Benjamin Carling of Chicago, Illinois, was last seen by his wife in 1907 after telling her that he was going to La Porte to secure an investment with a wealthy widow. This is what is known, and what is suspected, about the number of victims serial killer Belle Gunness had. Not long afterward, their home and the store mysteriously burned down. Gunness was back a few days later to complain to the sheriff that Lamphere had visited her farm and argued with her. The Line-UP Where was Belle Gunness born? Peters infant daughter from a previous relationship died. She made her home in Chicago and started working as a maid. That tale is even more frightening. Belle had anywhere from 13 to 42 victims. Abraham Phillips, a railwayman of Burlington. She got away without a trace and it's still a mystery as to where she went today. Whether Gunness died in that fire remains unclear. [citation needed][14] However, a separate newspaper published a story with speculation regarding the second Lamphere confession. We try to fit the pieces together through a few old photos, family and county records, and folklore. He disappeared from her farm within a week of his arrival. Daniel Rennie is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne, Australia. To make matters worse, one of Belles children told a classmate that her mother had hit her husband over the head with a cleaver. Gunness, according to Lamphere, had drugged the woman, then bashed in her head. Gunness collected money from both the expiring life insurance policy, and the one that went into effect that day, making a total of $5,000. 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. Gunness wrote back, telling Asle Helgelien that his brother was not at her farm and probably went to Norway to visit relatives. Belle Gunness's First Husband. It is believed the couple produced two children whom Gunness poisoned in infancy for the insurance money. 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. She is often referred to as Hell's Belle and authorities eventually found the remains of over forty victims on her farm property. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. By now, Gunness had purchased a farm in La Porte, Indiana. She contended that he posed a threat to her family and had Lamphere arrested for trespassing. One lucky man named George Anderson survived the encounter. 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. Lamphere was arrested and charged with murder, with his cries of innocence falling on deaf ears. He tried to rouse the lady of the house, the towering Belle Poulsdatter Sorenson Gunness, and he called the names of her . Belle with daughters Lucy and Myrtle. She dumped the corpse into a hog-scalding vat at other times and then covered the remains with quicklime. Caroline and Axel died as infants from acute colitis, the symptoms of which nausea, fever, diarrhea, and lower abdominal pain and cramping are also symptoms of many forms of poisoning. Ay like music at home, she supposedly said, by way of explanation. Also unclear is how many victims Gunness had killed. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,.css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}contact us! No replies by letter considered unless sender is willing to follow answer with a personal visit. 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. Soon after, Sorenson died of heart failure on the one day his two life insurance policies overlapped. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. 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. On July 30, 1900, Albert Sorenson died on the one day his two life insurance policies overlapped. You wish to know where your brother keeps himself, Gunness wrote to Asle. Three were identified as her foster children. They arrived with thousands of dollars and then disappeared. [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. The investigators began to sift through the debris, and a piece of bridgework was found; the dentist identified it as work done for Gunness. In 1906, Belle Gunness connected with her final victim. She then went to work as a servant on a wealthy farm for the next several years. 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 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. A series of suspicious fires and deaths (mostly resulting in insurance awards) followed. Stephanie Brooks. Carlson died on May 6, 1931, while awaiting trial. YouTubeIn the early 20th century, Belle Gunness killed scores of men for their money. BLACK WIDOW: Belle Gunness, from Selbu, Norway, is infamous as America's first woman serial killer. 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. [20] The inconsistencies between the two confessions, including the matter of the survival of Belle Gunness, remain historical issues that are not fully resolved. Olaf Jensen, a Norwegian immigrant from Carroll. 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. After they had corresponded for several months, Moe travelled to La Porte and withdrew a large amount of cash. Harvey's first-known victim died in 1970, and it wasn't until 1987 that he pleaded guilty to killing 37 people most of whom he murdered while working in Cincinnati and London, Kentucky . Belle Gunness. Belle insisted that a meat grinder had fallen on his head, crushing his skull. 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. Their home had also burned down, and both instances granted the couple insurance payouts. She was also known as Hell's Belle, the . However, word soon spread that her relationship with Lamphere was more than strictly professional. 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." . In her letters, Gunness had asked her mark to bring all of his money and not tell anyone what he was up to. 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. The only known child to have survived living with Belle Gunness was Peter's daughter . Then, on July 30, 1900, tragedy struck again. American newspapers labeled Belle Gunness the Black Widow, Hells Belle, the Indiana Ogress, and the Mistress of the Castle of Death.. Prairie Ghosts Belles husbands death netted her another $3,000 (about $81,000 today). I can tell from your letters that you are the man I want. Also counted was an adopted 10-year-old girl, identified as Morgan Couch, but who was later known as Jennie Olsen. Gunness claimed they were a Los Angeles professor and his wife who had taken Jennie to California. [1] According to Lamphere, this impending visit motivated Gunness to destroy her house, fake her own death, and flee. Belle Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859. It read: To the Dearest Friend in the World: No woman in the world is happier than I am. She told him that she had fired her jealous farmhand, Lamphere, which caused him to go mad. But after Andrew Helgelien stopped answering letters, his brother Asle got worried and demanded answers. And, worse, according to Lamphere, if she was overly tired, she would chop up the remains and feed them to the hogs. Brynhild P. Strseth was born in Norway in 1859 to a stone-mason and his wife. An older sister, likely named Nellie, emigrated to the United States in the early 1880s. She was one of America's first woman serial killers convicted and put on death row. 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. Neighbors gossiped about the babies, since Gunness never appeared to be pregnant. One of these men was John Moe, who arrived from Elbow Lake, Minnesota. [7], Peter died eight months later due to a skull injury. [9] The district coroner convened a coroner's jury, suspecting murder, but nothing came of the case. Meanwhile, Asle Helgelien had read about the fire in the newspaper. Before long, Gunness and Helgelien began exchanging romantic letters. 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. Belle Sorenson Gunness (November 11, 1859 declared dead April 28, 1908) born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth was a NorwegianAmerican serial killer. Answer: Selbu, Norway Belle was born on November 22, 1859. In response to her letter, Helgelien rushed to her side in January 1908. All Rights Reserved. These were lonely Norwegian bachelors, many completely cut off from their families. Although her farmhouse burned down in April 1908, seemingly with her inside, some believe that Gunness slipped away perhaps to kill again. 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. 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. At first, investigators believed the bodies to be Belle Gunness and her three children: Myrtle, age eleven, Lucy, age nine; and Phillip, age five. In the pantheon of serial killers, Belle Gunness stands alone. .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. As she was preparing to move from Chicago to LaPorte, she became re-acquainted with a recent widower named Peter Gunness, also from Norway. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. Hunting Humans: The Rise of Modern Multiple Murder examined the _____ _____ of serial murders. 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. A watch corresponding to one belonging to Gurholdt was found with a body. Four bodies were found at the Gunness farm. Despite the arrest, Lamphere returned again and again to see her, but she drove him away. Sure, she came with dreams of getting together a bunch of money for herself, but her methods for getting that money were devious and deadly. 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. . Not long after, the children died, and the couple collected another insurance payment. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth in Selbu, Norway on November 11, 1859. Ole B. Budsberg, an elderly widower from Iola, Wisconsin, appeared next. [1] We fixed him for keeps.. In addition to three . It was reported that both the boat and carriage houses burned to the ground shortly after she acquired the property. [7], Sorenson had purchased two life insurance policies. 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. [19], The publication of Lamphere's confession resulted in the subsequent arrest of his accomplice Elisabeth Smith. The media surrounding the affair drew hundreds of people, and postcards were made. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. I think of you constantly. 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. But she never showed up; instead, she cut across open fields and disappeared into the woods. Ray Lamphere, Gunness's hired hand, was arrested for murder and arson on May 22, 1908. He showed up in hopes of finding his brother. The First victims. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. One of the bodies belonged to Andrew Hegelian. Lampheres lawyer, Wirt Worden, developed evidence that the bridgework that was found may have been planted. Gunness, the youngest of 8 children, grew up on a cotter's farm in Innbygda, Selbu. [4] Gunness seemingly died in a fire in 1908, but it is popularly believed that she faked her death. [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. He quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his clothes. Belle Gunness was born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway on November 11, 1859. La Porte County Historical Society Museum. Story by Thomas Duke, 1910 . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Basically, Belle Gunness was a female serial killer who poisoned her suitors and children. The Truth about Belle Gunness (MysteriousPress.com/Open Road), This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:28. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 in Selbu, Norway. 4) What were the first documented crimes connected to Belle Gunness? Gunness then began meeting wealthy men through a lovelorn column. Belle also began posting notices in lovelorn columns to entice wealthy men to her farm, after which they were never seen again. John Moe of Elbow Lake, Minnesota. When first interrogated as to his whereabouts on the night of the fire, Lamphere claimed that he was in the company of an [African-American woman] named Mrs. Elizabeth Smith until 4 a.m., or one-half hour after the fire started, but he subsequently confessed that he burned the . Ray Lamphere, the ex-handyman of Belle Gunness. They also found the body of a headless woman who, at first, they assumed was Belle Gunness. (Serial Killer) Belle Sorenson Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth, was a Norwegian-American serial killer. The woman in the fire was approximately 5 3 tall and weighed about 125 pounds, significantly smaller than Belle Gunness. Serial killer Belle Gunness is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. The low end is 11, to account for her first two husbands, their children, and the children found dead on the family farm. Asle Helgelien didn't believe Belle Gunness' claims that his brother, missing for months after answering the widow's lonely . [Gunness] beguiled them with promises of down-home Norwegian cooking and painted a very seductive portrait of the kind of life theyd enjoy.. 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. There, Gunness met her first known victim her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. This female serial killer was not only the worst in Illinois history; she was also one of the worst American serial killers ever recorded. A celebrity actress who gets her dream role playing real-life 19th century serial killer Belle Gunness in a feature film, starts to take on the characteristics of the character both on-screen and off. She hit him with a meat cleaver and he died. Further digging yielded more grisly discoveries. 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. Then, Joe Maxson came forward with information that could not be ignored. Belle Gunness had asked him to level dozens of soft depressions in the ground, which supposedly covered trash. But once the tide turns away from Belle Sorensen of Gunness. Concurrently, Gunness had begun to develop problems with a farmhand named Ray Lamphere. 1908) left her native Norway in 1881, at the age of 21, to travel to Chicago. She then made her way to Chicago, Illinois, where she again worked as a servant for a time. Her father, Paul Pedersen Strset, was a stonemason and her mother, Berit Olsdatter, was a housewife. In 1884 Belle Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. How many are known? 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. In the end, Ray Lamphere was charged with arson but not murder. The daughter of a stonemason, Gunness immigrated to the United States in 1881 in search of wealth. Though estimates vary widely, Belle Gunness is believed to have killed at least a dozen people (and possibly upwards of 40) between 1884 and . 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. Of the house, the towering Belle Poulsdatter Sorenson Gunness, birth Brynhild... Named George Anderson survived the encounter not long after, Sorenson died of heart failure on the one his... Woman, then bashed in her letters, his brother Asle got worried and demanded answers in! 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