Those that could be identified included: The unidentified bodies and unsolved mysteries that would emerge from these ruins would make headlines across the Midwest. Little is known about her early life. 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. She then dragged the corpse to the basement, dressed it in her own clothing, removed her false teeth, and placed them beside the headless corpse to ensure it would be identified as Belle Gunness. Best Known For: Serial killer Belle Gunness is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. Workers sifting through the debris discovered four bodies in the basement later in the day. The following week, while Peter was out of the house, his infant daughter died of unknown causes in Belle's care. A series of suspicious fires and deaths (mostly resulting in insurance awards) followed. Ted Bundy's reason for killing. He was found guilty of arson, but cleared of murder. Hells Belle Gunness was Americas most degenerate female serial killer in history, who likely killed both her husbands and all of her children. Hunting Humans: The Rise of Modern Multiple Murder examined the _____ _____ of serial murders. 4) What were the first documented crimes connected to Belle Gunness? But she also became somewhat of a legend, shrouded in mystery, revenge and money. She was also known as Hell's Belle, the . As they began turning the earth, they found four bodies- skillfully sliced apart and wrapped in oilcloth. A well-built woman with six feet height and over 90 90 kg, Belle immigrated to the US in 1881. He disappeared from her farm within a week of his arrival. 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. And she was different in another way as well. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. Reported other unnamed victims may have been: Bones and Body parts found at the Gunness farm. Just one week after the ceremony, Peters infant daughter died of uncertain causes while alone in the house with Belle. He showed up in hopes of finding his brother. (Eerily, the symptoms of this disease were quite similar to poisoning.). 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. It is believed the couple produced two children whom Gunness poisoned in infancy for the insurance money. 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. They had four children together but two allegedly died of acute colitis. On April 27, 1908, Belle Gunness went to see an attorney in La Porte. Years after Gunness supposed demise, rumors surfaced that she may have faked her own death to escape potential capture. The story of Indiana's first documented serial killer, Belle Gunness. He pled innocent to all charges, his defense hinging on the assertion that the body was not Gunness. Then, on July 30, 1900, tragedy struck again. The first doctor to see him thought he had suffered from strychnine poisoning. 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. Over 40 victims had been found, including lovers, her husbands, and even her own children. Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset, better known as Belle Gunness is a Norwegian-American serial killer who targeted men who showed interest in marrying her. 4/27/1908 49 Belle writes last will and testament. She likely . [7], John Moe of Minnesota answered Gunness's ad in 1906. Investigators search for more bodies on Belle Gunnesss farm after the initial discoveries in 1908. He did. Belle with three of her children, likely Myrtle, Lucy, and Philip. 35: Belle Gunness. Belle Gunness, born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth (November 11, 1859 [3] - possibly April 28, 1908), nicknamed Hell's Belle, [1] was a Norwegian-American serial killer who was active in Illinois and Indiana between 1884 and 1908. In May 1908, after fire destroyed a LaPorte farmhouse, police made a gruesome discovery. Despite the arrest, Lamphere returned again and again to see her, but she drove him away. [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. Gunness, the youngest of 8 children, grew up on a cotter's farm in Innbygda, Selbu. [7] Reported "sightings" of Gunness in the Chicago area continued long after she was declared dead. Belle Gunness's First Husband. However, she never went to the police to tell them about Lampheres allegedly life-threatening statements. Curiously, the corpse itself seemed to be much too small to be hers. These filled-in holes, Gunness had told Maxson, contained rubbish. But did Lamphere actually cause the fire? My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Andrew, I love you. In late 1906 Belle told neighbors that her foster daughter, Jennie Olsen, had gone away to a Lutheran College in Los Angeles. Jennies body would later be found buried on her adoptive mothers property. 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. She was called a serial killer because she killed men . She contended that he posed a threat to her family and had Lamphere arrested for trespassing. After murdering her two husbands, the Norwegian-American woman posted ads in the paper looking for men to invest in her farm. Though her husbands family demanded an inquiry, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband to collect on the insurance, no charges were filed. 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. [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. Their home had also burned down, and both instances granted the couple insurance payouts. An older sister, likely named Nellie, emigrated to the United States in the early 1880s. Lamphere was found guilty of arson but acquitted of murder in the end. Shutterstock. Gunness dried her tears and collected her husbands life insurance policy. In 1906, Belle Gunness connected with her final victim. Three were identified as her foster children. Meanwhile, neighbors noted that Gunness had begun to spend an unusual amount of time at her hog pen at night. A few weeks later, a reverend came forward with Lampheres confession before he died. In response to her letter, Helgelien rushed to her side in January 1908. Anderson was so startled by the ravenous expression in Gunness eyes that he left immediately. And some estimate that she may have killed as many as 40 victims. 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. He had with him a check for $2,900, his savings, which he had drawn from his local bank. Carlson died on May 6, 1931, while awaiting trial. Most of the remains found on the property could not be identified. Lamphere was later linked to the fire at Gunness 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. 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. Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, List of serial killers in the United States, List of serial killers by number of victims, "Kirkebker: SAT, Ministerialprotokoller, klokkerbker og fdselsregistre - Sr-Trndelag, 695/L1147: Ministerialbok nr. She wanted the ground made level, so he filled in the depressions. Thomas Lindboe had left Chicago and had gone to work as a hired man for Gunness three years earlier. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. To lure her last victim, Gunness wrote: My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Andrew, I love you. She killed seven men between the years 1989-1990 on Florida's highways. Older children (Caroline and Axel) die in infancy, and also from abdominal pain. 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. 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. Gunness was back a few days later to complain to the sheriff that Lamphere had visited her farm and argued with her. And shortly after he arrived, Gunness killed him and buried his dismembered body in her hog pen, alongside other corpses. Belle Gunness left Chicago with her daughters Myrtle and Lucy, along with a foster daughter named Jennie Olsen. A few days after Helgelien arrived, he and Gunness appeared at the Savings Bank in La Porte and deposited the check. 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. [24][25], Method, a 2004 film starring Elizabeth Hurley as Rebecca who is portraying Gunness in a film within the film, being shot in Romania. 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. [9], Two babies in Gunness' home died from inflammation of the large intestine, which can result from poisoning. 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. If you're curious to learn more about her, read on to discover the . [13] The brother of one victim had warned Gunness that he might arrive at the farm shortly to investigate his brother's disappearance. [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. Belle Gunness. Bell Gunness killed more than ___ people over several decades. Gunness wrote back, telling Asle Helgelien that his brother was not at her farm and probably went to Norway to visit relatives. At first, Belle told the police that Peter had been reaching for his slippers in the kitchen when he was scalded near the stove. Prairie Ghosts She was confirmed at the Church of Norway in 1874. [20] The inconsistencies between the two confessions, including the matter of the survival of Belle Gunness, remain historical issues that are not fully resolved. Soon afterward, Olsen vanished. Female Indiana serial killer, the 'comely' Belle Gunness, loved her suitors to death. However, he had helped Belle bury many of her victims. Their life together seemed to be marked by tragedy. Or maybe she had developed a taste for murder. According to The New York Post, eight months after their marriage, Peter was dead. Belle insisted that a meat grinder had fallen on his head, crushing his skull. Born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway, Brynhild was the youngest daughter of eight children born of stonemason, Paul Pedersen Strseth, and Berit Olsdatter. He confided to a neighboring farmer on one occasion: Helgelien wont bother me no more. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. What is certain is that she murdered most of her boyfriends and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. . The district coroner reviewed the case, unequivocally announced that he had been murdered, and convened a coroners jury to look into the matter. In 1893, Belle met and married Mads Sorenson. Four bodies were found at the Gunness farm. These were lonely Norwegian bachelors, many completely cut off from their families. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. For a while, Helgelien assisted police as they sorted through the rubble. I can tell from your letters that you are the man I want. As the investigation was ongoing, Asle Helgelien arrived in La Porte from South Dakota and told Sheriff Smutzer that he believed his brother, Andrew, had met with foul play at Gunnesss hands. I think of you constantly. He admitted to a fellow inmate that he and Gunness had killed 42 men together. She is often referred to as Hell's Belle and authorities eventually found the remains of over forty victims on her farm property. She was never tracked down and her death has never been confirmed. Biography claims that the remains of at least 40 men and children were found on Gunness' farm. A hired man from Ohio, age 50, name unknown, is alleged to have disappeared, and Gunness became the heir to his horse and buggy. She murdered over 40 people between 1884 and 1908 (1). Lamphere would not be enough for Belle. 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. His name was Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, and he didn't know it yet, but he was going to be Gunness' first known victim. Simmons is a forensic anthropologist who investigated the Belle Gunness case. Lamphere also cleared up the mysterious question of the headless female corpse found in the smoking ruins of Gunness home. Daniel Rennie is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne, Australia. [4] Gunness seemingly died in a fire in 1908, but it is popularly believed that she faked her death. Also counted was an adopted 10-year-old girl, identified as Morgan Couch, but who was later known as Jennie Olsen. . This photo dates to about 1904. She also seemed to spend a lot of money on wooden trunks which witnesses said she could lift like a box of marshmallows. Meanwhile, men showed up one by one at her door and then kept vanishing without a trace. 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. One read: Personal comely widow who owns a large farm in one of the finest districts in La Porte County, Indiana, desires to make the acquaintance of a gentleman equally well provided, with view of joining fortunes. [7], Gunness began placing marriage ads in Chicago newspapers in 1905. She hit him with a meat cleaver and he died. Source: The Indianapolis News, 8 May 1908. After they had corresponded for several months, Moe travelled to La Porte and withdrew a large amount of cash. As days progressed and the gruesome work continued, one body after another was discovered in Gunness hog pen. She suggested that maybe Andrew Helgelien had gone to Chicago or perhaps back to Norway. Strangely, that date represented the last day of Sorensons life insurance policy as well as the first day of his new policy. The local dentist then stepped in, stating that he could make an identification if any dental work could be found. In her reply, Belle offered true love and a life of wedded bliss but also mentioned a quick $1,000 that she needed to pay off a mortgage. 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. Lords, 52, found her early claim-to-farm in the adult film. [2] She killed most of her suitors and boyfriends, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. He moved to La Porte, Indiana on January 3, 1908 to be with Belle Gunness. 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. But the men who came to her farm would not have a life to enjoy for very long. Some documented serial killers from history, we know very little about. Not Only Was Belle Gunness America's First Female Serial Killer, But She Just Had To Live In Indiana. Born on November 11, 1859, Belle Gunness, often known as "Hell's Belle," was a Norwegian-American serial murderer who operated in Illinois and Indiana between 1884 and 1908. In fact, the farmhand did. 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. Four bodies were found inside the house the headless corpse of a woman and three children. She married her first husband, Mads Sorenson, three years later in 1884. . The confession of Ray Lamphere is a physical document that was witnessed by Chicago Tribune reporter Edward Bechly the first weeks of January 1910. But once the tide turns away from Belle Sorensen of Gunness. On-site was County Sheriff Albert Smutzer, who had heard about Lampheres alleged threats. 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. They collected on life insurance policies for both children. How many are known? [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". Henry Gurholdt of Scandinavia, Wisconsin, had gone to wed her a year earlier, taking $1,500. Billed as "based on a true story," Tom Logan is directing the film, which stars Traci Lords cast as the murderous Belle Gunness. 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. Soon enough, Gunness was depositing checks brought by her suitors, while the lovelorn men were never heard from again. He raced to town to get help, but by the time it arrived, the house was already in smoking ruins. The number murdered was estimated to be as many as 40. YouTubeRay Lamphere, the ex-handyman of Belle Gunness. In addition to three . Belle explained that Peter reached for something on a high shelf and a meat grinder fell on him, smashing his skull. This is what is known, and what is suspected, about the number of victims serial killer Belle Gunness had. 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. He was jealous of the many men who arrived at court his employer and had endured most of these attentive strangers up to this time. An autopsy was considered unnecessary because the death was not thought suspicious. The couple claimed the insurance money for both. 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. 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. 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. Lamphere was quickly charged with murder and arson, and police began to search the farm grounds, hoping to find Gunness head. In his statement, he revealed the details of Gunness crimes and swore she was still alive. [citation needed][14] However, a separate newspaper published a story with speculation regarding the second Lamphere confession. Female Serial Killer Belle Gunness . Afterward, the locals said that Brynhilds personality drastically changed. Further, so many bodies were found on the farm that police "stopped counting," according to SyFy. 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. The investigators began to sift through the debris, and a piece of bridgework was found; the dentist identified it as work done for Gunness. Two people who had known Gunness claimed to recognize her from photographs in her possession, but the identification was never proved. Gunness deflected. He opened the hall door to a sheet of flames and screamed Gunnesss name and those of her children but got no response. Maxson said there were many deep depressions in the ground covered by dirt. On April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana. What was most likely the reason for these crimes? John Moe of Elbow Lake, Minnesota. To outsiders, Belle Gunness might have looked like a lonely widow who lived in the American Midwest during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Early clues pointing to an accomplice assisting Belle in her murderous schemes first surfaced when one Julius G. Truelson, Jr., the son of an upstate New York piano manufacturer, told Ralph N. Smith, LaPorte prosecuting attorney from the 2nd Judicial District, that he had arranged for Belle to kill his new bride. Three years later she would find her first victim, a man named Mads Sorenson. 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. Meanwhile, a man named Asle Helgelien had found correspondence between his brother, Andrew, and Gunness. 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