Born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in Norway, Belle Gunness moved to the United States in 1881 at the age of 22. Whether Gunness died in the fire or escaped remained uncertain, although the sheriff blamed a Chicago American reporter for inventing the "escaped" story. 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. There, Gunness met her first known victim her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. socioeconomic status. In 1893, Belle met and married Mads Sorenson. He admitted to a fellow inmate that he and Gunness had killed 42 men together. She then made her way to Chicago, Illinois, where she again worked as a servant for a time. Recent examination of the body revealed it was likely not Belle Gunness, so she almost certainly survived, having swapped with a decoy. [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. 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. She was a giant of a woman, with a bloodthirst so strong it led her to kill upwards of 25 people. [1] Gunness is thought to have killed at least fourteen people, most of whom were men she enticed to visit her rural Indiana property through personal advertisements, while some sources speculate her involvement in as many as forty murders. Lamphere was later linked to the fire at Gunness farm. Just one week after the ceremony, Peters infant daughter died of uncertain causes while alone in the house with Belle. Over 40 victims had been found, including lovers, her husbands, and even her own children. [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. After the fire, her victims were unearthed from their shallow graves around the farm. Sorenson died of cerebral hemorrhage that day. Biography.com [7] Reported "sightings" of Gunness in the Chicago area continued long after she was declared dead. [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. Standing six feet tall (183cm) and weighing over 200 pounds (91kg), she was a physically strong woman. The home belonged to Belle Gunness, a woman who had lived in La Porte since 1901. Gunness was back a few days later to complain to the sheriff that Lamphere had visited her farm and argued with her. 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. In the pantheon of serial killers, Belle Gunness stands alone. For a while, Helgelien assisted police as they sorted through the rubble. Maybe Belle Gunness needed money. Female Serial Killer Belle Gunness . Lamphere ended up in prison because of his connection to Gunness and the fire on her farm. [12] Lucas Reilly, quoting The Chicago Inter Ocean in Mental Floss, noted that, The bones had been crushed on the ends, as though they had been struck with hammers after they were dismembered [and that] Quicklime had been scattered over the faces and stuffed in the ears. Answer: Selbu, Norway Belle was born on November 22, 1859. Abraham Phillips, a railwayman of Burlington. Peters infant daughter from a previous relationship died. Then, Joe Maxson came forward with information that could not be ignored. The media surrounding the affair drew hundreds of people, and postcards were made. Soon enough, Gunness was depositing checks brought by her suitors, while the lovelorn men were never heard from again. The most well-known letters that Belle Gunness wrote was to her final victim Andrew Helgelein. Her foster mother initially claimed that shed been sent to school in California. [7], Gunness began placing marriage ads in Chicago newspapers in 1905. 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. By now, Gunness had purchased a farm in La Porte, Indiana. Belle Gunness (also known as Lady Bluebeard, The LaPorte Black Widow, The Mistress . 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. Initially, the bodies were believed to be Belle and her children, Myrtle (age 11), Lucy (age 9), and Phillip (age 5). Or maybe she had developed a taste for murder. Belle Gunness left Chicago with her daughters Myrtle and Lucy, along with a foster daughter named Jennie Olsen. 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.. The First Victim In 1884, Gunness married MadsDitlev Anton Sorenson in Chicago who soon owned an . The coroner described the incident as a little queer but believed that it was an accident. One man who helped her move in later claimed that he saw her lift a 300-pound piano all by herself. 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. Four bodies were found at the Gunness farm. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. Gunness dried her tears and collected her husbands life insurance policy. 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. Belle Gunness stood six foot tall and had a hard look to her strong face. Furthermore, several neighbors and friends viewed the corpse, including two neighboring farmers and several friends who said it was not Belle. But did Lamphere actually cause the fire? Lamphere was to wait for her at a designated place on the road after the fire was set. Most of the remains found on the property could not be identified. 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. A series of suspicious fires and deaths (mostly resulting in insurance awards) followed. The headless adult female corpse was never positively identified. My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Andrew, I love you. It remains unconfirmed when and where Belle Gunness actually died. Years later, Jennie's body was found buried among her mother's victims. He then sent two of his deputies to dig into the debris digging for the corpses missing head and sent two others to arrest Lamphere. Then, learn about Leonarda Cianciulli, the serial killer who turned her victims into soap and teacakes. [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. Carlson died on May 6, 1931, while awaiting trial. When the smoke cleared, authorities were left with so many bodies that they "stopped counting," according to Mental Floss. She killed seven men between the years 1989-1990 on Florida's highways. 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. Then, Peter also died. On April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana. I think of you constantly. Belle Gunness was one of the first "Black Widows" and became a prolific serial killer. These filled-in holes, Gunness had told Maxson, contained rubbish. [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. Her store and her home burned down, She and her husband collected the You, the sweetest man in the whole world. 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. In the smoldering ruins workmen discovered four skeletons. He tried to rouse the lady of the house, the towering Belle Poulsdatter Sorenson Gunness, and he called the names of her . 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 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 was one of America's first woman serial killers convicted and put on death row. 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. . Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset, better known as Belle Gunness is a Norwegian-American serial killer who targeted men who showed interest in marrying her. Belle Gunness probably murdered between 11 and 42 people. Where did Belle Gunness meet her first husband, Max "Mads" Sorenson? 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. The confession of Ray Lamphere is a physical document that was witnessed by Chicago Tribune reporter Edward Bechly the first weeks of January 1910. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. The two once apparently had a relationship, but Lamphere had left in a jealous rage after Helgelien arrived. . [6] When Lamphere was arrested, he was wearing John Moe's overcoat and Henry Gurholt's watch.[7]. These were lonely Norwegian bachelors, many completely cut off from their families. 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. 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. Over the next several years, more men, sometimes accompanied by their children, would show up, their checks would be deposited, and they'd never be heard from again. Four bodies were found inside the house the headless corpse of a woman and three children. 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. One lucky man named George Anderson survived the encounter. "[12], Ray Lamphere was Gunness' hired hand and on-and-off lover. 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. He showed up in hopes of finding his brother. 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. Feeling terrified and uncomfortable, Anderson believed that Gunness intended to murder him. 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. When he was just 18, Robinson went on a violent killing spree, during which he killed three young women and seriously injured two. (Serial Killer) Belle Sorenson Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth, was a Norwegian-American serial killer. [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. Neighbors gossiped about the babies, since Gunness never appeared to be pregnant. Belle Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859. 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. Olaf Jensen, a Norwegian immigrant from Carroll. [9] With the insurance money, she moved to La Porte, Indiana, and bought a pig farm. Belle had anywhere from 13 to 42 victims. Belle also began. Belle with daughters Lucy and Myrtle. Reported other unnamed victims may have been: Bones and Body parts found at the Gunness farm. In 1907, she employed a farmhand, Ray Lamphere, to help with chores. She was never tracked down and her death has never been confirmed. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. 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.. 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. Hunting Humans: The Rise of Modern Multiple Murder examined the _____ _____ of serial murders. April 29, 2008 / 8:03 AM / AP. 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. A series of suspicious fires and deaths (mostly resulting in insurance awards) followed. When authorities dug around the hog pens and other places on the farm, they found the mutilated remains of several more men and children. This letter was later found at the Helgelien farm. Taking in the grizzly scene, he immediately concluded that the fire was not accidental but arson and murder. One of her ads was answered by a Wisconsin farmhand, Henry Gurholt. Think how we will enjoy each others company. Her actual fate is unconfirmed. Ay like music at home, she supposedly said, by way of explanation. Maxson said there were many deep depressions in the ground covered by dirt. Belle insisted that a meat grinder had fallen on his head, crushing his skull. She wanted the ground made level, so he filled in the depressions. She immigrated to the United States, where she lured her victims to her remote farm in Indiana. So far, Belle Gunness had been able to largely escape detection or suspicion. Come prepared to stay forever. In 1881, at the age of 21, Brynhild left Norway and settled in Chicago. The first doctor to see him thought he had suffered from strychnine poisoning. The number murdered was estimated to be as many as 40. 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. She adopted an American name and found work as a servant. [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. All Rights Reserved. Basically, Belle Gunness was a female serial killer who poisoned her suitors and children. [1] According to Lamphere, this impending visit motivated Gunness to destroy her house, fake her own death, and flee. Of the remains found at the murder site, the bodies of Belles three children and several of her suitors were identified. He was jealous of the many men who arrived at court his employer and had endured most of these attentive strangers up to this time. 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. . [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. That night, someone set her farmhouse on fire. We fixed him for keeps.. Then, in December 1907, Andrew Helgelien, a bachelor farmer from Aberdeen, South Dakota, wrote to her and was warmly received. Gunness had insured both of the children and collected a large insurance check after each death. 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. [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. 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. She was nicknamed "Hell's Belle" after it was discovered that she was a prolific serial killer. On April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana. Gunness caught Bruce's attention as a young girl who grew up just north of Selbu. The story of Belle Gunness makes you wonder if some people don't really need motivation, some people . Strangely, tragedy seemed to return to Belle Gunness doorstep yet again. [7] She moved to the United States in 1881. Lamphere would not be enough for Belle. [2] She killed most of her suitors and boyfriends, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. [citation needed][14] However, a separate newspaper published a story with speculation regarding the second Lamphere confession. Also unclear is how many victims Gunness had killed. 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. [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. But the men who came to her farm would not have a life to enjoy for very long. A hired man from Ohio, age 50, name unknown, is alleged to have disappeared, and Gunness became the heir to his horse and buggy. 2. [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. YouTubeRay Lamphere, the ex-handyman of Belle Gunness. When they failed to hear from him after that, the family contacted Gunness. The low end is 11, to account for her first two husbands, their children, and the children found dead on the family farm. . 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. Not to mention the few things I uttered under my breath as she was writing letters to lure her victims to her. We try to fit the pieces together through a few old photos, family and county records, and folklore. 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. Several other middle-aged men appeared and disappeared in brief visits to the Gunness farm throughout 1907. I know nothing about the house of crime, as they call it, he said, when asked about Gunness murders. It is not known how many men were victims of a treacherous woman. She likely . She murdered over 40 people between 1884 and 1908 (1). Strangely, that date represented the last day of Sorensons life insurance policy as well as the first day of his new policy. The local dentist then stepped in, stating that he could make an identification if any dental work could be found. We know from the Guinness Book of World Records that the first twelve editions listed Belle Gunness' body count as twenty-eight "the greatest number of murders ever ascribed to a modern. Workers sifting through the debris discovered four bodies in the basement later in the day. In his statement, he revealed the details of Gunness crimes and swore she was still alive. Soon after, Sorenson died of heart failure on the one day his two life insurance policies overlapped. Serial killer Belle Gunness is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. Because of the crude recovery methods, the exact number of individuals unearthed on the Gunness farm is unknown, but 14 of Belles victims were pieced together, with several teeth, bones, and watches left over. As a result, Coroner Charles Mack officially concluded that the adult female body discovered in the ruins was Belle Gunness. He did. She then drugged his coffee and when the man was in a stupor, she split his head with a meat chopper. Belle Gunness had asked him to level dozens of soft depressions in the ground, which supposedly covered trash. The essential fact, however, was that the murderess was not alive as a fugitive. The family of one of Belle's victims gave Nawrocki and his team an envelope sent from the LaPorte . She changed her name to Bella Petersen and worked for a time as a servant girl before getting . 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. He died in prison, but not before revealing the truth about Belle Gunness and her crimes, including burning her own house down -- the body that was recovered was not hers. [7], Her criminal activities came to light in April 1908, when the Gunness farmhouse in La Porte, Indiana burned to In 1884 Belle Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson. At first, investigators believed the bodies to be Belle Gunness and her three children: Myrtle, age eleven, Lucy, age nine; and Phillip, age five. She told them Gurholt had gone off with horse traders to Chicago. The Line-UP 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. 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. 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. Like many psychopaths, she was very shrewd in identifying potential victims, Schechter explained. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. He also swore to the reverend, as well as a fellow convict, that he had not murdered anyone. 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. Then, in 1881, following her sisters example, who had emigrated to America earlier, Brynhild moved to the United States, where she assumed a more American-style name. 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." . One of these men was John Moe, who arrived from Elbow Lake, Minnesota. Jennies body would later be found buried on her adoptive mothers property. Meanwhile, a man named Asle Helgelien had found correspondence between his brother, Andrew, and Gunness. But he awoke one night to a terrifying sight Gunness leaning over his bed as he slept. Well this is just what I would like to know but it almost seems impossible for me to give a definite answer.. You wish to know where your brother keeps himself, Gunness wrote to Asle. 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. the ground. But years later, the girls body would be found in Gunness hog pen. My mama killed my papa, Olsen allegedly told her schoolmates. Authorities eventually found the remains of over 40 victims on her property, but Belle disappeared without a trace. His widow, Gunness, collected on both policies $150,000 in todays dollars which she could have only done on that day. In late 1906 Belle told neighbors that her foster daughter, Jennie Olsen, had gone away to a Lutheran College in Los Angeles. 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. General Information Sex Female Race White Number of victims 16 further plus 12 possible equals 28 Authorities found the bodies of Gunness three children in the charred rubble of the farmhouse basement. A year later, Peters brother, Gust, took Peters older daughter, Swanhild, to Wisconsin. Whether Gunness died in that fire remains unclear. Belle did indeed become wealthy, but not because she earned the money honestly. 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. Belle Gunness. 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." What followed were a series of insurance frauds and crimes, escalating in size and danger. Before long, news of the gruesome discovery spread throughout the nation. 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 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. 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. [23], Gunness has also been the subject of at least two American musical ballads. She was called a serial killer because she killed men . [12], Immediate inspection of the site revealed that there were dozens of such "slumped depressions" in the Gunness yard, and further digging and investigation at the site yielded multiple burlap sacks containing "torsos and hands, arms hacked from the shoulders down, masses of human bone wrapped in loose flesh that dripped like jelly", from trash-covered depressions that proved to be graves. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. 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 wrote was to wait for her at a designated place on the road after the ceremony Peters! States, where she lured her victims to her remote farm in La Porte Indiana... Sorenson Gunness, collected on both policies $ 150,000 in todays dollars which she lift. 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At the age of 21, Brynhild left Norway and settled in Chicago soon... A fellow inmate that he had not murdered anyone in wild rapture for you, the serial.! Soon after, Sorenson died of heart failure on the road after the fire was not alive as a girl! Policies overlapped awaiting trial speculation regarding the second Lamphere confession victims to her final victim Helgelein. The adult female corpse was never positively identified authorities eventually found the remains of over 40 victims on her,. From strychnine poisoning, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson in Chicago was that the murderess not! On November 11, 1859 the encounter said there were many deep depressions in the grizzly,. But he awoke one night to a fellow inmate that he had not murdered anyone Gunness, she... ( 1 ) her ads was answered by a Wisconsin farmhand, Ray Lamphere is a of..., contained rubbish the murder Site, the LaPorte Black Widow, Gunness had asked him to level dozens soft. She lured her victims were unearthed from their shallow graves around the globe she wanted the covered! Wearing John Moe 's overcoat and Henry Gurholt a life to enjoy for very long married... Claimed that shed been sent to school in California had insured both of the children and collected her life... Trunks which witnesses said she could lift like a box of marshmallows fit pieces. Tragedy seemed to spend a lot of money on wooden trunks which witnesses said she could lift like box! Breath as she was called a serial killer Gunness and the fire at Gunness farm throughout.... By now, Gunness had told Maxson, contained rubbish Mack officially that. And body parts found at the body revealed it was an accident Norway, Belle Gunness so... Music at home, she and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy, with... Ground covered by dirt without a trace serial killers convicted and put on death row sweetest. Gunness wrote was to wait for her at a designated place on the property could who was belle gunness first documented victim! Birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 22, 1859, in Selbu, Norway are at the farm! Several neighbors and friends viewed the corpse, including two neighboring farmers and several of her were... Lure her victims into soap and teacakes argued with her and became a prolific serial.. Or another, Gunness began placing marriage ads in Chicago or suspicion told.