Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset, better known as Belle Gunness is a Norwegian-American serial killer who targeted men who showed interest in marrying her. On July 30, 1900, Albert Sorenson died on the one day his two life insurance policies overlapped. 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. To lure her last victim, Gunness wrote: My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Andrew, I love you. 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. Mrs. They arrived with thousands of dollars and then disappeared. Lamphere was quickly charged with murder and arson, and police began to search the farm grounds, hoping to find Gunness head. And some estimate that she may have killed as many as 40 victims. At the time of her supposed death in 1908, Gunness lived on a farm in LaPorte, IN. 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. It is not known how many men were victims of a treacherous woman. What is certain is that she murdered most of her boyfriends and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. Then, I did the planting.. Lamphere also cleared up the mysterious question of the headless female corpse found in the smoking ruins of Gunness home. The daughter of a stonemason, Gunness immigrated to the United States in 1881 in search of wealth. One of Robinson's surviving victims led to his eventual arrest. No replies by letter considered unless sender is willing to follow answer with personal visit. He had with him a check for $2,900, his savings, which he had drawn from his local bank. Belle explained that Peter reached for something on a high shelf and a meat grinder fell on him, smashing his skull. Either way, the twice-widowed Gunness began posting personal ads in Norwegian-language newspapers to find a new companion. Whether Gunness died in the fire or escaped remained uncertain, although the sheriff blamed a Chicago American reporter for inventing the "escaped" story. Afterward, the locals said that Brynhilds personality drastically changed. She also chloroformed her children, smothered them to death, and carried them to the basement. Belle Gunness with her children: Lucy Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, and Philip Gunness. Soon enough, the shop burned down, and the couple collected a nice insurance payment. . Ray Lamphere, Gunness's hired hand, was arrested for murder and arson on May 22, 1908. Lampheres lawyer, Wirt Worden, developed evidence that the bridgework that was found may have been planted. A series of deaths and disappearances of people associated with her followed, many of which fetched her insurance . She also posted ads in lovelorn columns to attract wealthy bachelors. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. Sorenson died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage. Concurrently, Gunness had begun to develop problems with a farmhand named Ray Lamphere. Serial killer Belle Gunness is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. One lucky man named George Anderson survived the encounter. Belle Gunness (also known as Lady Bluebeard, The LaPorte Black Widow, The Mistress . Further digging yielded more grisly discoveries. She is often referred to as Hell's Belle and authorities eventually found the remains of over forty victims on her farm property. In the end, Ray Lamphere was charged with arson but not murder. Despite the arrest, Lamphere returned again and again to see her, but she drove him away. In April 1902, she married Peter Gunness. the ground. La Porte County Historical Society Museum. [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. 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. . Abraham Phillips, a railwayman of Burlington. Then, on July 30, 1900, tragedy struck again. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. 4/27/1908 49 Belle writes last will and testament. And did Gunness really die in the farmhouse disaster? But years later, the girls body would be found in Gunness hog pen. Born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in Norway, Belle Gunness moved to the United States in 1881 at the age of 22. They had four children together but two allegedly died of acute colitis. When I hear your name mentioned, and this is when one of the dear children speaks of you, or I hear myself humming it with the words of an old love song, it is beautiful music to my ears. But, for Helgeliens brother, Asle, the matter was far from over. A hired man from Ohio, age 50, name unknown, is alleged to have disappeared, and Gunness became the heir to his horse and buggy. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. 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 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 . [29], In the Garden of Spite: A Novel of the Black Widow of LaPorte is a US-published 2021 novel by Camilla Bruce with elements of "Norwegian noir and true crime" based on the life of Belle Gunness. He quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his clothes. She told them Gurholt had gone off with horse traders to Chicago. General Information Sex Female Race White Number of victims 16 further plus 12 possible equals 28 Gunness wrote back, telling Asle Helgelien that his brother was not at her farm and probably went to Norway to visit relatives. When the smoke cleared, authorities were left with so many bodies that they "stopped counting," according to Mental Floss. To their horror, they ended up finding Andrew Helgeliens head, hands, and feet, stuffed into an oozing gunny sack. Gunness had a system. [9], Two babies in Gunness' home died from inflammation of the large intestine, which can result from poisoning. 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. Then, Joe Maxson came forward with information that could not be ignored. Belle wore the finest clothing on those occasions, and her hair was adorned in the latest style. Gunness was back a few days later to complain to the sheriff that Lamphere had visited her farm and argued with her. The couple collected the insurance money and bought a new home. She made her home in Chicago and started working as a maid. [7], Belle married Peter Gunness on April 1, 1902. For starters, she was a woman. 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. 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." . [7], Gunness began placing marriage ads in Chicago newspapers in 1905. Andrew Helgelien found her ad in the Minneapolis Tidende, a Norwegian-language newspaper. 3) What groups of people were Gunness' victims? You wish to know where your brother keeps himself, Gunness wrote to Asle. She killed most of her suitors and boyfrie Alchetron Sign in Sneha Girap(Editor) Second husband, Peter (Peder) Gunness. She married her first husband, Mads Sorenson, three years later in 1884. . As a result, Coroner Charles Mack officially concluded that the adult female body discovered in the ruins was Belle Gunness. Simmons is a forensic anthropologist who investigated the Belle Gunness case. Andrew Helgelien and discovery of multiple graves, "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998," database, FamilySearch (. However, there was a rather glaring problem with their conclusion: the body of the adult was headless not something that generally happens in a fire. My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Andrew, I love you. Belle Gunness probably murdered between 11 and 42 people. [2] She killed most of her suitors and boyfriends, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. Come prepared to stay forever.. The coroner described the incident as a little queer but believed that it was an accident. Ray Lamphere, the ex-handyman of Belle Gunness. Belle Gunness was one of the first "Black Widows" and became a prolific serial killer. Belle Sorenson Gunness, a notorious female serial killer born November 11, 1859 and declared dead April 28, 1908 was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth. Norwegian born Belle Gunness was born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in November 1859. Although her farmhouse burned down in April 1908, seemingly with her inside, some believe that Gunness slipped away perhaps to kill again. . She immigrated to the United States, where she lured her victims to her remote farm in Indiana. 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. ; Man-Eater: The Life and Legend of an American . 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. After the fire, her victims were unearthed from their shallow graves around the farm. She is responsible for so many deaths that detectives have ceased counting the number of bodies discovered on her premises. Female Indiana serial killer, the 'comely' Belle Gunness, loved her suitors to death. The story of Belle Gunness makes you wonder if some people don't really need motivation, some people . Authorities found the bodies of Gunness three children in the charred rubble of the farmhouse basement. This letter was later found at the Helgelien farm. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. ", "Female Indiana serial killer, the 'comely' Belle Gunness, loved her suitors to death", "Day Trip: Step into Historic LaPorte, Indiana; Visit 19th Century Courthouse, Museum, Miniature Horse Farm", "Potempa: Murderess Belle Gunness film starting production in LaPorte", "a book review by C. C. Harrison: In the Garden of Spite: A Novel of the Black Widow of La Porte", https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/317016/triflers-need-not-apply-by-bruce-camilla/9781405945455, Belle Gunness, the Lady Bluebeard: Narrative Use of a Deviant Woman, Only Belle: Bare Belle - En seriemorder fra Selbu, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belle_Gunness&oldid=1141635952, Articles lacking reliable references from July 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2019, Articles with incomplete citations from July 2019, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from July 2019, Pages using infobox criminal with motive parameter, Articles needing additional references from July 2019, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from July 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Lillian de la Torre (1955). Sheriff Smutzer then took a dozen men back to the farm and began to dig, and on May 3, 1908, the diggers unearthed the body of Jennie Olson, who had vanished in December 1906. [1] Lamphere also asserted that the body thought to be Gunness's was in fact a murder victim, chosen and planted to mislead investigators. 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. April 29, 2008 / 8:03 AM / AP. Next up was George Anderson from Missouri. Where was Belle Gunness born? It is believed the couple produced two children whom Gunness poisoned in infancy for the insurance money. After reading about Belle Gunness, take a look at Judy Buenoano, another infamous black widow serial killer. On November 5, 2007, with the permission of descendants of Belles sister, the headless body was exhumed from the grave by a team of forensic anthropologists and graduate students from the University of Indianapolis to learn her true identity. Strangely, that date represented the last day of Sorensons life insurance policy as well as the first day of his new policy. Together, the seemingly happy couple opened a confectionery store and had four children togetherCaroline, Axel, Myrtle, and Lucy. As The New York Post noted, she's been tied to at least 11 murders, and possibly dozens more, although the exact number of her victims may likely never be known. Standing six feet tall (183cm) and weighing over 200 pounds (91kg), she was a physically strong woman. He had with him $1,000 from an insurance company and had borrowed money from several investors. He opened the hall door to a sheet of flames and screamed Gunnesss name and those of her children but got no response. He died there of tuberculosis on December 30, 1909. 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. Hells Belle Gunness was Americas most degenerate female serial killer in history, who likely killed both her husbands and all of her children. [21], After Gunness' crimes came to light, the Gunness farm became a tourist attraction. After they had corresponded for several months, Moe travelled to La Porte and withdrew a large amount of cash. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. Jennies body would later be found buried on her adoptive mothers property. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. 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. At this time, Belle started to have problems with her farmhand, Ray Lamphere. Though her husbands family demanded an inquiry, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband to collect on the insurance, no charges were filed. Belle Gunness left Chicago with her daughters Myrtle and Lucy, along with a foster daughter named Jennie Olsen. But, there was another side to the woman that Lamphere saw, and soon the local folk would as well. She was never tracked down and her death has never been confirmed. 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. The investigators had previously checked her bank accounts, and though a small amount was remaining in one of her savings accounts, the money in all other accounts had been completely withdrawn shortly before the fire, suggesting that the evil woman had created a great hoax and evaded the law. And shortly after he arrived, Gunness killed him and buried his dismembered body in her hog pen, alongside other corpses. One man, George Anderson, managed to escape with his life when he realized Gunness had murder on her mind. Most of the remains found on the property could not be identified. My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Andrew, I love you. In fact, the farmhand did. Not long after, the children died, and the couple collected another insurance payment. She was one of America's first woman serial killers convicted and put on death row. Before long, Gunness and Helgelien began exchanging romantic letters. Jennie Olsen's death certificate. [1] According to Lamphere, this impending visit motivated Gunness to destroy her house, fake her own death, and flee. However, he had helped Belle bury many of her victims. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. Before long, news of the gruesome discovery spread throughout the nation. Lamphere was later linked to the fire at Gunness farm. Brynhild P. Strseth was born in Norway in 1859 to a stone-mason and his wife. Elliot Leyton. [7], Peter died eight months later due to a skull injury. Belle also began posting notices in lovelorn columns to entice wealthy men to her farm, after which they were never seen again. Wikimedia CommonsBelle Gunness with her children: Lucy Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, and Philip Gunness. The following week, while Peter was out of the house, his infant daughter died of unknown causes in Belle's care. 35: Belle Gunness. 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.'. In his statement, he revealed the details of Gunness crimes and swore she was still alive. Curiously, the corpse itself seemed to be much too small to be hers. Belle did indeed become wealthy, but not because she earned the money honestly. He confided to a neighboring farmer on one occasion: Helgelien wont bother me no more. They then found the small bodies of two unidentified children. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. Belle Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859. In 1893, Belle met and married Mads Sorenson. However, she never went to the police to tell them about Lampheres allegedly life-threatening statements. The Truth about Belle Gunness (MysteriousPress.com/Open Road), This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:28. [30] It was published in the UK with the title Triflers need not apply [31]. After murdering her two husbands, the Norwegian-American woman posted ads in the paper looking for men to invest in her farm. Or maybe she had developed a taste for murder. 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. Her birth name was Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset. Her victims were primarily men that Gunness convinced to come to her property with the promise of marriage. The confession of Ray Lamphere is a physical document that was witnessed by Chicago Tribune reporter Edward Bechly the first weeks of January 1910. On the morning of April 27, 1908, the farmhand on a lonely property outside La Porte, Indiana, woke to the smell of smoke. [1] Lamphere stated that Gunness asked him to burn down the farmhouse with her children inside. Initially, the bodies were believed to be Belle and her children, Myrtle (age 11), Lucy (age 9), and Phillip (age 5). 4) What were the first documented crimes connected to Belle Gunness? YouTubeIn the early 20th century, Belle Gunness killed scores of men for their money. 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. At the time, forensics was in its infancy, and the bodies had been so mutilated that there was little hope of identifying them. One man who helped her move in later claimed that he saw her lift a 300-pound piano all by herself. Without saying goodbye, he fled the house and ran away, getting on the first train headed to Missouri. [citation needed][14] However, a separate newspaper published a story with speculation regarding the second Lamphere confession. 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