who was belle gunness first documented victim

Lampheres lawyer, Wirt Worden, developed evidence that the bridgework that was found may have been planted. That tale is even more frightening. Triflers need not apply.. Little is known about her early life. Belle with three of her children, likely Myrtle, Lucy, and Philip. socioeconomic status. Gunness had a system. Then, Joe Maxson came forward with information that could not be ignored. The district coroner reviewed the case, unequivocally announced that he had been murdered, and convened a coroners jury to look into the matter. YouTubeIn the early 20th century, Belle Gunness killed scores of men for their money. Furthermore, several neighbors and friends viewed the corpse, including two neighboring farmers and several friends who said it was not Belle. We try to fit the pieces together through a few old photos, family and county records, and folklore. ; Man-Eater: The Life and Legend of an American . Suspicious, Asle started asking questions around town and then came the fire. The pair had four children: Caroline, Axel, Myrtle, and Lucy. Without saying goodbye, he fled the house and ran away, getting on the first train headed to Missouri. On November 26, 1908, he was sentenced to two to 21 years in the State Prison in Michigan City, Indiana. Female Serial Killer Belle Gunness . 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. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. 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. Fellow Norwegian-Americans flocked to her property hoping for a taste of home along with a solid business opportunity. It read: To the Dearest Friend in the World: No woman in the world is happier than I am. Anderson had come to the Gunness farm from Missouri with money and a hopeful heart. Apparently, he had fallen victim to a sausage grinder that fell on his head from a wobbly shelf. 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. The essential fact, however, was that the murderess was not alive as a fugitive. Lamphere would not be enough for Belle. Lamphere was to wait for her at a designated place on the road after the fire was set. 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. Serial killer Belle Gunness is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. 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. 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. Belle had lured this woman from Chicago on the pretense of hiring her as a housekeeper only days before she decided to make her permanent escape from La Porte. [7], Sorenson had purchased two life insurance policies. Gunness emigrated to the United States in February 1901 together with her two children, Myrtle and Lucy. She introduced them as cousins from Kansas, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and from Chicago She was always careful to make the children stay away from her cousins.'. Belle Gunness may or may not be one of America's most prolific serial killers. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. Answer: Chicago, Illinois Belle and Mads were married in 1884. [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. 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. Or maybe she had developed a taste for murder. 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. Belle did indeed become wealthy, but not because she earned the money honestly. In 1881, at the age of 21, she moved to the United States in search of wealth and gave herself the Americanized name of Bella (Belle) Petersen. 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. But, there was another side to the woman that Lamphere saw, and soon the local folk would as well. Belle Gunness. Biography claims that the remains of at least 40 men and children were found on Gunness' farm. When he was just 18, Robinson went on a violent killing spree, during which he killed three young women and seriously injured two. He tried to rouse the lady of the house, the towering Belle Poulsdatter Sorenson Gunness, and he called the names of her . She was nicknamed "Hell's Belle" after it was discovered that she was a prolific serial killer. At age 14, Gunness began working for neighboring farms by milking and herding cattle to save enough money for passage to New York City. Belle Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859. As days progressed and the gruesome work continued, one body after another was discovered in Gunness hog pen. 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. 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. He told the Sheriff that Gunness had ordered him to bring loads of dirt by wheelbarrow to a large area surrounded by a high wire fence where the hogs were fed. My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Andrew, I love you. However the fourth, believed to be Gunness, was inexplicably missing its skull. 3) What groups of people were Gunness' victims? 695A07, 1860-1877, s. 2", "A nightmare at Murder Farm: The story of one of America's most prolific serial killers", "How a farm girl became the 'butcher' of lonely men", https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2MQ-QFQ8, "The Story of Belle Gunness, One of America's Most Prolific Serial Killers", "Corpses in the Pig Pen: The Tale of Indiana's Most Notorious Serial Killer", "The Belle Gunness Episode: Who was the Mistress of Murder Hill? 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. Abraham Phillips, a railwayman of Burlington. No replies by letter considered unless sender is willing to follow answer with a personal visit. The couple claimed the insurance money for both. For these reasons and others, it's impossible to say how many people Gunness murdered. That man is out to get me, Gunness told the attorney. Sorenson died of cerebral hemorrhage that day. Strangely, tragedy seemed to return to Belle Gunness doorstep yet again. In 1906, Belle Gunness connected with her final victim. Lamphere was quickly charged with murder and arson, and police began to search the farm grounds, hoping to find Gunness head. All Rights Reserved. In 1907, she employed a farmhand, Ray Lamphere, to help with chores. In the pantheon of serial killers, Belle Gunness stands alone. Among the known facts about Belle Gunness is that she was an imposing woman, very tall and 250 pounds and that only one child - her second husband's daughter Swanhild - survived her clutches. [20] The inconsistencies between the two confessions, including the matter of the survival of Belle Gunness, remain historical issues that are not fully resolved. [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. In the end, Ray Lamphere was charged with arson but not murder. In his statement, he revealed the details of Gunness crimes and swore she was still alive. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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. Belle Gunness, one of the most successful murderers in Illinois. Her victims were primarily men that Gunness convinced to come to her property with the promise of marriage. In 1881, when she was 21 years old, Belle Gunness moved to Chicago. Soon enough, the shop burned down, and the couple collected a nice insurance payment. Andrew Helgelien and discovery of multiple graves, "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998," database, FamilySearch (. (Darron Cummings/AP) As the tale of the "Murder Farm" fanned across the country, investigators were joined by. Come prepared to stay forever.. 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. Ray Lamphere, the ex-handyman of Belle Gunness. [7], Belle married Peter Gunness on April 1, 1902. Little is known about her early life. But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. The coroner described the incident as a little queer but believed that it was an accident. The woman in the fire was approximately 5 3 tall and weighed about 125 pounds, significantly smaller than Belle Gunness. Neighbors gossiped about the babies, since Gunness never appeared to be pregnant. Strangely, that date represented the last day of Sorensons life insurance policy as well as the first day of his new policy. The farm of Belle Gunness, where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908. 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. 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. You wish to know where your brother keeps himself, Gunness wrote to Asle. As a result, Coroner Charles Mack officially concluded that the adult female body discovered in the ruins was Belle Gunness. Next up was George Anderson from Missouri. 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. 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. Pennsylvania's most well-known serial killer is Harvey Miguel Robinson, who is known for being one of the youngest serial killers reported in the U.S. General Information Sex Female Race White Number of victims 16 further plus 12 possible equals 28 Their life together seemed to be marked by tragedy. But he awoke one night to a terrifying sight Gunness leaning over his bed as he slept. As they began turning the earth, they found four bodies- skillfully sliced apart and wrapped in oilcloth. An unknown man and woman are alleged to have disappeared in September 1906, the same night Jennie Olson went missing. La Porte County Historical Society Museum. 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.. Belle Sorenson Gunness (November 11, 1859 declared dead April 28, 1908) born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth was a NorwegianAmerican serial killer. Authorities eventually found the remains of over 40 victims on her property, but Belle disappeared without a trace. In 1908, just when Hegelein's brother became suspicious and Gunness's luck seemed to be running out, her farmhouse burnt to the ground. Then, Peter also died. But as was the case with the candy store, Gunness and Sorenson were able to pocket the insurance money. Belle Gunness had asked him to level dozens of soft depressions in the ground, which supposedly covered trash. In turn-of-the-century Indiana, Belle Gunness (widely regarded as the first female serial killer in the United States) lured wealthy men to her farm where they were never seen again. Belles husbands death netted her another $3,000 (about $81,000 today). When the smoke cleared, authorities were left with so many bodies that they "stopped counting," according to Mental Floss. T.J. Tiefland of Minneapolis is alleged to have come to see Gunness in 1907. She murdered over 40 people between 1884 and 1908 (1). "[12], Ray Lamphere was Gunness' hired hand and on-and-off lover. Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, List of serial killers in the United States, List of serial killers by number of victims, "Kirkebker: SAT, Ministerialprotokoller, klokkerbker og fdselsregistre - Sr-Trndelag, 695/L1147: Ministerialbok nr. Biography.com [1] Lamphere stated that Gunness asked him to burn down the farmhouse with her children inside. [Gunness] beguiled them with promises of down-home Norwegian cooking and painted a very seductive portrait of the kind of life theyd enjoy.. He died there of tuberculosis on December 30, 1909. I fear one of these nights he will burn my house to the ground.. Elliot Leyton. Gunness claimed that Sorenson had come home with a headache, and she had given him quinine. He pled innocent to all charges, his defense hinging on the assertion that the body was not Gunness. the ground. She died of tuberculosis while awaiting trial. 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. An autopsy was considered unnecessary because the death was not thought suspicious. She hit him with a meat cleaver and he died. And she was different in another way as well. In 1877, Gunness attended a country dance while pregnant. There, she set about starting her new life. She married her first husband, Mads Sorenson, three years later in 1884. . Her father, Paul Pedersen Strset, was a stonemason and her mother, Berit Olsdatter, was a housewife. 4/27/1908 49 Belle writes last will and testament. Where did Belle Gunness meet her first husband, Max "Mads" Sorenson? She was confirmed at the Church of Norway in 1874. 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. His widow, Gunness, collected on both policies $150,000 in todays dollars which she could have only done on that day. 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. Gunness was back a few days later to complain to the sheriff that Lamphere had visited her farm and argued with her. Frank Riedinger, a farmer of Waukesha, Wisconsin, came to Indiana in 1907 to marry and never returned. At first, investigators believed the bodies to be Belle Gunness and her three children: Myrtle, age eleven, Lucy, age nine; and Phillip, age five. To make matters worse, one of Belles children told a classmate that her mother had hit her husband over the head with a cleaver. Years later, Jennie's body was found buried among her mother's victims. Belle also began posting notices in lovelorn columns to entice wealthy men to her farm, after which they were never seen again. The author wound her longtime interests in vintage crime and women's history into a novel that's largely from. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. Her parents had eight children; she was the youngest. 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. [23], Gunness has also been the subject of at least two American musical ballads. 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. BLACK WIDOW: Belle Gunness, from Selbu, Norway, is infamous as America's first woman serial killer. He also stated that Andrew had answered a matrimonial ad that Belle Gunness had placed in a Norwegian language newspaper. He never returned for his belongings, nor did he ever speak to Gunness again. The First victims. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. 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. She likely . One man, George Anderson, managed to escape with his life when he realized Gunness had murder on her mind. But in reality, she was a serial killer who murdered at least 14 people. Belle Gunness with her children: Lucy Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, and Philip Gunness. 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. 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. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. Story by Thomas Duke, 1910 . Meanwhile, a man whose brother had been in contact with Gunness believed he'd been murdered and had begun asking questions. In addition to three . Authorities found the bodies of Gunness three children in the charred rubble of the farmhouse basement. However, by the time anyone suspected Gunness in their deaths, they'd been dead for decades and their suspected murderer had vanished. Feeling terrified and uncomfortable, Anderson believed that Gunness intended to murder him. With so much going well for the Sorenson family, Mads even convinced Belle to foster a fifth child named Jennie Olsen. This letter was later found at the Helgelien farm. Belle collected $3,000 insurance money for Peter's death. This female serial killer was not only the worst in Illinois history; she was also one of the worst American serial killers ever recorded. Olaf Jensen, a Norwegian immigrant from Carroll. John Moe of Elbow Lake, Minnesota. In 1884 Belle Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson. And, worse, according to Lamphere, if she was overly tired, she would chop up the remains and feed them to the hogs. A series of suspicious fires and deaths (mostly resulting in insurance awards) followed. [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". [1] 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. She got away without a trace and it's still a mystery as to where she went today. No replies by letter considered unless sender is willing to follow answer with personal visit. A brother of Miss Jennie Graham of Waukesha, Wisconsin, who had left her to marry a wealthy widow in La Porte but vanished. Just one week after the ceremony, Peters infant daughter died of uncertain causes while alone in the house with Belle. She killed seven men between the years 1989-1990 on Florida's highways. Answer: Selbu, Norway Belle was born on November 22, 1859. In 1884, Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson in Chicago, and two years later, they opened a candy store that was not very successful. For starters, she was a woman. While there, she was attacked by a man who kicked her in the abdomen, causing her to miscarry. Authorities couldnt identify all the bodies. [8], Gunness married Mads Sorenson in 1884. 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. [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. American newspapers labeled Belle Gunness the Black Widow, Hells Belle, the Indiana Ogress, and the Mistress of the Castle of Death.. Four bodies were found at the Gunness farm. Shutterstock. [7], Gunness began placing marriage ads in Chicago newspapers in 1905. But Asle Helgelien didnt seem to be falling for it. But, from the start, there were questions as to whether the headless corpse was that of Belle Gunness. The investigators began to sift through the debris, and a piece of bridgework was found; the dentist identified it as work done for Gunness. This is a story that will shock you more than most, because of t .more Get A Copy Kindle Unlimited $0.00 Amazon Stores Henry Gurholdt of Scandinavia, Wisconsin, had gone to wed her a year earlier, taking $1,500. In the ruins, authorities found the bodies of a headless adult woman, initially identified as Belle Gunness, and her three children. 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. Storset then married Peter Gunness, in 1901; a week later, his infant son from a previous marriage was dead under suspicious circumstances. Whether Gunness died in that fire remains unclear. Norwegian born Belle Gunness was born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in November 1859. Belle married Peter Gunness on April 1, 1902 8 ], Gunness has been. Hinging on the road after the fire was approximately 5 3 tall and weighed about pounds... Or another, Gunness began placing marriage ads in Chicago newspapers in 1905 hand. Maxson came forward with information that could not be ignored answer with visit. There were questions as to whether the headless corpse was that of Gunness! Another way as well woman in the ground.. Elliot Leyton money for Peter 's.... Gunness killed scores of men for their money several neighbors and friends viewed corpse... Been dead for decades and their suspected murderer had vanished a headache, and her mother & # ;., by the time anyone suspected Gunness in 1907, she employed a farmhand, Ray Lamphere Gunness! Hired hand and on-and-off lover years in the abdomen, causing her to miscarry the Dearest in! 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