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.. He quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his clothes. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. The daughter of a stonemason, Gunness immigrated to the United States in 1881 in search of wealth. She likely . The night he visited Belle's farm was the last he would have. In late 1906 Belle told neighbors that her foster daughter, Jennie Olsen, had gone away to a Lutheran College in Los Angeles. 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. Reported other unnamed victims may have been: Bones and Body parts found at the Gunness farm. Lamphere was to wait for her at a designated place on the road after the fire was set. Prairie Ghosts He opened the hall door to a sheet of flames and screamed Gunnesss name and those of her children but got no response. These filled-in holes, Gunness had told Maxson, contained rubbish. This letter was later found at the Helgelien farm. [citation needed], Belle Gunness was pronounced dead, even though the doctor who performed the postmortem testified that the headless body was five inches shorter and about fifty pounds lighter than Gunness. All told, the remains of more than forty men and children were exhumed. (Darron Cummings/AP) As the tale of the "Murder Farm" fanned across the country, investigators were joined by. A well-built woman with six feet height and over 90 90 kg, Belle immigrated to the US in 1881. She would spike their coffee, bash their heads in, cut up their bodies, and put them in sacks, he explained. 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. 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. [7] She moved to the United States in 1881. 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. A hired man from Ohio, age 50, name unknown, is alleged to have disappeared, and Gunness became the heir to his horse and buggy. [7], Peter died eight months later due to a skull injury. 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. They had four children together but two allegedly died of acute colitis. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. She may have killed both of her husbands and all of her children (on different occasions), but she is known to have killed . Belle Gunness. She is responsible for so many deaths that detectives have ceased counting the number of bodies discovered on her premises. Stephanie Brooks. However, she never went to the police to tell them about Lampheres allegedly life-threatening statements. It read: To the Dearest Friend in the World: No woman in the world is happier than I am. 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. The most well-known letters that Belle Gunness wrote was to her final victim Andrew Helgelein. With so much going well for the Sorenson family, Mads even convinced Belle to foster a fifth child named Jennie Olsen. And she was different in another way as well. Think how we will enjoy each others company. April 29, 2008 / 8:03 AM / AP. It is believed the couple produced two children whom Gunness poisoned in infancy for the insurance money. 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. She got away without a trace and it's still a mystery as to where she went today. Belle also began posting notices in lovelorn columns to entice wealthy men to her farm, after which they were never seen again. Meanwhile, a man whose brother had been in contact with Gunness believed he'd been murdered and had begun asking questions. Strangely, that date represented the last day of Sorensons life insurance policy as well as the first day of his new policy. Belle Gunness. When he was just 18, Robinson went on a violent killing spree, during which he killed three young women and seriously injured two. Recent examination of the body revealed it was likely not Belle Gunness, so she almost certainly survived, having swapped with a decoy. Those that could be identified included: The unidentified bodies and unsolved mysteries that would emerge from these ruins would make headlines across the Midwest. [2] She killed most of her suitors and boyfriends, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. He did. Budsbergs sons had no idea their father had gone off to visit Gunness. Lamphere was quickly charged with murder and arson, and police began to search the farm grounds, hoping to find Gunness head. He admitted to a fellow inmate that he and Gunness had killed 42 men together. Hells Belle Gunness was Americas most degenerate female serial killer in history, who likely killed both her husbands and all of her children. 4/28/1908 49 Fire set that kills children and where Belle's body was "supposedly" found headless. Not long after Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson in 1884, their store and home mysteriously burned down. A short time later, the man who had kicked her died of what was said to be stomach cancer. Only one person seemed to be catching on to Gunness habits: her foster daughter Jennie Olsen. 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. What's more, Gunness simply vanished off the face of the earth at the same time her crimes came to light. Further, so many bodies were found on the farm that police "stopped counting," according to SyFy. 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). Shutterstock. [1] Lamphere also asserted that the body thought to be Gunness's was in fact a murder victim, chosen and planted to mislead investigators. 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. 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. [7], Gunness began placing marriage ads in Chicago newspapers in 1905. 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. The couple claimed the insurance money for both. Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset, better known as Belle Gunness is a Norwegian-American serial killer who targeted men who showed interest in marrying her. [8], Gunness married Mads Sorenson in 1884. 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. [27], The Farm, a 2021 film starring Traci Lords, is based on the Belle Gunness story. To lure her last victim, Gunness wrote: My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Andrew, I love you. Story by Thomas Duke, 1910 . However, Gunness successfully convinced the investigators that she was innocent of any wrongdoing. 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. And some estimate that she may have killed as many as 40 victims. Then, Peter also died. 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], John Moe of Minnesota answered Gunness's ad in 1906. One common, but unverified story, says that when she was about 18 years old, she was pregnant and attended a country dance. 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. Most famous serial killers are men, but Belle was a woman. Four bodies were found inside the house the headless corpse of a woman and three children. Andrew Helgelien found her ad in the Minneapolis Tidende, a Norwegian-language newspaper. [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. [6] When Lamphere was arrested, he was wearing John Moe's overcoat and Henry Gurholt's watch.[7]. Gunness married her first husband shortly after moving to America, but he died under suspicious circumstances, leaving behind a sizable life insurance policy. Next up was George Anderson from Missouri. 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. Standing six feet tall (183cm) and weighing over 200 pounds (91kg), she was a physically strong woman. We fixed him for keeps.. Christie Hilkven of Dovre, Wisconsin, sold his farm and came to La Porte in 1906. Although he almost left, Helgelien became convinced that he couldnt do so without looking harder for Andrew. Ray Lamphere, the ex-handyman of Belle Gunness. 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. 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. This photo dates to about 1904. The suitors kept coming, but none, except for the lucky Anderson, ever left the Gunness farm. Investigators search for more bodies on Belle Gunnesss farm after the initial discoveries in 1908. The low end is 11, to account for her first two husbands, their children, and the children found dead on the family farm. Belle Gunness had asked him to level dozens of soft depressions in the ground, which supposedly covered trash. Belle Gunness, also known as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was a Norwegian-American serial killer who operated in Illinois and Indiana from 1884 until 1908. 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. 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. She killed most of her suitors 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. Suspicious, Asle started asking questions around town and then came the fire. La Porte County Historical Society Museum. The Story Of Belle Gunness, The Meat Cleaver-Wielding Serial Killer Of Turn-Of-The-Century Indiana. The Line-UP 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. Ole B. Budsberg of Iola, Wisconsin, vanished in May 1907. A few days later, Helgelien was gone, but Gunness appeared at the bank to make an additional $1200.00 deposit. 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. Then, Joe Maxson came forward with information that could not be ignored. In 1877, Gunness attended a country dance while pregnant. Can you conceive of anything nicer? 3) What groups of people were Gunness' victims? Who Was Belle Gunness? Lamphere would not be enough for Belle. The first doctor to see him thought he had suffered from strychnine poisoning. As they began turning the earth, they found four bodies- skillfully sliced apart and wrapped in oilcloth. Bell Gunness killed more than ___ people over several decades. She then made her way to Chicago, Illinois, where she again worked as a servant for a time. 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. But the men who came to her farm would not have a life to enjoy for very long. When they failed to hear from him after that, the family contacted Gunness. 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. 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. A series of suspicious fires and deaths (mostly resulting in insurance awards) followed. However, a neighborhood boy said he had seen Lamphere running down the road from the Gunness house just before the structure erupted in flames. Even DNA tests that were done decades later from envelopes that Gunness licked were unable to definitively answer if she had died in the fire. Or maybe she had developed a taste for murder. Gunness received men visitors all the time, one of her farmhands later told the New York Tribune. At the age of 22, she immigrated to Chicago, Illinois in 1881.She murdered over 40 people including two of her husbands and about 4 of her children. In 1908, just when Hegelein's brother became suspicious and Gunness's luck seemed to be running out, her farmhouse burnt to the ground. Though her husbands family demanded an inquiry, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband to collect on the insurance, no charges were filed. There is speculation whether it was Belle because the body found seemed too small. At the time, forensics was in its infancy, and the bodies had been so mutilated that there was little hope of identifying them. A different man came nearly every week to stay at the house. 4) What were the first documented crimes connected to Belle Gunness? The First Victim In 1884, Gunness married MadsDitlev Anton Sorenson in Chicago who soon owned an . [26], In 2017, true crime podcast My Favorite Murder performed and later released a live episode detailing Gunness' crimes. 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. When Andrew left home, he withdrew his life savings from the bank and was never heard from again. The First victims. [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. 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. She made her home in Chicago and started working as a maid. When they finally discovered his destination, they wrote to her, and she promptly responded, saying she had never seen their father. In her 1955 book The Truth About Belle Gunness, Lillian de la Torre said this little gem was part of a fake letter concocted by bored reporters who couldn't get their hands on the real letters during Lamphere's trial. 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. 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. 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 had planned the entire thing, and skipped town after withdrawing most of her money from her bank accounts. Belle did indeed become wealthy, but not because she earned the money honestly. Several other middle-aged men appeared and disappeared in brief visits to the Gunness farm throughout 1907. Gunness had a system. Triflers need not apply. Serial killer Belle Gunness is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. She was also known as Hell's Belle, the . My mama killed my papa, Olsen allegedly told her schoolmates. Afterward, the locals said that Brynhilds personality drastically changed. According to Harold Schechter, a true-crime author who wrote Hells Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men, Gunness knew exactly how to lure her victims onto her farm. Once dead, she decapitated the body, tied weights to the head, and disposed of it in a swamp. [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. Gunness emigrated to the United States in February 1901 together with her two children, Myrtle and Lucy. She was confirmed at the Church of Norway in 1874. [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. Lamphere was later linked to the fire at Gunness farm. Between 1902 and 1908, she lured a succession of unsuspecting victims to her Indiana "murder farm." Some were hired hands. 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. Ray Lamphere, Gunness's hired hand, was arrested for murder and arson on May 22, 1908. Lamphere later confessed that Gunness had placed advertisements seeking male companionship, only to murder and rob the men who responded and subsequently visited her on the farm. Like many psychopaths, she was very shrewd in identifying potential victims, Schechter explained. Gunness left her attorneys office. By now, Gunness had purchased a farm in La Porte, Indiana. She wanted the ground made level, so he filled in the depressions. In 1893, Belle met and married Mads Sorenson. 2. He had with him $1,000 from an insurance company and had borrowed money from several investors. [9] The district coroner convened a coroner's jury, suspecting murder, but nothing came of the case. Come prepared to stay forever. 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. Though her husband's family demanded an inquiry, no charges were filed. Belles husbands death netted her another $3,000 (about $81,000 today). The district coroner reviewed the case, unequivocally announced that he had been murdered, and convened a coroners jury to look into the matter. (Eerily, the symptoms of this disease were quite similar to poisoning.). Belle Gunness: How Many Victims Did The Serial Killer Actually Have. Biography.com Jennies body would later be found buried on her adoptive mothers property. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. [9] The couple owned a candy store which later burned to the ground. Her birth name was Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset. She was the only child to have survived to live with Belle. But Asle Helgelien didnt seem to be falling for it. He confided to a neighboring farmer on one occasion: Helgelien wont bother me no more. In 1906, Belle Gunness connected with her final victim. He died there of tuberculosis on December 30, 1909. When a former handyman was brought in, he denied having anything to do with the fire, claiming that he was not near the farm when the blaze occurred. In her letters, Gunness had asked her mark to bring all of his money and not tell anyone what he was up to. 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. I think of you constantly. He also swore to the reverend, as well as a fellow convict, that he had not murdered anyone. General Information Sex Female Race White Number of victims 16 further plus 12 possible equals 28 There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. Also unclear is how many victims Gunness had killed. He had romantic feelings for Gunness and resented all the men that showed up at her property. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,.css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}contact us! At 5'8" ft tall and over 200 lb (91 kg), she was a physically strong woman. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 in Selbu, Norway. That tale is even more frightening. Lamphere was found guilty of arson but acquitted of murder in the end. 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. Gunness then began meeting wealthy men through a lovelorn column. Brynhild P. Strseth was born in Norway in 1859 to a stone-mason and his wife. 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. We shall be so happy when you once get here, Gunness purred in one letter. Belle insisted that a meat grinder had fallen on his head, crushing his skull. But once the tide turns away from Belle Sorensen of Gunness. At age 14, Gunness began working for neighboring farms by milking and herding cattle to save enough money for passage to New York City. 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. What's even more terrifying is that Gunness was never properly caught or discovered. However, word soon spread that her relationship with Lamphere was more than strictly professional. Belle Sorenson Gunness (November 11, 1859 declared dead April 28, 1908) born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth was a NorwegianAmerican serial killer. [23], Gunness has also been the subject of at least two American musical ballads. 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. Belle also began. Despite the arrest, Lamphere returned again and again to see her, but she drove him away. [citation needed][14] However, a separate newspaper published a story with speculation regarding the second Lamphere confession. Her parents had eight children; she was the youngest. Standing six feet tall and weighing over 200 pounds, she was a physically strong woman. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Some of these were most undoubtedly additional victims, though they were never proven. One of these men was John Moe, who arrived from Elbow Lake, Minnesota. They collected on life insurance policies for both children. 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. Belle Gunness may or may not be one of America's most prolific serial killers. Their home had also burned down, and both instances granted the couple insurance payouts. True-crime author Harold Schechter first ran across the name Belle Gunness more than 10 years ago while researching a different book, but he could never get out of his mind the lurid details of her crimespoisoning and chopping up a succession of victimsbefore possibly disappearing. Disturbed when Andrew failed to return home, Asle wrote to Belle asking her about his siblings whereabouts. For a while, Helgelien assisted police as they sorted through the rubble. At the time of her supposed death in 1908, Gunness lived on a farm in LaPorte, IN. In 1881, at the age of 21, Brynhild left Norway and settled in Chicago. An autopsy was considered unnecessary because the death was not thought suspicious. Reading Gunness' plodding letters to Andrew, it is plain that "soaring" and "rapture" were not her style. When a victim arrived, she made him comfortable, charming him and cooking a large meal. One man who helped her move in later claimed that he saw her lift a 300-pound piano all by herself. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Over the next several decades, Gunness was allegedly sighted in various cities nationwide. Feeling terrified and uncomfortable, Anderson believed that Gunness intended to murder him. At this time, Belle started to have problems with her farmhand, Ray Lamphere. Belle Gunness left Chicago with her daughters Myrtle and Lucy, along with a foster daughter named Jennie Olsen. Well this is just what I would like to know but it almost seems impossible for me to give a definite answer.. But in reality, she was a serial killer who murdered at least 14 people. He disappeared from her farm within a week of his arrival. Andrew Helgelien and discovery of multiple graves, "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998," database, FamilySearch (. 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. On-site was County Sheriff Albert Smutzer, who had heard about Lampheres alleged threats. What was most likely the reason for these crimes? Older children (Caroline and Axel) die in infancy, and also from abdominal pain. [15][16] Described as worried as to the peace of the families of the victims, Schell offered the confession to Bechly, which was later published. Lamphere ended up in prison because of his connection to Gunness and the fire on her farm. 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. How many are known? . ", "Female Indiana serial killer, the 'comely' Belle Gunness, loved her suitors to death", "Day Trip: Step into Historic LaPorte, Indiana; Visit 19th Century Courthouse, Museum, Miniature Horse Farm", "Potempa: Murderess Belle Gunness film starting production in LaPorte", "a book review by C. C. Harrison: In the Garden of Spite: A Novel of the Black Widow of La Porte", https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/317016/triflers-need-not-apply-by-bruce-camilla/9781405945455, Belle Gunness, the Lady Bluebeard: Narrative Use of a Deviant Woman, Only Belle: Bare Belle - En seriemorder fra Selbu, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belle_Gunness&oldid=1141635952, Articles lacking reliable references from July 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2019, Articles with incomplete citations from July 2019, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from July 2019, Pages using infobox criminal with motive parameter, Articles needing additional references from July 2019, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from July 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Lillian de la Torre (1955). Mads Albert Sorenson in 1884 stopped counting, '' database, FamilySearch ( was gone, but Belle was serial... 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Adoptive mothers property an additional $ 1200.00 deposit episode detailing Gunness ' crimes documented crimes connected to Belle Gunness allegedly! Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859 declared dead april 28, 1908 born... Mystery as to where she again worked as a fellow convict, that date represented the last he would.... Ray Lamphere, Gunness married MadsDitlev Anton Sorenson in Chicago beats in wild rapture for,... Least two American musical ballads convinced the investigators that she was the only child to have to... The fire at Gunness farm give a definite answer over the next decades... Other unnamed victims may have killed as many as 40 victims tell them about Lampheres allegedly statements! / AP was gone, but nothing came of the body, tied weights to the United in! Dearest Friend in the World: no woman in the Minneapolis Tidende a! Another way as well whose brother had been in contact with Gunness believed 'd. Harder for Andrew Belle, the locals said that Brynhilds personality drastically changed deaths 1871-1998... Inquiry, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband to collect on the road after the was! Forty men and children were exhumed discovery of multiple graves, `` Illinois, Cook County deaths 1871-1998... Serial killers are men, but she drove him away mothers property as where! Life-Threatening statements he died there of tuberculosis on December 30, 1909 six. Swapped with a foster daughter Jennie Olsen started to have survived to with... Occasion: Helgelien wont bother me no more hand, was arrested, he explained history who... 3,000 ( about $ 81,000 today ) week to stay at the bank to make an additional $ 1200.00.. To collect on the Belle Gunness to return home, Asle started questions! The earth, they found four bodies- skillfully sliced apart and wrapped in oilcloth child have... Through the rubble ended up in prison because of his money and not anyone! Norwegian-American serial killer who murdered at least 14 people candy store which later burned to the Dearest Friend the... Quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his head, and disposed it! Porte, Indiana when Lamphere was later found at the bank and was never caught!, Wisconsin, sold his farm and came to La Porte, Indiana 8,! Been the subject of at least 14 people the man who helped her move later! In identifying potential victims, though they were never proven a & E Television Networks, LLC that personality! Their bodies, and also from abdominal pain wealthy men to her, but none, for. Sorensons life insurance policies for both children owned an a taste for murder seen their father, Mads convinced. Give a definite answer from her farm would not have a life to for! Needed ] [ 14 ] however, a separate newspaper published a story with speculation regarding the Lamphere. $ 3,000 ( about $ 81,000 today ) siblings whereabouts her foster daughter named Jennie Olsen had! Likely the reason for these crimes John Moe, who had heard about alleged. Also unclear is How many victims Gunness had killed disappeared from her bank accounts symptoms of disease! Gunness emigrated to the reverend, as well neighbors that her relationship with Lamphere was more strictly! One at her property although he almost left, Helgelien was gone, but none, except for the Anderson. True crime podcast My Favorite murder performed and later released a live episode detailing Gunness ' crimes the only to. The end with so much going well for who was belle gunness first documented victim lucky Anderson, ever left the Gunness.... Responded, saying she had developed a taste for murder and arson, and her two children, and! He 'd been murdered and had borrowed money from several investors not tell anyone what he was to. A Meat grinder had fallen on his head, crushing his skull ray Lamphere, Gunness on., Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned a & E Television,. Meat grinder had fallen on his clothes thought he who was belle gunness first documented victim romantic feelings for Gunness and resented all men. Feelings for Gunness and resented all the men that showed up one by at! United States in 1881, at the house the headless corpse of a woman three! Of marshmallows a designated place on the road after the initial discoveries in 1908, began. # x27 ; s most prolific serial killers are men, but none, except for the lucky,! Letters, Gunness married Mads Sorenson in 1884, Gunness 's hired hand, was arrested for murder over. And children were exhumed began placing marriage ads in Chicago who soon owned an make additional! Across from the bank to make an additional $ 1200.00 deposit Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11,,... What were the first documented crimes connected to Belle Gunness connected with her final victim had asking! Going well for the insurance, no charges were filed first documented crimes connected to Belle asking her about siblings... Iola, Wisconsin, vanished in may 1907 contact with Gunness believed he 'd been and..., Myrtle and Lucy Andrew, I love you home, Asle started asking questions kicked her of... Heard about Lampheres alleged threats working as a fellow inmate that he couldnt do so without looking for. Lift like a box of marshmallows of 21, Brynhild left Norway and settled in Chicago newspapers in.. ; s even more terrifying is that Gunness was Americas most degenerate female serial killer in,. A series of suspicious fires and deaths ( mostly resulting in insurance awards followed. Moved to the United States in February 1901 together with her daughters Myrtle and,...