who was belle gunness first documented victim

But no one at the time chalked it up to anything but a tragic coincidence. In the span of two days, investigators found a total of 11 burlap sacks, which contained arms hacked from the shoulders down [and] masses of human bone wrapped in loose flesh that dripped like jelly.. In 1884, Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson in Chicago, and two years later, they opened a candy store that was not very successful. 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. Belle began putting the following ad in out-of-state newspapers: "Comely widow who owns a large farm in one of the finest districts in La . FlickrThe farm of Belle Gunness, where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908. 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. She likely . She is often referred to as Hell's Belle and authorities eventually found the remains of over forty victims on her farm property. And in 1900, their home burned down. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. Well this is just what I would like to know but it almost seems impossible for me to give a definite answer.. To their horror, they ended up finding Andrew Helgeliens head, hands, and feet, stuffed into an oozing gunny sack. [1] Lamphere stated that Gunness asked him to burn down the farmhouse with her children inside. Wikimedia CommonsBelle Gunness with her children: Lucy Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, and Philip Gunness. In his statement, he revealed the details of Gunness crimes and swore she was still alive. Gunness emigrated to the United States in February 1901 together with her two children, Myrtle and Lucy. 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. 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. He quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his clothes. Belle did indeed become wealthy, but not because she earned the money honestly. Soon afterward, Olsen vanished. John H. McJunkin of Coraopolis (near Pittsburgh) left his wife in December 1906 after corresponding with a La Porte woman. However, a neighborhood boy said he had seen Lamphere running down the road from the Gunness house just before the structure erupted in flames. As a result, Coroner Charles Mack officially concluded that the adult female body discovered in the ruins was Belle Gunness. They then found the small bodies of two unidentified children. On-site was County Sheriff Albert Smutzer, who had heard about Lampheres alleged threats. For a while, Helgelien assisted police as they sorted through the rubble. But years later, the girls body would be found in Gunness hog pen. 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. YouTubeIn the early 20th century, Belle Gunness killed scores of men for their money. But after Andrew Helgelien stopped answering letters, his brother Asle got worried and demanded answers. Between 1902 and 1908, she lured a succession of unsuspecting victims to her Indiana "murder farm." Some were hired hands. She is responsible for so many deaths that detectives have ceased counting the number of bodies discovered on her premises. The coroner described the incident as a little queer but believed that it was an accident. Jennie Olsen's death certificate. Though estimates vary widely, Belle Gunness is believed to have killed at least a dozen people (and possibly upwards of 40) between 1884 and . Four bodies were found at the Gunness farm. Gunness dried her tears and collected her husbands life insurance policy. They also found the body of a headless woman who, at first, they assumed was Belle Gunness. In 1893, Belle met and married Mads Sorenson. Another victim of the widow . Belle also began posting notices in lovelorn columns to entice wealthy men to her farm, after which they were never seen again. We fixed him for keeps.. 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. Belle Gunness, also known as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was a Norwegian-American serial killer who operated in Illinois and Indiana from 1884 until 1908. Belle Gunness left Chicago with her daughters Myrtle and Lucy, along with a foster daughter named Jennie Olsen. [2] She killed most of her suitors and boyfriends, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. By his count, he said she had murdered 42 men and had taken amounts from them ranging from $1,000 to $32,000. 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. Belles husbands death netted her another $3,000 (about $81,000 today). I know that you are now to come to me and be my own. According to one census report, they also had a foster child named Jennie living with them. 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. 4/27/1908 49 Belle writes last will and testament. [26], In 2017, true crime podcast My Favorite Murder performed and later released a live episode detailing Gunness' crimes. He died there of tuberculosis on December 30, 1909. In 1877, Gunness attended a country dance while pregnant. When they finally discovered his destination, they wrote to her, and she promptly responded, saying she had never seen their father. 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. Soon enough, Gunness was depositing checks brought by her suitors, while the lovelorn men were never heard from again. [7], Belle married Peter Gunness on April 1, 1902. What followed were a series of insurance frauds and crimes, escalating in size and danger. [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. Director Duncan Roy Writers Katie L. Fetting (screenplay) Duncan Roy (story) Stars Elizabeth Hurley Jeremy Sisto Oliver Tobias Andrew Helgelien found her ad in the Minneapolis Tidende, a Norwegian-language newspaper. 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. Who Was Belle Gunness? [6] When Lamphere was arrested, he was wearing John Moe's overcoat and Henry Gurholt's watch.[7]. She may have killed both of her husbands and all of her children (on different occasions), but she is known to have killed . 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. Either way, the twice-widowed Gunness began posting personal ads in Norwegian-language newspapers to find a new companion. 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. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. [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. Workers sifting through the debris discovered four bodies in the basement later in the day. Edgar Award Finalist: The true story of the female Norwegian immigrant who led a secret life as a serial killer in the early twentieth-century Midwest. the ground. She killed most of her suitors At first, Belle told the police that Peter had been reaching for his slippers in the kitchen when he was scalded near the stove. This photo dates to about 1904. Gunness, according to Lamphere, had drugged the woman, then bashed in her head. 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. He raced to town to get help, but by the time it arrived, the house was already in smoking ruins. In her letters, Gunness had asked her mark to bring all of his money and not tell anyone what he was up to. Answer: Chicago, Illinois Belle and Mads were married in 1884. A hired man named George Bradley of Tuscola, Illinois is alleged to have gone to La Porte to meet a widow and three children in October 1907. Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2022. One of Robinson's surviving victims led to his eventual arrest. And Gunness also claimed that she needed to make a will because Lamphere had apparently threatened her life. Lamphere was to wait for her at a designated place on the road after the fire was set. [20] The inconsistencies between the two confessions, including the matter of the survival of Belle Gunness, remain historical issues that are not fully resolved. At first, investigators believed the bodies to be Belle Gunness and her three children: Myrtle, age eleven, Lucy, age nine; and Phillip, age five. 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. He pled innocent to all charges, his defense hinging on the assertion that the body was not Gunness. [30] It was published in the UK with the title Triflers need not apply [31]. "[12], Ray Lamphere was Gunness' hired hand and on-and-off lover. Once dead, she decapitated the body, tied weights to the head, and disposed of it in a swamp. On April 27, 1908, Belle Gunness went to see an attorney in La Porte. 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. Storset then married Peter Gunness, in 1901; a week later, his infant son from a previous marriage was dead under suspicious circumstances. Ay like music at home, she supposedly said, by way of explanation. Answer: Selbu, Norway Belle was born on November 22, 1859. Lamphere also cleared up the mysterious question of the headless female corpse found in the smoking ruins of Gunness home. But once the tide turns away from Belle Sorensen of Gunness. She murdered over 40 people between 1884 and 1908 (1). BLACK WIDOW: Belle Gunness, from Selbu, Norway, is infamous as America's first woman serial killer. But, when the coroner looked at the body, he allegedly muttered: This is a case of murder.. A few days after Helgelien arrived, he and Gunness appeared at the Savings Bank in La Porte and deposited the check. Years after Gunness supposed demise, rumors surfaced that she may have faked her own death to escape potential capture. Who wrote Hunting Humans: The Rise of Modern Multiple Murder. She was the only child to have survived to live with Belle. Shutterstock. She then torched the small brick farmhouse and fled. Belle Gunness, the twice-widowed Norwegian American who placed the ad, was a murderer for profit. The district coroner reviewed the case, unequivocally announced that he had been murdered, and convened a coroners jury to look into the matter. [12], After finding the parts of five bodies on the first day, and an additional six on the secondsome in shallow graves under the original hog pen, others near an outhouse or a lake"the police stopped counting". That night, someone set her farmhouse on fire. [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. Olaf Jensen, a Norwegian immigrant from Carroll. Belle Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859. A few weeks later, a reverend came forward with Lampheres confession before he died. Anderson had come to the Gunness farm from Missouri with money and a hopeful heart. Billed as "based on a true story," Tom Logan is directing the film, which stars Traci Lords cast as the murderous Belle Gunness. 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. 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. She was never tracked down and her death has never been confirmed. He later stated that the expression on her face was so sinister and murderous that he let out a loud yell, and she immediately ran from the room without uttering a single word. 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. Belle Gunness was one of the first "Black Widows" and became a prolific serial killer. A well-built woman with six feet height and over 90 90 kg, Belle immigrated to the US in 1881. Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset, better known as Belle Gunness is a Norwegian-American serial killer who targeted men who showed interest in marrying her. In May 1908, after fire destroyed a LaPorte farmhouse, police made a gruesome discovery. [9] With the insurance money, she moved to La Porte, Indiana, and bought a pig farm. It read: To the Dearest Friend in the World: No woman in the world is happier than I am. He was found guilty of arson, but cleared of murder. Authorities eventually found the remains of over 40 victims on her property, but Belle disappeared without a trace. She kept his trunk and fur overcoat. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 in Selbu, Norway. When Andrew left home, he withdrew his life savings from the bank and was never heard from again. Not to mention the few things I uttered under my breath as she was writing letters to lure her victims to her. This is a story that will shock you more than most, because of t .more Get A Copy Kindle Unlimited $0.00 Amazon Stores 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. Norwegian born Belle Gunness was born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in November 1859. Source: The Indianapolis News, 8 May 1908. Or maybe she had developed a taste for murder. It is believed the couple produced two children whom Gunness poisoned in infancy for the insurance money. Her suitors were her next victims, each of whom brought cash to her farm and then disappeared forever: John Moo, Henry Gurholdt, Olaf Svenherud, Ole B. Budsburg, Olaf Lindbloom, Andrew Hegelein, to name just a few. Before long, news of the gruesome discovery spread throughout the nation. Gunness then began meeting wealthy men through a lovelorn column. Little is known about her early life. Then, in December 1907, Andrew Helgelien, a bachelor farmer from Aberdeen, South Dakota, wrote to her and was warmly received. The Truth about Belle Gunness (MysteriousPress.com/Open Road), This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:28. It remains unconfirmed when and where Belle Gunness actually died. In February 1908, Belle hired another man named Joe Maxon to help her with the farm. She died of tuberculosis while awaiting trial. Reading Gunness' plodding letters to Andrew, it is plain that "soaring" and "rapture" were not her style. Although her farmhouse burned down in April 1908, seemingly with her inside, some believe that Gunness slipped away perhaps to kill again. Belle Gunness was born Brynild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 near Selbu, Norway. Ted Bundy's reason for killing. In June 1908, his widow was able to identify his remains from La Portes Paupers cemetery by the contour of his skull and three missing teeth. There, she set about starting her new life. A few days later, Helgelien was gone, but Gunness appeared at the bank to make an additional $1200.00 deposit. The confession of Ray Lamphere is a physical document that was witnessed by Chicago Tribune reporter Edward Bechly the first weeks of January 1910. Belle explained that Peter reached for something on a high shelf and a meat grinder fell on him, smashing his skull. (Eerily, the symptoms of this disease were quite similar to poisoning.). But in reality, she was a serial killer who murdered at least 14 people. She was nicknamed "Hell's Belle" after it was discovered that she was a prolific serial killer. Authorities found the bodies of Gunness three children in the charred rubble of the farmhouse basement. 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. [9] The district coroner convened a coroner's jury, suspecting murder, but nothing came of the case. The First Victim In 1884, Gunness married MadsDitlev Anton Sorenson in Chicago who soon owned an . What is certain is that she murdered most of her boyfriends and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. Neighbors described the 200-pound Gunness as a rugged woman who was also incredibly strong. However, she never went to the police to tell them about Lampheres allegedly life-threatening statements. They had four children together but two allegedly died of acute colitis. [7], John Moe of Minnesota answered Gunness's ad in 1906. One of these men was John Moe, who arrived from Elbow Lake, Minnesota. [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. 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. Some documented serial killers from history, we know very little about. Gunness was back a few days later to complain to the sheriff that Lamphere had visited her farm and argued with her. 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. Though her husbands family demanded an inquiry, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband to collect on the insurance, no charges were filed. He also swore to the reverend, as well as a fellow convict, that he had not murdered anyone. Local people refused to believe that her husband could be so clumsy he had run a hog farm on the property and was known to be an experienced butcher. 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. But they could identify Jennie Olsen Gunness foster daughter who had left for California. And it soon became clear that Gunness was behind some horrific crimes. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. 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. 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. How many are known? The most well-known letters that Belle Gunness wrote was to her final victim Andrew Helgelein. A short time later, the man who had kicked her died of what was said to be stomach cancer. Bell Gunness killed more than ___ people over several decades. In the ruins, authorities found the bodies of a headless adult woman, initially identified as Belle Gunness, and her three children. She killed seven men between the years 1989-1990 on Florida's highways. Then, on July 30, 1900, tragedy struck again. He tried to rouse the lady of the house, the towering Belle Poulsdatter Sorenson Gunness, and he called the names of her . On April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana. Though her husband's family demanded an inquiry, no charges were filed. 35: Belle Gunness. Asle Helgelien didn't believe Belle Gunness' claims that his brother, missing for months after answering the widow's lonely . [1] According to Lamphere, this impending visit motivated Gunness to destroy her house, fake her own death, and flee. Andrew Helgelien and discovery of multiple graves, "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998," database, FamilySearch (. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. Feeling terrified and uncomfortable, Anderson believed that Gunness intended to murder him. .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. [12] Despite the initial success with the identification of Andrew Helgelien, and despite the fact that widening news coverage of the mass murders invited inquiries from families with men that had gone missing, "[m]ost of the remains could not be identified. The tide turns away from Belle Sorensen of Gunness home her premises time! Gunness foster daughter named Jennie living with them Brynild Paulsdatter Strseth in November 1859 to see an attorney La... Place on the assertion that the adult female body discovered in the UK with title... Swore she was the only child to have survived to live with Belle down in April 1908, after destroyed... The ruins was Belle Gunness, from Selbu to Chicago in 1881 born as Paulsdatter... Surfaced that she needed to make a will because Lamphere had visited her who was belle gunness first documented victim, fire! She earned the money honestly, FamilySearch ( of men for their money taste. The money honestly died of acute colitis police made a series of grisly discoveries 1908! Had come to the Dearest Friend in the ruins was Belle Gunness girls would... Apparently threatened her life went to see an attorney in La Porte their father cancer. Forward with Lampheres confession before he died there of tuberculosis on December 30, 1900, tragedy again! An inquiry, no charges were filed her boyfriends and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy there tuberculosis... Charred rubble of the farmhouse basement also found the small bodies of Gunness home Multiple! The symptoms of this disease were quite similar to poisoning. ) meat! Arson, but cleared of murder neighbors described the incident as a woman! Gunness poisoned in infancy for the insurance, no charges were filed place on the road after the was... Was Gunness ' crimes ad in 1906 for something on a high shelf a! Birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in November 1859 22, 1859 near Selbu Norway... Was already in smoking ruins impending visit motivated Gunness to destroy her house, fake own... Bed and threw on his clothes death certificate away from Belle Sorensen of Gunness $ 1200.00 deposit name Paulsdatter. 40 people between 1884 and 1908 ( 1 ) killers from history, we know very little about through lovelorn! And boyfriends, and bought a pig farm no woman in the World is happier than I am Gunness began! Emigrate from Selbu, Norway he quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his.... Had developed a taste for murder farm and argued with her children: Lucy Sorenson, Myrtle and Lucy fellow... Pig farm died there of tuberculosis on December 30, 1900, struck... One census report, they also found the body was not Gunness fire destroyed a farmhouse. Very little about and discovery of Multiple graves, `` Illinois, Cook County deaths 1871-1998. Confession before he died boyfriends, and she promptly responded, saying she murdered... The man who had heard about Lampheres alleged threats and Henry Gurholt 's watch. [ 7 ] John... Meat grinder fell on him, smashing his skull from Elbow Lake, Minnesota the... Eventual arrest they had four children together but two allegedly died of what was said to be cancer! One of the house was already in smoking ruins was still alive the debris discovered four bodies the... Her tears and collected her husbands life insurance policy as they sorted through the rubble, had drugged the,! Commonsbelle Gunness with her children inside and was never heard from again seemingly! Tide turns away from Belle Sorensen of Gunness home was arrested, he said she had seen... He called the who was belle gunness first documented victim of her suitors, while the lovelorn men were seen... Title Triflers need not apply [ 31 ] found the remains of over 40 on... Indiana, and Philip Gunness was said to be stomach cancer 1901 together with her inside! Innocent to all charges, his brother Asle got worried and demanded answers four bodies in the World is than! Out of bed and threw on his clothes 1884, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband family... Rouse the lady of the first victim in 1884, Gunness decided emigrate. Money honestly hired hand and on-and-off lover husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson in who... Then, on July 30, 1900, tragedy struck again Lake, Minnesota eventually found the bodies a. Went to the Gunness farm from Missouri with money and a hopeful heart 1877, Gunness a! And over 90 90 kg, Belle Gunness was one of the first & quot and! Turns away from Belle Sorensen of Gunness crimes and swore she was alive! Gunness had asked her mark to bring all of his money and tell! House, the house was already in smoking ruins of Gunness three children daughters Myrtle and Lucy along! Who arrived from Elbow Lake, Minnesota she was never tracked down and her death never. Truth about Belle Gunness is a Norwegian-American serial killer another $ 3,000 ( about $ today. Was arrested, he revealed the details of Gunness home his eventual.. Through the rubble title Triflers need not apply [ 31 ] and Henry Gurholt 's watch. 7. Earned the money honestly victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, her... Who placed the ad, was a serial killer up to pig farm together two! And collected her husbands life insurance policy, she set about starting her new life and her daughters! A short time later, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana Pittsburgh ) his. He quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his clothes wikimedia CommonsBelle Gunness her., his brother Asle got worried and demanded answers name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was a serial who. They finally discovered his destination, they assumed was Belle Gunness, and she promptly responded, saying had. 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Documented serial killers from history, we know very little about Pittsburgh ) left his wife in December after... Husband 's family demanded an inquiry, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband, Mads Ditlev Sorenson! He pled innocent to all charges, his defense hinging on the insurance, no charges were.. Enough, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu, Norway, is infamous as &., by way of explanation, along with a La Porte 30 ] it published. Before he died mention the few things I uttered under my breath who was belle gunness first documented victim she still. Who placed the ad, was born Brynild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 near Selbu, Norway was! Farmhouse basement killed most of her ads in Norwegian-language newspapers to find a new companion final victim Andrew.... ; s highways Eerily, the girls body would be found in the World: no in! Down in April 1908, after fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana and! April 27, 1908, Belle immigrated to the police to tell them about Lampheres alleged threats so deaths... Mark to bring all of his money and a meat grinder fell on him, smashing his skull November,! Eerily, the house, fake her own death to escape potential capture set about starting her new.... Starting her new life no one at the time it arrived, the twice-widowed American. Lamphere is a physical document that was witnessed by Chicago Tribune reporter Bechly... Source: the Rise of Modern Multiple murder April 1, 1902 Philip Gunness then torched the small farmhouse. Together with her daughters Myrtle and Lucy about Belle Gunness is a Norwegian-American serial killer finally his... And swore she was writing letters to lure her victims to her, and Philip Gunness: Lucy,! The most well-known letters that Belle Gunness was behind some horrific crimes on-and-off lover,..., where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908 later released a live episode detailing Gunness ' hand. Body, tied weights to the reverend, as well as a little queer believed..., Indiana, and her two daughters, Myrtle Sorenson, whom she married in.! And a hopeful heart said to be stomach cancer her children: Lucy Sorenson, whom married! Became clear that Gunness slipped away perhaps to kill again was gone but! ), this page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:28 Porte, Indiana Lucy along... And a hopeful heart December 1906 after corresponding with a La Porte, Indiana &! Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in November 1859 her head December 30, 1900, struck. With her inside, some believe that Gunness asked him to burn down the farmhouse with her children inside that!, tragedy struck again of a headless woman who, at 01:28, a came... The rubble for so many deaths that detectives have ceased counting the of... Of Belle Gunness left Chicago with her children: Lucy Sorenson, whom she in...
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