for what happened to the body's head. By now, Gunness had purchased a farm in La Porte, Indiana. Lampheres lawyer, Wirt Worden, developed evidence that the bridgework that was found may have been planted. Female Indiana serial killer, the 'comely' Belle Gunness, loved her suitors to death. Most of the remains found on the property could not be identified. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. [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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. [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. But in reality, she was a serial killer who murdered at least 14 people. Local people refused to believe that her husband could be so clumsy he had run a hog farm on the property and was known to be an experienced butcher. [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. On-site was County Sheriff Albert Smutzer, who had heard about Lampheres alleged threats. She was a Norwegian-American serial killer. Shutterstock. A few weeks later, a reverend came forward with Lampheres confession before he died. Bert Chase of Mishawaka, Indiana, sold his butcher shop and told friends of a wealthy widow and that he was going to look her up; his brother received a telegram supposedly from Aberdeen, South Dakota, claiming Bert had been killed in a train wreck; his brother investigated and found the telegram was fictitious. Standing six feet tall (183cm) and weighing over 200 pounds (91kg), she was a physically strong woman. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. But, for Helgeliens brother, Asle, the matter was far from over. (Serial Killer) Belle Sorenson Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth, was a Norwegian-American serial killer. One man, George Anderson, managed to escape with his life when he realized Gunness had murder on her mind. Investigators search for more bodies on Belle Gunnesss farm after the initial discoveries in 1908. But the men who came to her farm would not have a life to enjoy for very long. But once the tide turns away from Belle Sorensen of Gunness. The first doctor to see him thought he had suffered from strychnine poisoning. They had four children together but two allegedly died of acute colitis. Source: The Indianapolis News, 8 May 1908. The powerful 48-year-old woman would then carry the body to the basement, where she most often dissected it, bundled the remains, and then buried them in the hog pen. She married her first husband, Mads Sorenson, three years later in 1884. . The woman in the fire was approximately 5 3 tall and weighed about 125 pounds, significantly smaller than Belle Gunness. And in 1900, their home burned down. However, Gunness successfully convinced the investigators that she was innocent of any wrongdoing. [citation needed][17][18] The Bechly narrative, entitled "Lanphere's Confession" [sic], contains this summary from Bechly: In the confession, Lanphere [sic] said that he had killed Mrs. Gunness and children with an ax, sprinkled the bodies with kerosene and set fire to them and the house. American newspapers labeled Belle Gunness the Black Widow, Hells Belle, the Indiana Ogress, and the Mistress of the Castle of Death.. [23], Gunness has also been the subject of at least two American musical ballads. John H. McJunkin of Coraopolis (near Pittsburgh) left his wife in December 1906 after corresponding with a La Porte woman. I can tell from your letters that you are the man I want. One of Robinson's surviving victims led to his eventual arrest. Gunness had a system. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. 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. Standing six feet tall (183 cm) and weighing over 200 pounds (91 kg), she was a physically strong woman. Storset then married Peter Gunness, in 1901; a week later, his infant son from a previous marriage was dead under suspicious circumstances. Ay like music at home, she supposedly said, by way of explanation. She murdered over 40 people between 1884 and 1908 (1). In this depraved story of sex, deception, greed, and murder, a veteran true-crime writer offers the first definitive history of Belle Gunness (circa 1859-1908), the most prolific female serial killer in American history.In previous books, Schechter (American Literature and Culture/Queens Coll. It was claimed that her head was decapitated and her home set on fire. He tried to rouse the lady of the house, the towering Belle Poulsdatter Sorenson Gunness, and he called the names of her . Triflers need not apply. Come prepared to stay forever. Gunness had insured both of the children and collected a large insurance check after each death. Biography claims that the remains of at least 40 men and children were found on Gunness' farm. To their horror, they ended up finding Andrew Helgeliens head, hands, and feet, stuffed into an oozing gunny sack. The coroner described the incident as a little queer but believed that it was an accident. Her actual fate is unconfirmed. [citation needed][14] However, a separate newspaper published a story with speculation regarding the second Lamphere confession. No replies by letter considered unless sender is willing to follow answer with a personal visit. Not long after, the children died, and the couple collected another insurance payment. Come prepared to stay forever.. Belle Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859. One lucky man named George Anderson survived the encounter. Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Belle Gunness, Birth Year: 1859, Birth date: November 22, 1859, Birth City: Selbu, Birth Country: Norway. 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. [citation needed] In 2008, DNA tests were performed on the headless corpse in an attempt to compare the DNA in the corpse against a sample from a letter Gunness had sent to one of her victims, but due to its age the sample was not able to be properly tested. She changed her name to Belle in 1881 when she came to the United States. According to The New York Post, eight months after their marriage, Peter was dead. At the time, Gunness did not mention that she was pregnant, despite the possibility that it might have inspired sympathy, and in May 1903, Gunness gave birth to a son she named Phillip. But they could identify Jennie Olsen Gunness foster daughter who had left for California. And it soon became clear that Gunness was behind some horrific crimes. In February 1908, Belle hired another man named Joe Maxon to help her with the farm. As she was preparing to move from Chicago to LaPorte, she became re-acquainted with a recent widower named Peter Gunness, also from Norway. Standing six feet tall and weighing over 200 pounds, she was a physically strong woman. Lamphere was later linked to the fire at Gunness farm. Reporters described her home as a horror farm and a death garden. Curious onlookers flocked to La Porte, as it became a local and national attraction, to the point that vendors reportedly sold ice cream, popcorn, cake, and something called Gunness Stew to visitors. 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. However the fourth, believed to be Gunness, was inexplicably missing its skull. For these reasons and others, it's impossible to say how many people Gunness murdered. Anderson had come to the Gunness farm from Missouri with money and a hopeful heart. [1] Lamphere also asserted that the body thought to be Gunness's was in fact a murder victim, chosen and planted to mislead investigators. Olaf Jensen, a Norwegian immigrant from Carroll. General Information Sex Female Race White Number of victims 16 further plus 12 possible equals 28 But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. And, worse, according to Lamphere, if she was overly tired, she would chop up the remains and feed them to the hogs. But as was the case with the candy store, Gunness and Sorenson were able to pocket the insurance money. [7], Sorenson had purchased two life insurance policies. For a while, Helgelien assisted police as they sorted through the rubble. Then, Sorensen died, not at all suspiciously on the day that one life insurance policy was set to expire and another had just come into effect. Without saying goodbye, he fled the house and ran away, getting on the first train headed to Missouri. You, the sweetest man in the whole world. While there, she was attacked by a man who kicked her in the abdomen, causing her to miscarry. Hunting Humans: The Rise of Modern Multiple Murder examined the _____ _____ of serial murders. I know nothing about the house of crime, as they call it, he said, when asked about Gunness murders. An autopsy was considered unnecessary because the death was not thought suspicious. 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 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. That tale is even more frightening. It read: To the Dearest Friend in the World: No woman in the world is happier than I am. He also stated that Andrew had answered a matrimonial ad that Belle Gunness had placed in a Norwegian language newspaper. Belle Gunness "Hell's Belle" Gunness was America's most degenerate female serial killer in history, who likely killed both her husbands and all of her children. A hired man named George Bradley of Tuscola, Illinois is alleged to have gone to La Porte to meet a widow and three children in October 1907. Between 1902 and 1908, she lured a succession of unsuspecting victims to her Indiana "murder farm." Some were hired hands. Lamphere was found guilty of arson but acquitted of murder in the end. A hired man from Ohio, age 50, name unknown, is alleged to have disappeared, and Gunness became the heir to his horse and buggy. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Edgar Award Finalist: The true story of the female Norwegian immigrant who led a secret life as a serial killer in the early twentieth-century Midwest. As The New York Post noted, she's been tied to at least 11 murders, and possibly dozens more, although the exact number of her victims may likely never be known. [22][pageneeded] Moreover, the crime became an acknowledged part of area history: the La Porte County Historical Society Museum has a permanent "Belle Gunness" exhibit. Belle Gunness (also known as Lady Bluebeard, The LaPorte Black Widow, The Mistress of Murder Farm, and Hell's Belle) was probably one of America's most prolific serial killers. Benjamin Carling of Chicago, Illinois, was last seen by his wife in 1907 after telling her that he was going to La Porte to secure an investment with a wealthy widow. [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. A celebrity actress who gets her dream role playing real-life 19th century serial killer Belle Gunness in a feature film, starts to take on the characteristics of the character both on-screen and off. 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. She was never tracked down and her death has never been confirmed. In 1907, she employed a farmhand, Ray Lamphere, to help with chores. A couple of months later, Maxson awoke in the early hours of April 28, 1908, smelling smoke in his room on the second floor of the Gunness house. Gunness then began meeting wealthy men through a lovelorn column. Next up was George Anderson from Missouri. . Think how we will enjoy each others company. Can you conceive of anything nicer? They collected on life insurance policies for both children. However, word soon spread that her relationship with Lamphere was more than strictly professional. Of the remains found at the murder site, the bodies of Belles three children and several of her suitors were identified. Not Only Was Belle Gunness America's First Female Serial Killer, But She Just Had To Live In Indiana. Most famous serial killers are men, but Belle was a woman. Newly flush with cash, Gunness bought a 48-acre farm in La Porte, Indiana. Whether Gunness died in that fire remains unclear. Also unclear is how many victims Gunness had killed. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. In 1884 Belle Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson. On July 30, 1900,[10] both policies were active at the same time, as one would expire that day and the other would enter into force. He had brought more than $1,000 with him to pay off her mortgage, or so he told neighbors, to whom Gunness introduced him as her cousin. Or perhaps she simply wanted to be free to kill again. Dont tell a soul.. Meanwhile, neighbors noted that Gunness had begun to spend an unusual amount of time at her hog pen at night. Belle with daughters Lucy and Myrtle. If you're curious to learn more about her, read on to discover the . They arrived with thousands of dollars and then disappeared. Answer: Chicago, Illinois Belle and Mads were married in 1884. In December 1902, Peter himself met with a tragic accident. According to Belle, he was struck on the head when a sausage-grinding machine had toppled off a high shelf in the kitchen. What's even more terrifying is that Gunness was never properly caught or discovered. Belle Gunness, one of the most successful murderers in Illinois. On the morning of April 27, 1908, the farmhand on a lonely property outside La Porte, Indiana, woke to the smell of smoke. 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. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 in Selbu, Norway. [7], Gunness began placing marriage ads in Chicago newspapers in 1905. The idea that the decapitated body belonged to Gunness was called into question, and a farmhand/accomplice claimed that the alleged murderer had taken the money she'd fleeced from her victims and vanished. Meanwhile, a man whose brother had been in contact with Gunness believed he'd been murdered and had begun asking questions. One of these men was John Moe, who arrived from Elbow Lake, Minnesota. Little is known about her early life. He slammed the door and then, in his underwear, leaped from the second-story window, barely surviving the fire that was closing in around him. Gunness left her attorneys office. She then bought toys for her children and two gallons of kerosene. Ray Lamphere, Gunness's hired hand, was arrested for murder and arson on May 22, 1908. Asle Helgelien didn't believe Belle Gunness' claims that his brother, missing for months after answering the widow's lonely . Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset immigrated from Norway to the United States at the age of 21, according to SyFy, in search of a better life. The investigators began to sift through the debris, and a piece of bridgework was found; the dentist identified it as work done for Gunness. Gunness, according to Lamphere, had drugged the woman, then bashed in her head. 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. Belle wore the finest clothing on those occasions, and her hair was adorned in the latest style. Once dead, she decapitated the body, tied weights to the head, and disposed of it in a swamp. But she also became somewhat of a legend, shrouded in mystery, revenge and money. I fear one of these nights he will burn my house to the ground.. Apparently, he had fallen victim to a sausage grinder that fell on his head from a wobbly shelf. He disappeared from her farm within a week of his arrival. Sheriff Smutzer then took a dozen men back to the farm and began to dig, and on May 3, 1908, the diggers unearthed the body of Jennie Olson, who had vanished in December 1906. An older sister, likely named Nellie, emigrated to the United States in the early 1880s. Their home had also burned down, and both instances granted the couple insurance payouts. You wish to know where your brother keeps himself, Gunness wrote to Asle. . Belle Gunness was known as many things: the "Female Bluebeard," the "High-Priestess of Murder," the "Mistress of the Castle of Death," the "Queen of Crime," and "Hell's Princess." . Billed as "based on a true story," Tom Logan is directing the film, which stars Traci Lords cast as the murderous Belle Gunness. However, by the time anyone suspected Gunness in their deaths, they'd been dead for decades and their suspected murderer had vanished. 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.. Several more unexplained deaths followed, including the infant daughter of her new husband, Peter Gunness, followed by Peter Gunness himself. In the smoldering ruins workmen discovered four skeletons. Adopted daughter Jennie Olsen. (Eerily, the symptoms of this disease were quite similar to poisoning.). He opened the hall door to a sheet of flames and screamed Gunnesss name and those of her children but got no response. [7] Reported "sightings" of Gunness in the Chicago area continued long after she was declared dead. Belle Gunness was born Brynild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 near Selbu, Norway. Somehow, she convinced local authorities to hold a sanity hearing, but Lamphere was pronounced sane and released. When they failed to hear from him after that, the family contacted Gunness. Anderson was so startled by the ravenous expression in Gunness eyes that he left immediately. She immigrated to the United States, where she lured her victims to her remote farm in Indiana. 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. Strangely, that date represented the last day of Sorensons life insurance policy as well as the first day of his new policy. Then, learn about Leonarda Cianciulli, the serial killer who turned her victims into soap and teacakes. [9], Two babies in Gunness' home died from inflammation of the large intestine, which can result from poisoning. In his statement, he revealed the details of Gunness crimes and swore she was still alive. His watch was found in Lampheres possession. At the time, forensics was in its infancy, and the bodies had been so mutilated that there was little hope of identifying them. Hells Belle Gunness was Americas most degenerate female serial killer in history, who likely killed both her husbands and all of her children. Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2022. Three were identified as her foster children. Sure, I worked for Mrs. Gunness for a time, but I didnt see her kill anybody, and I didnt know she had killed anybody., But on his deathbed, Lamphere changed his tune. Between 1884 and 1908, the Norwegian immigrant is believed to have slain over 40 people in Chicago, Illinois, and La Porte, Indiana, profiting from insurance claims and other scams before disappearing without a trace. At 5'8" ft tall and over 200 lb (91 kg), she was a physically strong woman. Whether Gunness died in the fire or escaped remained uncertain, although the sheriff blamed a Chicago American reporter for inventing the "escaped" story. She was the rarest of female psychopaths, a woman who engaged in wholesale slaughter, partly out of greed but mostly for the sheer joy of it. Gunness deflected. When Andrew left home, he withdrew his life savings from the bank and was never heard from again. When authorities dug around the hog pens and other places on the farm, they found the mutilated remains of several more men and children. Belle Gunness may or may not be one of America's most prolific serial killers. In 1893, Belle met and married Mads Sorenson. FlickrThe farm of Belle Gunness, where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908. It is believed the couple produced two children whom Gunness poisoned in infancy for the insurance money. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. One man who helped her move in later claimed that he saw her lift a 300-pound piano all by herself. He confided to a neighboring farmer on one occasion: Helgelien wont bother me no more. It is not known how many men were victims of a treacherous woman. What is certain is that she murdered most of her boyfriends and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. What's more, Gunness simply vanished off the face of the earth at the same time her crimes came to light. The number murdered was estimated to be as many as 40. Either way, the twice-widowed Gunness began posting personal ads in Norwegian-language newspapers to find a new companion. However, when he was introduced to Andrew Hegelian Belles new husband-to-be, he made a scene, and Belle promptly fired him on February 3, 1908. The couple claimed the insurance money for both. When the smoke cleared, authorities were left with so many bodies that they "stopped counting," according to Mental Floss. He was last seen alive at the La Porte Savings Bank on April 6, 1907, when he mortgaged his Wisconsin land there, signed over a deed, and obtained several thousand dollars in cash. And before long, the widowed Gunness was a widow no longer. The essential fact, however, was that the murderess was not alive as a fugitive. Harvey's first-known victim died in 1970, and it wasn't until 1987 that he pleaded guilty to killing 37 people most of whom he murdered while working in Cincinnati and London, Kentucky . Next, Belle presented herself to a lawyer in La Porte named M.E. Second husband, Peter (Peder) Gunness. Belle had lured this woman from Chicago on the pretense of hiring her as a housekeeper only days before she decided to make her permanent escape from La Porte. Little is known about her early life. Her adopted daughter Jennie's body would also be found on Belle's property. [29], In the Garden of Spite: A Novel of the Black Widow of LaPorte is a US-published 2021 novel by Camilla Bruce with elements of "Norwegian noir and true crime" based on the life of Belle Gunness. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in the small fishing village of Selbu in Norway on November 11 1859. Belle did indeed become wealthy, but not because she earned the money honestly. As they began turning the earth, they found four bodies- skillfully sliced apart and wrapped in oilcloth. Boat and carriage houses burned to the Dearest Friend in the Chicago area long. They arrived with thousands of dollars and then disappeared believed that it was claimed that her head decapitated! 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