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. 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." Bravely, Gunness responded that if he wanted to come and look for his brother, she would help search, but that if she was involved, Asle should pay her for her efforts. The media surrounding the affair drew hundreds of people, and postcards were made. Despite the arrest, Lamphere returned again and again to see her, but she drove him away. 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. On April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana. I think of you constantly. 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. Most of the remains found on the property could not be identified. 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. Then, Joe Maxson came forward with information that could not be ignored. Born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in Norway, Belle Gunness moved to the United States in 1881 at the age of 22. Who Was Belle Gunness? Standing six feet tall and weighing over 200 pounds, she was a physically strong woman. She wanted the ground made level, so he filled in the depressions. Belle Gunness. La Porte County Historical Society MuseumInvestigators search for more bodies on Belle Gunnesss farm after the initial discoveries in 1908. Married with Sorensen and Belle has born 4 children: Caroline, Axel, Myrtle and Lucy. Come prepared to stay forever.. How many are known? More reports of missing men began to pour in from surrounding Midwestern states, and relatives began to appear from all over the region to claim bodies. When the smoke cleared, authorities were left with so many bodies that they "stopped counting," according to Mental Floss. The coroner described the incident as a little queer but believed that it was an accident. 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. Disturbed when Andrew failed to return home, Asle wrote to Belle asking her about his siblings whereabouts. The headless adult female corpse was never positively identified. Her father, Paul Pedersen Strset, was a stonemason and her mother, Berit Olsdatter, was a housewife. [7], Gunness began placing marriage ads in Chicago newspapers in 1905. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Belle Gunness's First Husband. Then, the farm became something of a tourist attraction, with thousands of gawkers turning up and in some cases, taking souvenirs, according to The New York Post. Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2022. Belle had anywhere from 13 to 42 victims. We will be all alone with each other. After the fire, her victims were unearthed from their shallow graves around the farm. She kept his trunk and fur overcoat. Jennie Olsen's death certificate. I know that you are now to come to me and be my own. He quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his clothes. She then made her way to Chicago, Illinois, where she again worked as a servant for a time. Elliot Leyton. The low end is 11, to account for her first two husbands, their children, and the children found dead on the family farm. 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. However, a neighborhood boy said he had seen Lamphere running down the road from the Gunness house just before the structure erupted in flames. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 in Selbu, Norway. Then, learn about Leonarda Cianciulli, the serial killer who turned her victims into soap and teacakes. It was claimed that her head was decapitated and her home set on fire. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. Dont tell a soul.. [Gunness] beguiled them with promises of down-home Norwegian cooking and painted a very seductive portrait of the kind of life theyd enjoy.. Between 1902 and 1908, she lured a succession of unsuspecting victims to her Indiana "murder farm." Some were hired hands. Then, in 1881, following her sisters example, who had emigrated to America earlier, Brynhild moved to the United States, where she assumed a more American-style name. [1] Lamphere also asserted that the body thought to be Gunness's was in fact a murder victim, chosen and planted to mislead investigators. Years after Gunness supposed demise, rumors surfaced that she may have faked her own death to escape potential capture. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. I know nothing about the house of crime, as they call it, he said, when asked about Gunness murders. [6] When she was processed by immigration at Castle Garden, she changed her first name to Belle, then travelled to Chicago to join her sister, Nellie, who had immigrated several years earlier. She then torched the small brick farmhouse and fled. Source: The Indianapolis News, 8 May 1908. A few weeks later, a reverend came forward with Lampheres confession before he died. Jennies body would later be found buried on her adoptive mothers property. When he was just 18, Robinson went on a violent killing spree, during which he killed three young women and seriously injured two. Meanwhile, a man whose brother had been in contact with Gunness believed he'd been murdered and had begun asking questions. [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. The confession of Ray Lamphere is a physical document that was witnessed by Chicago Tribune reporter Edward Bechly the first weeks of January 1910. Not Only Was Belle Gunness America's First Female Serial Killer, But She Just Had To Live In Indiana. Lampheres lawyer, Wirt Worden, developed evidence that the bridgework that was found may have been planted. She adopted an American name and found work as a servant. Shortly after dispensing with Lamphere, she presented herself at the La Porte County courthouse, declaring that her former employee was not in his right mind and was a menace to the public. April 29, 2008 / 8:03 AM / AP. What is certain is that she murdered most of her boyfriends and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. It was initially hoped that a sealed envelope flap on a letter found at the victims farm would contain enough DNA to be compared to that of the body. Helgelien, like other victims before him, decided to take a chance on love. Over the next several years, more men, sometimes accompanied by their children, would show up, their checks would be deposited, and they'd never be heard from again. When I hear your name mentioned, and this is when one of the dear children speaks of you, or I hear myself humming it with the words of an old love song, it is beautiful music to my ears. Prairie Ghosts We know from the Guinness Book of World Records that the first twelve editions listed Belle Gunness' body count as twenty-eight "the greatest number of murders ever ascribed to a modern. Gunness caught Bruce's attention as a young girl who grew up just north of Selbu. You wish to know where your brother keeps himself, Gunness wrote to Asle. Well this is just what I would like to know but it almost seems impossible for me to give a definite answer.. 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. Her victims were primarily men that Gunness convinced to come to her property with the promise of marriage. Belle Gunness was born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway on November 11, 1859. He raced to town to get help, but by the time it arrived, the house was already in smoking ruins. Belle did indeed become wealthy, but not because she earned the money honestly. YouTubeRay Lamphere, the ex-handyman of Belle Gunness. General Information Sex Female Race White Number of victims 16 further plus 12 possible equals 28 [citation needed] Bechly attempted to convince Schell to allow him to publish this later confession, but was denied by both Schell and Schell's wife. She would spike their coffee, bash their heads in, cut up their bodies, and put them in sacks, he explained. They had four children together but two allegedly died of acute colitis. In the end, she was awarded $8,500 (about $240,000 today), with which she bought a farm on the outskirts of La Porte, Indiana. Lamphere was later linked to the fire at Gunness farm. No replies by letter considered unless sender is willing to follow answer with a personal visit. She immigrated to the United States, where she lured her victims to her remote farm in Indiana. Soon enough, the shop burned down, and the couple collected a nice insurance payment. The will was completed, leaving her estate to her children. It was reported that both the boat and carriage houses burned to the ground shortly after she acquired the property. When they failed to hear from him after that, the family contacted Gunness. The woman in the fire was approximately 5 3 tall and weighed about 125 pounds, significantly smaller than Belle Gunness. Belle Gunness. By the time her crimes were discovered at her burnt-out pig farm in 1908, her tally of victims had risen to at least 12, and possibly as high as 40. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in the small fishing village of Selbu in Norway on November 11 1859. Her foster mother initially claimed that shed been sent to school in California. The couple collected the insurance money and bought a new home. Mrs. She may have killed both of her husbands and all of her children (on different occasions), but she is known to have killed . .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. That man is out to get me, Gunness told the attorney. 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. He confided to a neighboring farmer on one occasion: Helgelien wont bother me no more. Her family lived as tenants on a small farm owned by the Storseth family. No explanation was provided for what happened to the body's head. He was found guilty of arson, but cleared of murder. But in reality, she was a serial killer who murdered at least 14 people. La Porte County Historical Society Museum. A watch corresponding to one belonging to Gurholdt was found with a body. Next, Belle presented herself to a lawyer in La Porte named M.E. Over 40 victims had been found, including lovers, her husbands, and even her own children. Belle wore the finest clothing on those occasions, and her hair was adorned in the latest style. She also chloroformed her children, smothered them to death, and carried them to the basement. Eerily, in 1931, a woman named Esther Carlson was arrested in Los Angeles for poisoning a Norwegian-American man and attempting to steal his money. She changed her name to Bella Petersen and worked for a time as a servant girl before getting . [11] Further investigation unearthed the partial remains of at least 11 additional people on the Gunness property. At other times, she would wait for the suitor to go to bed and then enter the bedroom by candlelight and chloroformed her sleeping victim. He tried to rouse the lady of the house, the towering Belle Poulsdatter Sorenson Gunness, and he called the names of her . His watch was found in Lampheres possession. Where was Belle Gunness born? 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. She likely . One man, George Anderson, managed to escape with his life when he realized Gunness had murder on her mind. The couple claimed the insurance money for both. Most famous serial killers are men, but Belle was a woman. A hired man from Ohio, age 50, name unknown, is alleged to have disappeared, and Gunness became the heir to his horse and buggy. They then found the small bodies of two unidentified children. Belle Gunness stood six foot tall and had a hard look to her strong face. . These filled-in holes, Gunness had told Maxson, contained rubbish. In May 1908, after fire destroyed a LaPorte farmhouse, police made a gruesome discovery. She was also known as Hell's Belle, the . The First Victim In 1884, Gunness married MadsDitlev Anton Sorenson in Chicago who soon owned an . Director Duncan Roy Writers Katie L. Fetting (screenplay) Duncan Roy (story) Stars Elizabeth Hurley Jeremy Sisto Oliver Tobias Belle Sorenson Gunness (born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth, November 11, 1859, Selbu, Norway- April 28, 1908 La Porte, Indiana) was one of America's most prolific known female serial killers. Bell Gunness killed more than ___ people over several decades. [citation needed] The second account is based on the report that Lamphere contacted a Reverend Edwin Schell and provided him with a verbal confession that Schell transcribed and had Lamphere sign, a document that Schell kept sealed in his personal safe. Once dead, she decapitated the body, tied weights to the head, and disposed of it in a swamp. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. [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. Her suitors were her next victims, each of whom brought cash to her farm and then disappeared forever: John Moo, Henry Gurholdt, Olaf Svenherud, Ole B. Budsburg, Olaf Lindbloom, Andrew Hegelein, to name just a few. Whether Gunness died in the fire or escaped remained uncertain, although the sheriff blamed a Chicago American reporter for inventing the "escaped" story. This Norwegian-American had insured her first husband and two of her children before. She was confirmed at the Church of Norway in 1874. [9], Two babies in Gunness' home died from inflammation of the large intestine, which can result from poisoning. And she was different in another way as well. 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. These were lonely Norwegian bachelors, many completely cut off from their families. Belle Gunness, the twice-widowed Norwegian American who placed the ad, was a murderer for profit. Story by Thomas Duke, 1910 . 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. [4] Gunness seemingly died in a fire in 1908, but it is popularly believed that she faked her death. Although no one ever saw Moe again, a carpenter who did occasional work for Gunness observed that Moe's trunk remained in her house, along with more than a dozen others. Her birth name was Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset. In addition to three . Standing six feet tall (183cm) and weighing over 200 pounds (91kg), she was a physically strong woman. Frank Riedinger, a farmer of Waukesha, Wisconsin, came to Indiana in 1907 to marry and never returned. On July 30, 1900, Albert Sorenson died on the one day his two life insurance policies overlapped. Belle Gunness was born Brynild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 near Selbu, Norway. Afterward, the locals said that Brynhilds personality drastically changed. Maybe Belle Gunness needed money. Belle Gunness probably murdered between 11 and 42 people. However, by the time anyone suspected Gunness in their deaths, they'd been dead for decades and their suspected murderer had vanished. In what may be a rather cruel bit of irony, some of her letters invited the men to "come prepared to stay forever," according to SyFy. She changed her name to Belle in 1881 when she came to the United States. Gunness is a rare female serial killer-for-profit, although she seems to have had other motives as well. One man who helped her move in later claimed that he saw her lift a 300-pound piano all by herself. According to The New York Post, eight months after their marriage, Peter was dead. Inside The Vigilante Killing Of Jeff Doucet, The Pedophile Shot By His Victim's Father, This 2,700-Year-Old Toilet Suggests Ancient Elites In Jerusalem Suffered From Life-Long Parasitic Infections, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. 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. 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. And some estimate that she may have killed as many as 40 victims. He showed up in hopes of finding his brother. But many couldnt help but notice that she bore a striking resemblance to Gunness and even had a photograph of kids who looked a lot like Gunness children. Just one week after the ceremony, Peters infant daughter died of uncertain causes while alone in the house with Belle. They also found the body of a headless woman who, at first, they assumed was Belle Gunness. The investigators began to sift through the debris, and a piece of bridgework was found; the dentist identified it as work done for Gunness. A few days after Helgelien arrived, he and Gunness appeared at the Savings Bank in La Porte and deposited the check. Gunness emigrated to the United States in February 1901 together with her two children, Myrtle and Lucy. It remains unconfirmed when and where Belle Gunness actually died. After reading about Belle Gunness, take a look at Judy Buenoano, another infamous black widow serial killer. What is certain is that she murdered most of her boyfriends and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. Several more unexplained deaths followed, including the infant daughter of her new husband, Peter Gunness, followed by Peter Gunness himself. Belle Gunness may or may not be one of America's most prolific serial killers. Over the next several decades, Gunness was allegedly sighted in various cities nationwide. [7], Peter died eight months later due to a skull injury. 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. A different man came nearly every week to stay at the house. The Line-UP But as was the case with the candy store, Gunness and Sorenson were able to pocket the insurance money. Little is known about her early life. According to one census report, they also had a foster child named Jennie living with them. One common, but unverified story, says that when she was about 18 years old, she was pregnant and attended a country dance. [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. Soon enough, Gunness was depositing checks brought by her suitors, while the lovelorn men were never heard from again. 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. Belles husbands death netted her another $3,000 (about $81,000 today). Before long, Gunness and Helgelien began exchanging romantic letters. Meanwhile, Asle Helgelien had read about the fire in the newspaper. Carlson died on May 6, 1931, while awaiting trial. Belle insisted that a meat grinder had fallen on his head, crushing his skull. Soon afterward, Olsen vanished. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. When authorities dug around the hog pens and other places on the farm, they found the mutilated remains of several more men and children. 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. [22][pageneeded] Spectators came from across the country to see the mass graves, and concessions and souvenirs were sold. A brother of Miss Jennie Graham of Waukesha, Wisconsin, who had left her to marry a wealthy widow in La Porte but vanished. The pair exchanged many letters until a letter arrived that overwhelmed Helgelien, written in Gunness careful handwriting and dated January 13, 1908. Shutterstock. Gunness left her attorneys office. . She got away without a trace and it's still a mystery as to where she went today. This is what is known, and what is suspected, about the number of victims serial killer Belle Gunness had. 2. 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. Belle began putting the following ad in out-of-state newspapers: "Comely widow who owns a large farm in one of the finest districts in La . It does not take one long to tell when to like a person, and you I like better than anyone in the world, I know. [1] Two people who had known Gunness claimed to recognize her from photographs in her possession, but the identification was never proved. Asle Helgelien didn't believe Belle Gunness' claims that his brother, missing for months after answering the widow's lonely . She married her first husband, Mads Sorenson, three years later in 1884. . Though the authorities investigated, the formidable Belle was so convincing that no charges were ever filed. Lamphere was found guilty of arson but acquitted of murder in the end. The family of one of Belle's victims gave Nawrocki and his team an envelope sent from the LaPorte . Taking in the grizzly scene, he immediately concluded that the fire was not accidental but arson and murder. The former handyman also stated that Belle had become a very rich woman. 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. She contended that he posed a threat to her family and had Lamphere arrested for trespassing. John Moe of Elbow Lake, Minnesota. He told the Sheriff that Gunness had ordered him to bring loads of dirt by wheelbarrow to a large area surrounded by a high wire fence where the hogs were fed. 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. He never returned for his belongings, nor did he ever speak to Gunness again. But the men who came to her farm would not have a life to enjoy for very long. In 1906, Belle Gunness connected with her final victim. Emil Tell, a Swede from Kansas City, Missouri, is alleged to have gone o La Porte in 1907. Ay like music at home, she supposedly said, by way of explanation. But after Andrew Helgelien stopped answering letters, his brother Asle got worried and demanded answers. Adopted daughter Jennie Olsen. Had Belle Gunness committed . Stephanie Brooks. Biography claims that the remains of at least 40 men and children were found on Gunness' farm. socioeconomic status. Several middle-aged men of means responded to Gunness ads, and within no time, Belle was often seen going for carriage rides with strangers on Sunday afternoons. Belle was a serial killer who killed between 25 and 40 people from 1884 to 1908 before disappearing without a trace In the world of serial killers, Belle was unique. They collected on life insurance policies for both children. Whether Gunness died in that fire remains unclear. 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. Answer with a body partial remains of at least 40 men and children were found on property. Herself to a lawyer in La Porte in 1907 than Belle Gunness with... Quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his clothes a hard look to her family as!, tied weights to the United States in La Porte, Indiana a life to enjoy for very.... Of Selbu convinced to come to her property with the candy store, was... 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