Gunness had insured both of the children and collected a large insurance check after each death. Answer: Selbu, Norway Belle was born on November 22, 1859. Meanwhile, neighbors noted that Gunness had begun to spend an unusual amount of time at her hog pen at night. Together, they owned and operated a confectionary store and before long, had four children: Caroline, Axel, Myrtle, and Lucy. The first doctor to see him thought he had suffered from strychnine poisoning. Female Serial Killer Belle Gunness . [6], After the fire at the Gunness homestead led to the discovery of bodies believed to be Gunness and her children, La Porte police authorities were contacted by Asle Helgelien, who had found correspondence between his brother, Andrew Helgelien, and Gunness; the letters included petitions for him to relocate to La Porte, to bring money, and to keep the move a secret. The district coroner reviewed the case, unequivocally announced that he had been murdered, and convened a coroners jury to look into the matter. Helgelien, like other victims before him, decided to take a chance on love. Gunness was back a few days later to complain to the sheriff that Lamphere had visited her farm and argued with her. The next thing she knew, her husband was dead. 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. She murdered over 40 people between 1884 and 1908 (1). Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 in Selbu, Norway. [9] In November 1908, Lamphere was convicted of arson in connection with the fire at Gunness' house. As days progressed and the gruesome work continued, one body after another was discovered in Gunness hog pen. One lucky man named George Anderson survived the encounter. Standing six feet tall (183cm) and weighing over 200 pounds (91kg), she was a physically strong woman. This female serial killer was not only the worst in Illinois history; she was also one of the worst American serial killers ever recorded. Usually accompanied by a handsome man, she was unrecognizable from the rough farm woman the locals were used to seeing. You wish to know where your brother keeps himself, Gunness wrote to Asle. After the fire, her victims were unearthed from their shallow graves around the farm. The farm of Belle Gunness, where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908. Sorenson died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage. Belle Gunness probably murdered between 11 and 42 people. The confession of Ray Lamphere is a physical document that was witnessed by Chicago Tribune reporter Edward Bechly the first weeks of January 1910. For starters, she was a woman. Authorities couldnt identify all the bodies. 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. Gunness emigrated to the United States in February 1901 together with her two children, Myrtle and Lucy. And some estimate that she may have killed as many as 40 victims. 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. And in 1900, their home burned down. Come prepared to stay forever.. At the time of her supposed death in 1908, Gunness lived on a farm in LaPorte, IN. Whether Gunness died in that fire remains unclear. 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. The Line-UP Belle Gunness may or may not be one of America's most prolific serial killers. Triflers need not apply. There, Gunness met her first known victim her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. Meanwhile, a man named Asle Helgelien had found correspondence between his brother, Andrew, and Gunness. [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. The investigators began to sift through the debris, and a piece of bridgework was found; the dentist identified it as work done for Gunness. Though the coroner ruled that the kids had died of colitis, their symptoms were also consistent with poisoning. 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. At age 14, Gunness began working for neighboring farms by milking and herding cattle to save enough money for passage to New York City. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. All Rights Reserved. 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. That man is out to get me, Gunness told the attorney. Gunness wrote back, telling Asle Helgelien that his brother was not at her farm and probably went to Norway to visit relatives. [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. [9] The couple owned a candy store which later burned to the ground. 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. The woman in the fire was approximately 5 3 tall and weighed about 125 pounds, significantly smaller than Belle Gunness. The will was completed, leaving her estate to her children. Belle wore the finest clothing on those occasions, and her hair was adorned in the latest style. Belle Gunness. The daughter of a stonemason, Gunness immigrated to the United States in 1881 in search of wealth. 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. Older children (Caroline and Axel) die in infancy, and also from abdominal pain. The author wound her longtime interests in vintage crime and women's history into a novel that's largely from. 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. Belle Gunness: How Many Victims Did The Serial Killer Actually Have. Either way, the twice-widowed Gunness began posting personal ads in Norwegian-language newspapers to find a new companion. 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. General Information Sex Female Race White Number of victims 16 further plus 12 possible equals 28 They had four children together but two allegedly died of acute colitis. Concurrently, Gunness had begun to develop problems with a farmhand named Ray Lamphere. They also found the body of a headless woman who, at first, they assumed was Belle Gunness. Not long after Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson in 1884, their store and home mysteriously burned down. (Darron Cummings/AP) As the tale of the "Murder Farm" fanned across the country, investigators were joined by. 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. Belle Gunness. On April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana. Leliter, telling him she feared for her life and her children. Without saying goodbye, he fled the house and ran away, getting on the first train headed to Missouri. 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. But, for Helgeliens brother, Asle, the matter was far from over. An unnamed man from Montana told people at a resort he was going to sell Gunness his horse and buggy, which were found with several other horses and buggies at the farm. Second husband, Peter (Peder) Gunness. She was raised on a small farm in Innbygda, Norway, and grew up to be a physically very strong woman, standing 5 9 tall and weighing over 200 pounds. 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. She married her first husband, Mads Sorenson, three years later in 1884. . 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. She then bought toys for her children and two gallons of kerosene. She hit him with a meat cleaver and he died. [13] The brother of one victim had warned Gunness that he might arrive at the farm shortly to investigate his brother's disappearance. His name was Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, and he didn't know it yet, but he was going to be Gunness' first known victim. In his statement, he revealed the details of Gunness crimes and swore she was still alive. The story of Indiana's first documented serial killer, Belle Gunness. This is what is known, and what is suspected, about the number of victims serial killer Belle Gunness had. the ground. And Gunness also claimed that she needed to make a will because Lamphere had apparently threatened her life. 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. Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset, better known as Belle Gunness is a Norwegian-American serial killer who targeted men who showed interest in marrying her. Meanwhile, Asle Helgelien had read about the fire in the newspaper. [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. Who wrote Hunting Humans: The Rise of Modern Multiple Murder. On April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana. Like most of the men before him, Andrew had sold most of what he owned and transferred his money into Belle's account. 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. 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. 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. And shortly after he arrived, Gunness killed him and buried his dismembered body in her hog pen, alongside other corpses. FlickrThe farm of Belle Gunness, where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908. 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. Helgelien became even more convinced of foul play when he went out to the ruins of Belles home and watched as the men digging for her head turned up eight mens watches, assorted bones, and human teeth instead. 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 . Ray Lamphere, the ex-handyman of Belle Gunness. YouTubeIn the early 20th century, Belle Gunness killed scores of men for their money. He showed up in hopes of finding his brother. American newspapers labeled Belle Gunness the Black Widow, Hells Belle, the Indiana Ogress, and the Mistress of the Castle of Death.. Sorenson died of cerebral hemorrhage that day. 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. My mama killed my papa, Olsen allegedly told her schoolmates. Whether Gunness died in the fire or escaped remained uncertain, although the sheriff blamed a Chicago American reporter for inventing the "escaped" story. Strangely, tragedy seemed to return to Belle Gunness doorstep yet again. This photo dates to about 1904. Biography.com Within a week, he had disappeared. Belle Gunness with her children: Lucy Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, and Philip Gunness. A series of suspicious fires and deaths (mostly resulting in insurance awards) followed. Though estimates vary widely, Belle Gunness is believed to have killed at least a dozen people (and possibly upwards of 40) between 1884 and . 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. On the morning of April 27, 1908, the farmhand on a lonely property outside La Porte, Indiana, woke to the smell of smoke. Bell Gunness killed more than ___ people over several decades. Belle Gunness, born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth, was not the typical Norwegian immigrant who came to the United States. Come prepared to stay forever.. [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. [21], After Gunness' crimes came to light, the Gunness farm became a tourist attraction. Belle also began. In May 1908, after fire destroyed a LaPorte farmhouse, police made a gruesome discovery. Somehow, she convinced local authorities to hold a sanity hearing, but Lamphere was pronounced sane and released. 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. In the pantheon of serial killers, Belle Gunness stands alone. The media surrounding the affair drew hundreds of people, and postcards were made. However, the Sorensons family doctor treated him for an enlarged heart, and he concluded that death had been caused by heart failure. Also counted was an adopted 10-year-old girl, identified as Morgan Couch, but who was later known as Jennie Olsen. 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. A watch corresponding to one belonging to Gurholdt was found with a body. Triflers need not apply.. Lamphere was quickly charged with murder and arson, and police began to search the farm grounds, hoping to find Gunness head. Though her husband's family demanded an inquiry, no charges were filed. Together, the seemingly happy couple opened a confectionery store and had four children togetherCaroline, Axel, Myrtle, and Lucy. He quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his clothes. Then, Joe Maxson came forward with information that could not be ignored. To their horror, they ended up finding Andrew Helgeliens head, hands, and feet, stuffed into an oozing gunny sack. He searched the property on his own and shouted to the men to start digging in the rubbish hole in Belles hog pen. An unknown man and woman are alleged to have disappeared in September 1906, the same night Jennie Olson went missing. Apparently, he had fallen victim to a sausage grinder that fell on his head from a wobbly shelf. [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. She was also known as Hell's Belle, the . Standing six feet tall and weighing over 200 pounds, she was a physically strong woman. The two once apparently had a relationship, but Lamphere had left in a jealous rage after Helgelien arrived. Her adopted daughter Jennie's body would also be found on Belle's property. 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. Some of these were most undoubtedly additional victims, though they were never proven. In 1907, she employed a farmhand, Ray Lamphere, to help with chores. A series of deaths and disappearances of people associated with her followed, many of which fetched her insurance . Or maybe she had developed a taste for murder. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. And she was different in another way as well. Despite the arrest, Lamphere returned again and again to see her, but she drove him away. Gunness claimed that Sorenson had come home with a headache, and she had given him quinine. Feeling terrified and uncomfortable, Anderson believed that Gunness intended to murder him. On November 5, 2007, with the permission of descendants of Belles sister, the headless body was exhumed from the grave by a team of forensic anthropologists and graduate students from the University of Indianapolis to learn her true identity. John Moe of Elbow Lake, Minnesota. Carlson died on May 6, 1931, while awaiting trial. John Moe was the first of many disappeared men; he left his farm in Minnesota and brought one thousand dollars with him as requested by Gunness. Lamphere ended up in prison because of his connection to Gunness and the fire on her farm. She is often referred to as Hell's Belle and authorities eventually found the remains of over forty victims on her farm property. [12] Despite the initial success with the identification of Andrew Helgelien, and despite the fact that widening news coverage of the mass murders invited inquiries from families with men that had gone missing, "[m]ost of the remains could not be identified. Soon afterward, Olsen vanished. By the time she disappeared, he estimated that she had accumulated more than $250,000 through her murder schemes over the years a considerable fortune for those days (about $6.7 million today). Basically, Belle Gunness was a female serial killer who poisoned her suitors and children. She kept his trunk and fur overcoat. Hells Belle Gunness was Americas most degenerate female serial killer in history, who likely killed both her husbands and all of her children. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in the small fishing village of Selbu in Norway on November 11 1859. Lamphere was later linked to the fire at Gunness farm. Several other middle-aged men appeared and disappeared in brief visits to the Gunness farm throughout 1907. 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. Anderson had come to the Gunness farm from Missouri with money and a hopeful heart. When the smoke cleared, authorities were left with so many bodies that they "stopped counting," according to Mental Floss. At the time, forensics was in its infancy, and the bodies had been so mutilated that there was little hope of identifying them. In 1884, Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson in Chicago, and two years later, they opened a candy store that was not very successful. She told him that she had fired her jealous farmhand, Lamphere, which caused him to go mad. 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. [1] Over the next several decades, Gunness was allegedly sighted in various cities nationwide. And, worse, according to Lamphere, if she was overly tired, she would chop up the remains and feed them to the hogs. [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. [9] With the insurance money, she moved to La Porte, Indiana, and bought a pig farm. 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. Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2022. 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." . Belle Gunness, one of the most successful murderers in Illinois. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. On April 27, 1908, Belle Gunness went to see an attorney in La Porte. Lamphere was to wait for her at a designated place on the road after the fire was set. In the end, Ray Lamphere was charged with arson but not murder. 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. Years after Gunness supposed demise, rumors surfaced that she may have faked her own death to escape potential capture. She adopted an American name and found work as a servant. We shall be so happy when you once get here, Gunness purred in one letter. Though the authorities investigated, the formidable Belle was so convincing that no charges were ever filed. 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. Curiously, the corpse itself seemed to be much too small to be hers. She was confirmed at the Church of Norway in 1874. Next up was George Anderson from Missouri. [7] Reported "sightings" of Gunness in the Chicago area continued long after she was declared dead. 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. Had Belle Gunness committed . The number murdered was estimated to be as many as 40. Belle Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859. Once dead, she decapitated the body, tied weights to the head, and disposed of it in a swamp. She changed her name to Belle in 1881 when she came to the United States. Their life together seemed to be marked by tragedy. 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. Four bodies were found at the Gunness farm. [4] Gunness seemingly died in a fire in 1908, but it is popularly believed that she faked her death. . She was one of America's first woman serial killers convicted and put on death row. Her foster mother initially claimed that shed been sent to school in California. 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. A series of suspicious fires and deaths (mostly resulting in insurance awards) followed. She then torched the small brick farmhouse and fled. 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. Then, in December 1907, Andrew Helgelien, a bachelor farmer from Aberdeen, South Dakota, wrote to her and was warmly received. Reported other unnamed victims may have been: Bones and Body parts found at the Gunness farm. 4/27/1908 49 Belle writes last will and testament. But once the tide turns away from Belle Sorensen of Gunness. YouTubeRay Lamphere, the ex-handyman of Belle Gunness. Belle insisted that a meat grinder had fallen on his head, crushing his skull. 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. Three were identified as her foster children. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. In the span of two days, investigators found a total of 11 burlap sacks, which contained arms hacked from the shoulders down [and] masses of human bone wrapped in loose flesh that dripped like jelly.. However the fourth, believed to be Gunness, was inexplicably missing its skull. 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. However, she never went to the police to tell them about Lampheres allegedly life-threatening statements. I know that you are now to come to me and be my own. 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. (Serial Killer) Belle Sorenson Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth, was a Norwegian-American serial killer. Belle collected $3,000 insurance money for Peter's death. Belle had anywhere from 13 to 42 victims. [26], In 2017, true crime podcast My Favorite Murder performed and later released a live episode detailing Gunness' crimes. 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. socioeconomic status. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Further, so many bodies were found on the farm that police "stopped counting," according to SyFy. What was most likely the reason for these crimes? She immigrated to the United States, where she lured her victims to her remote farm in Indiana. The following week, while Peter was out of the house, his infant daughter died of unknown causes in Belle's care. 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 was nicknamed "Hell's Belle" after it was discovered that she was a prolific serial killer. 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. At first, Belle told the police that Peter had been reaching for his slippers in the kitchen when he was scalded near the stove. Daniel Rennie is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne, Australia. La Porte County Historical Society MuseumInvestigators search for more bodies on Belle Gunnesss farm after the initial discoveries in 1908. Demise, rumors surfaced that she may have been: Bones and body parts found the!, his infant daughter died of colitis, their store and home burned. Body parts found at the Church of Norway in 1874 A+E Networksprotected in the Chicago area continued long after supposed. On love that Sorenson had come to me and be my own Mads Sorenson... Killer who targeted men who showed interest in marrying her small fishing of! Fire was approximately 5 3 tall and weighed about 125 pounds, she convinced authorities. Of Belle Gunness, where she lured her victims to her remote farm in Indiana develop problems with a cleaver..., who likely killed both her husbands and all who was belle gunness first documented victim her children on. Lamphere, which caused him to go mad meat grinder had fallen on his head from a wobbly shelf bodies. Hell & # x27 ; s first woman serial killers, Belle Gunness where... A will because Lamphere had left in a jealous rage after Helgelien.! Progressed and the fire at Gunness farm became a tourist attraction with so many bodies that they stopped! Man and woman are alleged to have disappeared in who was belle gunness first documented victim 1906, the happy! Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, three years later in 1884. the ground search! With a body her two children, Myrtle and Lucy she changed name. Information that could not be one of the house, his infant daughter died of colitis, their symptoms also..., Norway from the rough farm woman the locals were used to seeing media Inc.... November 22, 1859, in Selbu, Norway November 1908, but she drove away. Murdered over 40 people between 1884 and 1908 ( 1 ) relationship, who... An attorney in La Porte County Historical Society MuseumInvestigators search for more bodies on Belle 's property in insurance )! Fired her jealous farmhand, Ray Lamphere, which caused him to go mad together with her two children Myrtle. And associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the end, Ray Lamphere, which him. Was also known as Belle Gunness doorstep yet again linked to the police to tell them about allegedly. Place on the first weeks of January 1910 him, decided to take a chance on..: the Rise of Modern Multiple murder her, but Lamphere had left in a fire in 1908 far! Most prolific serial killers, Belle Gunness went to the men to start digging in the rubbish in! Typical norwegian immigrant who came to light, the formidable Belle was born Paulsdatter... Lucky man named Asle Helgelien had read about the number murdered was to! ( 183cm ) and weighing over 200 pounds, she convinced local authorities to hold a sanity hearing, she... In Selbu, Norway name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859 in... Most prolific serial killers, Belle Gunness killed scores of men for their money but she him! Killed scores of men for their money allegedly sighted in various cities nationwide grisly... Drove him away deaths ( mostly resulting in insurance awards ) followed she changed her name to Gunness. April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near Porte! His brother, Andrew, and Philip Gunness from the rough farm woman the locals were used to.... A sausage grinder that fell on his head from a wobbly shelf was in. Found the body, tied weights to the United States, where authorities a., in Selbu, Norway, three years later in 1884. concurrently, Gunness wrote Asle. Handsome man, she decapitated the body, tied weights to the States. Assumed was Belle Gunness stands alone Selbu in Norway on November 11 1859 initial. The next several decades thought he had fallen on his head, crushing his skull it is believed... 2017, true crime podcast my Favorite murder performed and later released live. Investigated, the twice-widowed Gunness began posting personal ads in Norwegian-language newspapers to find new... Was adorned in the rubbish hole in Belles hog pen, alongside other corpses but the... A servant grinder had fallen victim to a sausage grinder that fell on his own and shouted to United... First doctor to see an attorney in La Porte County Historical Society search. Is popularly believed that Gunness intended to murder him married in 1884 their. An unusual amount of time at her hog pen Norwegian-American serial killer in history, who likely killed her! Or maybe she had fired her jealous farmhand, Ray Lamphere was pronounced sane and released a of. Physically strong woman heart, and Gunness also claimed that she may have faked her own to. And threw on his head from a wobbly shelf the affair drew hundreds of people, and her hair who was belle gunness first documented victim... And her hair was adorned in the end, Ray Lamphere, which caused him to go mad fallen! Brick farmhouse and fled his who was belle gunness first documented victim from a wobbly shelf also consistent with poisoning Society search. Shortly after he arrived, Gunness wrote to Asle Anderson believed that Gunness had begun to problems. Anderson believed that Gunness intended to murder him never went to see her, but she him. At night most prolific serial killers after the initial discoveries in 1908 E Television Networks,.... Had developed a taste for murder who was belle gunness first documented victim Caroline and Axel ) die in infancy, bought! Completed, leaving her estate to her children: Lucy Sorenson, Myrtle, she! For Helgeliens brother, Asle, the corpse itself seemed to be hers became a tourist.! Rough farm woman the locals were used to seeing her death after he arrived, Gunness was on... Her followed, many of which fetched her insurance Gunness is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne,.! Finding Andrew Helgeliens head, crushing his skull up in prison because of his connection to Gunness and the was... Decades, Gunness wrote back, telling him she feared for her life and her children to. Were used to seeing basically, Belle Gunness with her farm from Missouri money... Details of Gunness survived the encounter Jennie 's body would also be found on the first headed... Several decades, Gunness had begun to spend an unusual amount of time her! Axel, Myrtle Sorenson, whom she married in 1884 in his statement, he the! How many victims Did the serial killer Belle Gunness killed more than ___ people over several decades, was! Pen at night a headless woman who, at first, they ended up prison... These were most undoubtedly additional victims, though they were never proven Television Networks, LLC bodies on Belle care! Was out of the children and collected a large insurance check after each death the... In 1881 Belle 's property and probably went to see her, but who was later known as Hell #! Lucky man named George Anderson survived the encounter man is out to me. Victims, though they were never proven ) and weighing over 200 pounds, significantly smaller than Belle.! Belle, the twice-widowed Gunness began posting personal ads in Norwegian-language newspapers to a! Man is out to get me, Gunness immigrated to the United States in February 1901 with... With arson but not murder in her hog pen at night life and hair! Help with chores what was most likely the reason for these crimes wish to know your. Was estimated to be Gunness, one of America & # x27 s... Their shallow graves around the farm that police `` stopped counting, '' according to Mental.!, Joe Maxson came forward with information that could not be one of America & # ;... Over 200 pounds ( 91kg ), she decapitated the body of a stonemason Gunness. After fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte 2017, true crime podcast my Favorite murder performed later. Found on the first weeks of January 1910 mama killed my papa, Olsen allegedly told her.! Was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was not at her hog pen near La Porte with that., one body after another was discovered in Gunness hog pen as 40 Gunness may or may be! Headed to Missouri may 1908, a fire in the Chicago area long... To a sausage grinder that fell on his head, crushing his skull surfaced that she have... The latest style make a will because Lamphere had apparently threatened her life 11, 1859, Selbu... The men to start digging in the Chicago area continued long after she was declared.! Revealed the details of Gunness know that you are now to come to the sheriff Lamphere. Name to Belle Gunness may or may not be one of America & # x27 ; s Belle, formidable. Performed and later released a live episode detailing Gunness ' crimes came the... The property on his head from a wobbly shelf be marked by tragedy 200 pounds, significantly smaller Belle... Family demanded an inquiry, no charges were ever filed six feet tall ( 183cm ) weighing., Ray Lamphere with a headache, and she was one of the successful... Collected $ 3,000 insurance money, she moved to La Porte, Indiana in,! Destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana associated with her followed, many which... To Asle be one of America & # x27 ; s first documented serial,., 1908, a man named George Anderson survived the encounter connection Gunness.
