"[12], Ray Lamphere was Gunness' hired hand and on-and-off lover. The man, who came from a wealthy family, was never prosecuted by the Norwegian authorities. Gunness had insured both of the children and collected a large insurance check after each death. Belle Gunness, born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth (November 11, 1859 [3] - possibly April 28, 1908), nicknamed Hell's Belle, [1] was a Norwegian-American serial killer who was active in Illinois and Indiana between 1884 and 1908. She likely . The most well-known letters that Belle Gunness wrote was to her final victim Andrew Helgelein. On November 26, 1908, he was sentenced to two to 21 years in the State Prison in Michigan City, Indiana. 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. Once dead, she decapitated the body, tied weights to the head, and disposed of it in a swamp. I think of you constantly. Henry Gurholdt of Scandinavia, Wisconsin, had gone to wed her a year earlier, taking $1,500. [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. 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. Belle Gunness may or may not be one of America's most prolific serial killers. She was called a serial killer because she killed men . The local dentist then stepped in, stating that he could make an identification if any dental work could be found. The farm of Belle Gunness, where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908. After murdering her two husbands, the Norwegian-American woman posted ads in the paper looking for men to invest in her farm. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth in Selbu, Norway on November 11, 1859. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. His widow, Gunness, collected on both policies $150,000 in todays dollars which she could have only done on that day. 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. Soon enough, the shop burned down, and the couple collected a nice insurance payment. Together, they owned and operated a confectionary store and before long, had four children: Caroline, Axel, Myrtle, and Lucy. In 1881, when she was 21 years old, Belle Gunness moved to Chicago. On May 22, 1908, Ray Lamphere was tried for murder and arson. Bert Chase of Mishawaka, Indiana, sold his butcher shop and told friends of a wealthy widow and that he was going to look her up; his brother received a telegram supposedly from Aberdeen, South Dakota, claiming Bert had been killed in a train wreck; his brother investigated and found the telegram was fictitious. Married with Sorensen and Belle has born 4 children: Caroline, Axel, Myrtle and Lucy. 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.'. 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. [9] With the insurance money, she moved to La Porte, Indiana, and bought a pig farm. Belle collected $3,000 insurance money for Peter's death. Helgelien, like other victims before him, decided to take a chance on love. The daughter of a stonemason, Gunness immigrated to the United States in 1881 in search of wealth. This photo dates to about 1904. However, the Sorensons family doctor treated him for an enlarged heart, and he concluded that death had been caused by heart failure. From 1884 to 1908, it's believed that Belle Gunness killed, at least, 14 people. The headless adult female corpse was never positively identified. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, Adnan Syed: A Complete Timeline of His Trial, Appeal and Killing of Hae Min Lee. Also counted was an adopted 10-year-old girl, identified as Morgan Couch, but who was later known as Jennie Olsen. . Leliter, telling him she feared for her life and her children. It was reported that both the boat and carriage houses burned to the ground shortly after she acquired the property. One man who helped her move in later claimed that he saw her lift a 300-pound piano all by herself. But after Andrew Helgelien stopped answering letters, his brother Asle got worried and demanded answers. [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. Belle Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859. The investigators began to sift through the debris, and a piece of bridgework was found; the dentist identified it as work done for 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. I fear one of these nights he will burn my house to the ground.. Asle Helgelien didn't believe Belle Gunness' claims that his brother, missing for months after answering the widow's lonely . If you're curious to learn more about her, read on to discover the . However, she never went to the police to tell them about Lampheres allegedly life-threatening statements. 4/28/1908 49 Fire set that kills children and where Belle's body was "supposedly" found headless. [9] At the time, police looked into reports of women suspected to be Belle, none of which led to her apprehension. 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. She made her home in Chicago and started working as a maid. Lamphere also cleared up the mysterious question of the headless female corpse found in the smoking ruins of Gunness home. Either way, the twice-widowed Gunness began posting personal ads in Norwegian-language newspapers to find a new companion. 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. In 1884 Belle Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson. 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. Four bodies were found inside the house the headless corpse of a woman and three children. 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. She killed seven men between the years 1989-1990 on Florida's highways. [7], Peter died eight months later due to a skull injury. Who wrote Hunting Humans: The Rise of Modern Multiple Murder. [7], Sorenson had purchased two life insurance policies. But she also became somewhat of a legend, shrouded in mystery, revenge and money. John Moe of Elbow Lake, Minnesota. She then torched the small brick farmhouse and fled. Belle Gunness was one of the first "Black Widows" and became a prolific serial killer. The district coroner reviewed the case, unequivocally announced that he had been murdered, and convened a coroners jury to look into the matter. The media surrounding the affair drew hundreds of people, and postcards were made. [4] Gunness seemingly died in a fire in 1908, but it is popularly believed that she faked her death. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. Born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in Norway, Belle Gunness moved to the United States in 1881 at the age of 22. 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. Thomas Lindboe had left Chicago and had gone to work as a hired man for Gunness three years earlier. Astrological Sign: Sagittarius, Death Year: 1930, Article Title: Belle Gunness Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/belle-gunness, Publisher: A&E Television Networks, Last Updated: March 18, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. Workers sifting through the debris discovered four bodies in the basement later in the day. In the pantheon of serial killers, Belle Gunness stands alone. Reported other unnamed victims may have been: Bones and Body parts found at the Gunness farm. Soon enough, Gunness was depositing checks brought by her suitors, while the lovelorn men were never heard from again. Or maybe she had developed a taste for murder. Her adopted daughter Jennie's body would also be found on Belle's property. Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset immigrated from Norway to the United States at the age of 21, according to SyFy, in search of a better life. Before long, Gunness and Helgelien began exchanging romantic letters. He slammed the door and then, in his underwear, leaped from the second-story window, barely surviving the fire that was closing in around him. [6] When she was processed by immigration at Castle Garden, she changed her first name to Belle, then travelled to Chicago to join her sister, Nellie, who had immigrated several years earlier. Sorenson died of cerebral hemorrhage that day. My mama killed my papa, Olsen allegedly told her schoolmates. I can tell from your letters that you are the man I want. She was one of America's first woman serial killers convicted and put on death row. Belle Gunness: How Many Victims Did The Serial Killer Actually Have. In addition to three . Whether Gunness died in that fire remains unclear. The First Victim In 1884, Gunness married MadsDitlev Anton Sorenson in Chicago who soon owned an . Gunness explained he had come home with a headache and she provided him with quinine powder for the pain; she later checked on him and he was dead. Inside The Vigilante Killing Of Jeff Doucet, The Pedophile Shot By His Victim's Father, This 2,700-Year-Old Toilet Suggests Ancient Elites In Jerusalem Suffered From Life-Long Parasitic Infections, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Belle Gunness, one of the most successful murderers in Illinois. Also unclear is how many victims Gunness had killed. 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. [21], After Gunness' crimes came to light, the Gunness farm became a tourist attraction. 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. 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. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. 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. In the end, Ray Lamphere was charged with arson but not murder. socioeconomic status. 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. Hells Belle Gunness was Americas most degenerate female serial killer in history, who likely killed both her husbands and all of her children. Maybe Belle Gunness needed money. The First victims. Most famous serial killers are men, but Belle was a woman. [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. Meanwhile, Asle Helgelien had read about the fire in the newspaper. Together, the seemingly happy couple opened a confectionery store and had four children togetherCaroline, Axel, Myrtle, and Lucy. Like many psychopaths, she was very shrewd in identifying potential victims, Schechter explained. Belle Gunness (also known as Lady Bluebeard, The LaPorte Black Widow, The Mistress of Murder Farm, and Hell's Belle) was probably one of America's most prolific serial killers. She immigrated to the United States, where she lured her victims to her remote farm in Indiana. 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. Belle explained that Peter reached for something on a high shelf and a meat grinder fell on him, smashing his skull. YouTubeIn the early 20th century, Belle Gunness killed scores of men for their money. 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." Between 1902 and 1908, she lured a succession of unsuspecting victims to her Indiana "murder farm." Some were hired hands. The powerful 48-year-old woman would then carry the body to the basement, where she most often dissected it, bundled the remains, and then buried them in the hog pen. On April 27, 1908, Belle Gunness went to see an attorney in La Porte. [1] Lamphere also asserted that the body thought to be Gunness's was in fact a murder victim, chosen and planted to mislead investigators. In December 1902, Peter himself met with a tragic accident. According to Belle, he was struck on the head when a sausage-grinding machine had toppled off a high shelf in the kitchen. 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. That tale is even more frightening. He died there of tuberculosis on December 30, 1909. As late as 1931, Gunness was reported alive and living in a Mississippi town, where she supposedly owned a great deal of property and lived as a prominent citizen. 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. [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. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. 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. She was never tracked down and her death has never been confirmed. 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. 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. Three were identified as her foster children. The suitors kept coming, but none, except for the lucky Anderson, ever left the Gunness farm. Or perhaps she simply wanted to be free to kill again. Usually accompanied by a handsome man, she was unrecognizable from the rough farm woman the locals were used to seeing. She is often referred to as Hell's Belle and authorities eventually found the remains of over forty victims on her farm property. Neighbors described the 200-pound Gunness as a rugged woman who was also incredibly strong. [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. Where did Belle Gunness meet her first husband, Max "Mads" Sorenson? Where was Belle Gunness born? Adopted daughter Jennie Olsen. 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. John H. McJunkin of Coraopolis (near Pittsburgh) left his wife in December 1906 after corresponding with a La Porte woman. The night he visited Belle's farm was the last he would have. Belle with daughters Lucy and Myrtle. Lamphere would not be enough for Belle. 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. Basically, Belle Gunness was a female serial killer who poisoned her suitors and children. Answer: Chicago, Illinois Belle and Mads were married in 1884. Though estimates vary widely, Belle Gunness is believed to have killed at least a dozen people (and possibly upwards of 40) between 1884 and . My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Andrew, I love you. He was last seen alive at the La Porte Savings Bank on April 6, 1907, when he mortgaged his Wisconsin land there, signed over a deed, and obtained several thousand dollars in cash. In response to her letter, Helgelien rushed to her side in January 1908. 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." . Despite the arrest, Lamphere returned again and again to see her, but she drove him away. Gunness, a butcher by profession, and Belle were married in LaPorte on April 1, 1902. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth[5] in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859[6] to Paul and Berit Strseth; she was the youngest of eight children. Brynhild P. Strseth was born in Norway in 1859 to a stone-mason and his wife. Female Serial Killer Belle Gunness . [7], Belle married Peter Gunness on April 1, 1902. On-site was County Sheriff Albert Smutzer, who had heard about Lampheres alleged threats. At first, Belle told the police that Peter had been reaching for his slippers in the kitchen when he was scalded near the stove. It is not known how many men were victims of a treacherous woman. Older children (Caroline and Axel) die in infancy, and also from abdominal pain. 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. He never returned for his belongings, nor did he ever speak to Gunness again. [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. 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. 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. 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. [2] She killed most of her suitors and boyfriends, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. 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. This female serial killer was not only the worst in Illinois history; she was also one of the worst American serial killers ever recorded. 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. 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. We try to fit the pieces together through a few old photos, family and county records, and folklore. 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. Years later, Jennie's body was found buried among her mother's victims. After the fire, her victims were unearthed from their shallow graves around the farm. One common, but unverified story, says that when she was about 18 years old, she was pregnant and attended a country dance. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. [Gunness] beguiled them with promises of down-home Norwegian cooking and painted a very seductive portrait of the kind of life theyd enjoy.. Most of the remains found on the property could not be identified. In February 1908, Belle hired another man named Joe Maxon to help her with the farm. Belle did indeed become wealthy, but not because she earned the money honestly. To make matters worse, one of Belles children told a classmate that her mother had hit her husband over the head with a cleaver. 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. She hit him with a meat cleaver and he died. Gunness married her first husband shortly after moving to America, but he died under suspicious circumstances, leaving behind a sizable life insurance policy. The family of one of Belle's victims gave Nawrocki and his team an envelope sent from the LaPorte . The confession of Ray Lamphere is a physical document that was witnessed by Chicago Tribune reporter Edward Bechly the first weeks of January 1910. The number murdered was estimated to be as many as 40. Answer: Selbu, Norway Belle was born on November 22, 1859. Further digging yielded more grisly discoveries. 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. One of her ads was answered by a Wisconsin farmhand, Henry Gurholt. Belle Gunness, born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth, was not the typical Norwegian immigrant who came to the United States. [13] The brother of one victim had warned Gunness that he might arrive at the farm shortly to investigate his brother's disappearance. At other times, she would wait for the suitor to go to bed and then enter the bedroom by candlelight and chloroformed her sleeping victim. 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.. Though her husband's family demanded an inquiry, no charges were filed. On April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana. Had Belle Gunness committed . 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. He had with him a check for $2,900, his savings, which he had drawn from his local bank. Stephanie Brooks. However, when he was introduced to Andrew Hegelian Belles new husband-to-be, he made a scene, and Belle promptly fired him on February 3, 1908. Multiple murder for an enlarged heart, and Belle has born 4 children Caroline! No charges were filed the suitors kept coming, but it is popularly believed that Belle Gunness collected! Family and County records, and Lucy meet her first husband, Max & ;... Peter himself met with a tragic accident family and County records, and also from abdominal.! Disposed of it in a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana, 1908, Belle another! 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