[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. 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. Triflers need not apply.. Anderson had come to the Gunness farm from Missouri with money and a hopeful heart. Strangely, tragedy seemed to return to Belle Gunness doorstep yet again. You wish to know where your brother keeps himself, Gunness wrote to Asle. Daniel Rennie is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne, Australia. 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 had asked him to level dozens of soft depressions in the ground, which supposedly covered trash. [1] She got away without a trace and it's still a mystery as to where she went today. [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. As a result, Coroner Charles Mack officially concluded that the adult female body discovered in the ruins was Belle Gunness. Some documented serial killers from history, we know very little about. Belle Gunness, the twice-widowed Norwegian American who placed the ad, was a murderer for profit. 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. A brother of Miss Jennie Graham of Waukesha, Wisconsin, who had left her to marry a wealthy widow in La Porte but vanished. She would spike their coffee, bash their heads in, cut up their bodies, and put them in sacks, he explained. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. She wanted the ground made level, so he filled in the depressions. We shall be so happy when you once get here, Gunness purred in one letter. Reported other unnamed victims may have been: Bones and Body parts found at the Gunness farm. Asle Helgelien didn't believe Belle Gunness' claims that his brother, missing for months after answering the widow's lonely . Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Belle Gunness, Birth Year: 1859, Birth date: November 22, 1859, Birth City: Selbu, Birth Country: Norway. [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. According to one census report, they also had a foster child named Jennie living with them. Belle Gunness. In the meantime, she began ordering large trunks to be delivered, kept the shutters of her home closed day and night, and mainly kept to herself. Not to mention the few things I uttered under my breath as she was writing letters to lure her victims to her. Triflers need not apply. Her birth name was Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset. Some of these were most undoubtedly additional victims, though they were never proven. After they had corresponded for several months, Moe travelled to La Porte and withdrew a large amount of cash. Little is known about her early life. Though the authorities investigated, the formidable Belle was so convincing that no charges were ever filed. Unfortunately, there was not enough DNA, so the mystery remains unsolved. Lamphere would not be enough for Belle. Belle Sorenson Gunness (November 11, 1859 declared dead April 28, 1908) born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth was a NorwegianAmerican serial killer. When they failed to hear from him after that, the family contacted Gunness. Maybe Belle Gunness needed money. [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. A series of suspicious fires and deaths (mostly resulting in insurance awards) followed. Three years later she would find her first victim, a man named Mads Sorenson. Lamphere also cleared up the mysterious question of the headless female corpse found in the smoking ruins of Gunness home. On June 13, 1900, Gunness and her family were counted on the United States Census in Chicago, recording her as the mother of four children, of whom only two were living: Myrtle A. and Lucy B. He moved to La Porte, Indiana on January 3, 1908 to be with Belle Gunness. What is certain is that she murdered most of her boyfriends and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. They also found the body of a headless woman who, at first, they assumed was Belle Gunness. [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. 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. She is often referred to as Hell's Belle and authorities eventually found the remains of over forty victims on her farm property. 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. However, The New York Post suggests that she may have killed as many as 28 people, while Mental Floss claims that she killed "at least 20." The couple claimed the insurance money for both. In fact, the farmhand did. . [20] The inconsistencies between the two confessions, including the matter of the survival of Belle Gunness, remain historical issues that are not fully resolved. Next up was George Anderson from Missouri. But, for Helgeliens brother, Asle, the matter was far from over. [1] Lamphere also asserted that the body thought to be Gunness's was in fact a murder victim, chosen and planted to mislead investigators. What followed were a series of insurance frauds and crimes, escalating in size and danger. In 1884 Belle Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson. Among the known facts about Belle Gunness is that she was an imposing woman, very tall and 250 pounds and that only one child - her second husband's daughter Swanhild - survived her clutches. 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. Mrs. (Darron Cummings/AP) As the tale of the "Murder Farm" fanned across the country, investigators were joined by. Belle with three of her children, likely Myrtle, Lucy, and Philip. FlickrThe farm of Belle Gunness, where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908. The First victims. Then, Joe Maxson came forward with information that could not be ignored. Not long afterward, their home and the store mysteriously burned down. 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. [23], Gunness has also been the subject of at least two American musical ballads. 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. Stephanie Brooks. [22][pageneeded] Moreover, the crime became an acknowledged part of area history: the La Porte County Historical Society Museum has a permanent "Belle Gunness" exhibit. An older sister, likely named Nellie, emigrated to the United States in the early 1880s. Not long after, the children died, and the couple collected another insurance payment. The district coroner reviewed the case, unequivocally announced that he had been murdered, and convened a coroners jury to look into the matter. Belle Gunness, also known as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was a Norwegian-American serial killer who operated in Illinois and Indiana from 1884 until 1908. A series of suspicious fires and deaths (mostly resulting in insurance awards) followed. the ground. [9] The couple owned a candy store which later burned to the ground. She changed her name to Belle in 1881 when she came to the United States. She died of tuberculosis while awaiting trial. [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. Little is known about her early life. When drinking, Lamphere often boasted of sleeping with his employer, which came as a surprise to those who only saw Belle as the burly woman who liked to dress in mens overalls and do her own hog butchering. In 1906, Belle Gunness connected with her final victim. In May 1908, after fire destroyed a LaPorte farmhouse, police made a gruesome discovery. 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. It was claimed that her head was decapitated and her home set on fire. [citation needed] In 2008, DNA tests were performed on the headless corpse in an attempt to compare the DNA in the corpse against a sample from a letter Gunness had sent to one of her victims, but due to its age the sample was not able to be properly tested. She was nicknamed "Hell's Belle" after it was discovered that she was a prolific serial killer. 4/27/1908 49 Belle writes last will and testament. In addition to three . 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. [22][pageneeded] Spectators came from across the country to see the mass graves, and concessions and souvenirs were sold. Belle Gunness may or may not be one of America's most prolific serial killers. She is often referred to as Hell's Belle and authorities eventually found the remains of over forty victims on her farm property. 1908) left her native Norway in 1881, at the age of 21, to travel to Chicago. She introduced them as cousins from Kansas, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and from Chicago She was always careful to make the children stay away from her cousins.'. 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. Three were identified as her foster children. Sure, I worked for Mrs. Gunness for a time, but I didnt see her kill anybody, and I didnt know she had killed anybody., But on his deathbed, Lamphere changed his tune. Meanwhile, authorities struggled to determine whether the headless corpse theyd found in the burned farmhouse belonged to Gunness. Reading Gunness' plodding letters to Andrew, it is plain that "soaring" and "rapture" were not her style. He had with him a check for $2,900, his savings, which he had drawn from his local bank. [30] It was published in the UK with the title Triflers need not apply [31]. She killed seven men between the years 1989-1990 on Florida's highways. In late 1906 Belle told neighbors that her foster daughter, Jennie Olsen, had gone away to a Lutheran College in Los Angeles. She told him that she had fired her jealous farmhand, Lamphere, which caused him to go mad. Peters infant daughter from a previous relationship died. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. Serial killer Belle Gunness is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. 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. In the belief that the headless corpse was, in fact, Belle Gunness, the remains were buried next to Belles first husband, Mads Sorenson, at Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois. Gunness received men visitors all the time, one of her farmhands later told the New York Tribune. 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. However, word soon spread that her relationship with Lamphere was more than strictly professional. Shutterstock. Her adopted daughter Jennie's body would also be found on Belle's property. In the early 20th century, Belle Gunness killed scores of men for their money. She was never tracked down and her death has never been confirmed. On April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana. 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. [29], In the Garden of Spite: A Novel of the Black Widow of LaPorte is a US-published 2021 novel by Camilla Bruce with elements of "Norwegian noir and true crime" based on the life of Belle Gunness. He told the Sheriff that Gunness had ordered him to bring loads of dirt by wheelbarrow to a large area surrounded by a high wire fence where the hogs were fed. A short time later, the man who had kicked her died of what was said to be stomach cancer. Belle Gunness with her children: Lucy Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, and Philip Gunness. Most famous serial killers are men, but Belle was a woman. On July 30, 1900,[10] both policies were active at the same time, as one would expire that day and the other would enter into force. He also swore to the reverend, as well as a fellow convict, that he had not murdered anyone. Belles husbands death netted her another $3,000 (about $81,000 today). Ole B. Budsberg of Iola, Wisconsin, vanished in May 1907. This letter was later found at the Helgelien farm. La Porte County Historical Society Museum. She killed most of her suitors Jennies body would later be found buried on her adoptive mothers property. In her letters, Gunness had asked her mark to bring all of his money and not tell anyone what he was up to. Then, on July 30, 1900, tragedy struck again. [7] She moved to the United States in 1881. He had romantic feelings for Gunness and resented all the men that showed up at her property. Gunness claimed that Sorenson had come home with a headache, and she had given him quinine. Answer: Chicago, Illinois Belle and Mads were married in 1884. By now, Gunness had purchased a farm in La Porte, Indiana. The story of Indiana's first documented serial killer, Belle Gunness. This is a story that will shock you more than most, because of t .more Get A Copy Kindle Unlimited $0.00 Amazon Stores The only known child to have survived living with Belle Gunness was Peter's daughter . She murdered over 40 people between 1884 and 1908 (1). John Moe of Elbow Lake, Minnesota. Two people who had known Gunness claimed to recognize her from photographs in her possession, but the identification was never proved. Gunness and Sorenson opened a candy store, but it soon burned down. One lucky man named George Anderson survived the encounter. Lamphere was later linked to the fire at Gunness farm. 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. She then went to work as a servant on a wealthy farm for the next several years. 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. Belle did indeed become wealthy, but not because she earned the money honestly. Basically, Belle Gunness was a female serial killer who poisoned her suitors and children. 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. Gunness wrote back, telling Asle Helgelien that his brother was not at her farm and probably went to Norway to visit relatives. But no one at the time chalked it up to anything but a tragic coincidence. American newspapers labeled Belle Gunness the Black Widow, Hells Belle, the Indiana Ogress, and the Mistress of the Castle of Death.. I fear one of these nights he will burn my house to the ground.. Director Duncan Roy Writers Katie L. Fetting (screenplay) Duncan Roy (story) Stars Elizabeth Hurley Jeremy Sisto Oliver Tobias Standing six feet tall (183cm) and weighing over 200 pounds (91kg), she was a physically strong woman. BLACK WIDOW: Belle Gunness, from Selbu, Norway, is infamous as America's first woman serial killer. She wanted something more and soon began to look for new suitors by inserting the following advertisement in the lovelorn column of newspapers in large midwestern cities: 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. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Their life together seemed to be marked by tragedy. The daughter of a stonemason, Gunness immigrated to the United States in 1881 in search of wealth. Soon enough, the shop burned down, and the couple collected a nice insurance payment. The pair exchanged many letters until a letter arrived that overwhelmed Helgelien, written in Gunness careful handwriting and dated January 13, 1908. Standing six feet tall (183 cm) and weighing over 200 pounds (91 kg), she was a physically strong woman. He never returned for his belongings, nor did he ever speak to Gunness again. Her parents had eight children; she was the youngest. Four bodies were found inside the house the headless corpse of a woman and three children. One of Robinson's surviving victims led to his eventual arrest. At the time, Gunness did not mention that she was pregnant, despite the possibility that it might have inspired sympathy, and in May 1903, Gunness gave birth to a son she named Phillip. We try to fit the pieces together through a few old photos, family and county records, and folklore. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. What was most likely the reason for these crimes? Strangely, that date represented the last day of Sorensons life insurance policy as well as the first day of his new policy. Lamphere was to wait for her at a designated place on the road after the fire was set. I know that you are now to come to me and be my own. Or perhaps she simply wanted to be free to kill again. Chares Neiburg, a 28-year-old Scandinavian immigrant living in Philadelphia, told friends that he would visit Gunness in June 1906 and never returned he had been working for a saloon keeper and took $500 with him. The Story Of Belle Gunness, The Meat Cleaver-Wielding Serial Killer Of Turn-Of-The-Century Indiana. Apparently, he had fallen victim to a sausage grinder that fell on his head from a wobbly shelf. 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. [citation needed] The second account is based on the report that Lamphere contacted a Reverend Edwin Schell and provided him with a verbal confession that Schell transcribed and had Lamphere sign, a document that Schell kept sealed in his personal safe. Female Indiana serial killer, the 'comely' Belle Gunness, loved her suitors to death. The man, who came from a wealthy family, was never prosecuted by the Norwegian authorities. Though her husband's family demanded an inquiry, no charges were filed. But once the tide turns away from Belle Sorensen of Gunness. After murdering her two husbands, the Norwegian-American woman posted ads in the paper looking for men to invest in her farm. They arrived with thousands of dollars and then disappeared. Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset immigrated from Norway to the United States at the age of 21, according to SyFy, in search of a better life. Belle Gunness's First Husband. . Then, the farm became something of a tourist attraction, with thousands of gawkers turning up and in some cases, taking souvenirs, according to The New York Post. [12] Blunt trauma and gashes characterized the skulls that were found that had been separated from the bodies. Neighbors described the 200-pound Gunness as a rugged woman who was also incredibly strong. 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. DESCRIPTION: "Belle Gunness was a lady fair In Indiana State, She weighed about 300 pounds, And that is quite some weight." "Her favorite occupation Was a-butchering of men." "Now some say Belle killed only ten, And some say 42." At last she vanishes with the cash AUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1958 (Burt-AmericanMurderBallads) He pled innocent to all charges, his defense hinging on the assertion that the body was not Gunness. [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. He showed up in hopes of finding his brother. Meanwhile, a man named Asle Helgelien had found correspondence between his brother, Andrew, and Gunness. Belle Gunness "Hell's Belle" Gunness was America's most degenerate female serial killer in history, who likely killed both her husbands and all of her children. But, when the coroner looked at the body, he allegedly muttered: This is a case of murder.. No replies by letter considered unless sender is willing to follow answer with personal visit. 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.. 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