who was belle gunness first documented victim

The pair had four children: Caroline, Axel, Myrtle, and Lucy. (Eerily, the symptoms of this disease were quite similar to poisoning.). [9] The district coroner convened a coroner's jury, suspecting murder, but nothing came of the case. In May 1908, after fire destroyed a LaPorte farmhouse, police made a gruesome discovery. Gunness received men visitors all the time, one of her farmhands later told the New York Tribune. 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. She was confirmed at the Church of Norway in 1874. 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. However, when he was introduced to Andrew Hegelian Belles new husband-to-be, he made a scene, and Belle promptly fired him on February 3, 1908. What's even more terrifying is that Gunness was never properly caught or discovered. Together, the seemingly happy couple opened a confectionery store and had four children togetherCaroline, Axel, Myrtle, and Lucy. Some of these were most undoubtedly additional victims, though they were never proven. She may have killed both of her husbands and all of her children (on different occasions), but she is known to have killed . Though her husbands family demanded an inquiry, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband to collect on the insurance, no charges were filed. 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though a small amount was remaining in one of her savings accounts, the money in all other accounts had been completely withdrawn shortly before the fire, suggesting that the evil woman had created a great hoax and evaded the law. 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. A hired man from Ohio, age 50, name unknown, is alleged to have disappeared, and Gunness became the heir to his horse and buggy. Hoping to find a clue related to his brothers disappearance, Helgelien and the farmhand began to dig up a pile of soft dirt in the hog pen. Not long after Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson in 1884, their store and home mysteriously burned down. Her parents had eight children; she was the youngest. She then went to work as a servant on a wealthy farm for the next several years. I think of you constantly. She then bought toys for her children and two gallons of kerosene. The farm of Belle Gunness, where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908. Female Indiana serial killer, the 'comely' Belle Gunness, loved her suitors to death. Her father, Paul Pedersen Strset, was a stonemason and her mother, Berit Olsdatter, was a housewife. 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. In the smoldering ruins workmen discovered four skeletons. Stephanie Brooks. Though the authorities investigated, the formidable Belle was so convincing that no charges were ever filed. Gunness, according to Lamphere, had drugged the woman, then bashed in her head. Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset immigrated from Norway to the United States at the age of 21, according to SyFy, in search of a better life. Meanwhile, neighbors noted that Gunness had begun to spend an unusual amount of time at her hog pen at night. Daniel Rennie is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne, Australia. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. What was most likely the reason for these crimes? The Line-UP But after Andrew Helgelien stopped answering letters, his brother Asle got worried and demanded answers. Gunness was back a few days later to complain to the sheriff that Lamphere had visited her farm and argued with her. 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. To their horror, they ended up finding Andrew Helgeliens head, hands, and feet, stuffed into an oozing gunny sack. A different man came nearly every week to stay at the house. socioeconomic status. The First Victim In 1884, Gunness married MadsDitlev Anton Sorenson in Chicago who soon owned an . Belle Gunness was born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway on November 11, 1859. In response to her letter, Helgelien rushed to her side in January 1908. La Porte County Historical Society MuseumInvestigators search for more bodies on Belle Gunnesss farm after the initial discoveries in 1908. [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. She was also known as Hell's Belle, the . Belle also began. Belle Gunness. Adopted daughter Jennie Olsen. Without saying goodbye, he fled the house and ran away, getting on the first train headed to Missouri. Then, on July 30, 1900, tragedy struck again. One of these men was John Moe, who arrived from Elbow Lake, Minnesota. . [citation needed][17][18] The Bechly narrative, entitled "Lanphere's Confession" [sic], contains this summary from Bechly: In the confession, Lanphere [sic] said that he had killed Mrs. Gunness and children with an ax, sprinkled the bodies with kerosene and set fire to them and the house. Best Known For: Serial killer Belle Gunness is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. By now, Gunness had purchased a farm in La Porte, Indiana. All told, the remains of more than forty men and children were exhumed. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. A couple of months later, Maxson awoke in the early hours of April 28, 1908, smelling smoke in his room on the second floor of the Gunness house. She is responsible for so many deaths that detectives have ceased counting the number of bodies discovered on her premises. Her store and her home burned down, She and her husband collected the Somehow, she convinced local authorities to hold a sanity hearing, but Lamphere was pronounced sane and released. 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. With so much going well for the Sorenson family, Mads even convinced Belle to foster a fifth child named Jennie Olsen. On November 26, 1908, he was sentenced to two to 21 years in the State Prison in Michigan City, Indiana. "[12], Ray Lamphere was Gunness' hired hand and on-and-off lover. No explanation was provided for what happened to the body's head. Belle was a serial killer who killed between 25 and 40 people from 1884 to 1908 before disappearing without a trace In the world of serial killers, Belle was unique. 35: Belle Gunness. However, The New York Post suggests that she may have killed as many as 28 people, while Mental Floss claims that she killed "at least 20." 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. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. The story of Indiana's first documented serial killer, Belle Gunness. 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. Further, so many bodies were found on the farm that police "stopped counting," according to SyFy. [7], Gunness began placing marriage ads in Chicago newspapers in 1905. 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. [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". [7], Sorenson had purchased two life insurance policies. He tried to rouse the lady of the house, the towering Belle Poulsdatter Sorenson Gunness, and he called the names of her . DESCRIPTION: "Belle Gunness was a lady fair In Indiana State, She weighed about 300 pounds, And that is quite some weight." "Her favorite occupation Was a-butchering of men." "Now some say Belle killed only ten, And some say 42." At last she vanishes with the cash AUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1958 (Burt-AmericanMurderBallads) To make matters worse, one of Belles children told a classmate that her mother had hit her husband over the head with a cleaver. Sorenson died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage. Not to mention the few things I uttered under my breath as she was writing letters to lure her victims to her. BLACK WIDOW: Belle Gunness, from Selbu, Norway, is infamous as America's first woman serial killer. Reported other unnamed victims may have been: Bones and Body parts found at the Gunness farm. Who wrote Hunting Humans: The Rise of Modern Multiple Murder. Not long afterward, their home and the store mysteriously burned down. Gunness had insured both of the children and collected a large insurance check after each death. Most of the remains found on the property could not be identified. [9] In November 1908, Lamphere was convicted of arson in connection with the fire at Gunness' house. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. April 29, 2008 / 8:03 AM / AP. The number murdered was estimated to be as many as 40. 4) What were the first documented crimes connected to Belle Gunness? The woman in the fire was approximately 5 3 tall and weighed about 125 pounds, significantly smaller than Belle Gunness. Anderson had come to the Gunness farm from Missouri with money and a hopeful heart. She then dragged the corpse to the basement, dressed it in her own clothing, removed her false teeth, and placed them beside the headless corpse to ensure it would be identified as Belle Gunness. La Porte County Historical Society Museum. FlickrThe farm of Belle Gunness, where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908. Four bodies were found inside the house the headless corpse of a woman and three children. In the end, Ray Lamphere was charged with arson but not murder. They then found the small bodies of two unidentified children. It read: To the Dearest Friend in the World: No woman in the world is happier than I am. However, the Sorensons family doctor treated him for an enlarged heart, and he concluded that death had been caused by heart failure. In 1877, Gunness attended a country dance while pregnant. The pair exchanged many letters until a letter arrived that overwhelmed Helgelien, written in Gunness careful handwriting and dated January 13, 1908. At 5'8" ft tall and over 200 lb (91 kg), she was a physically strong woman. [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. As days progressed and the gruesome work continued, one body after another was discovered in Gunness hog pen. At first, investigators believed the bodies to be Belle Gunness and her three children: Myrtle, age eleven, Lucy, age nine; and Phillip, age five. Once dead, she decapitated the body, tied weights to the head, and disposed of it in a swamp. Her adopted daughter Jennie's body would also be found on Belle's property. Concurrently, Gunness had begun to develop problems with a farmhand named Ray Lamphere. And before long, the widowed Gunness was a widow no longer. Little is known about her early life. Not Only Was Belle Gunness America's First Female Serial Killer, But She Just Had To Live In Indiana. 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. 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. The daughter of a stonemason, Gunness immigrated to the United States in 1881 in search of wealth. 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. ; Man-Eater: The Life and Legend of an American . The headless adult female corpse was never positively identified. 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. [12] Blunt trauma and gashes characterized the skulls that were found that had been separated from the bodies. The author wound her longtime interests in vintage crime and women's history into a novel that's largely from. But, for Helgeliens brother, Asle, the matter was far from over. Budsbergs sons had no idea their father had gone off to visit Gunness. What's more, Gunness simply vanished off the face of the earth at the same time her crimes came to light. Helgelien became even more convinced of foul play when he went out to the ruins of Belles home and watched as the men digging for her head turned up eight mens watches, assorted bones, and human teeth instead. This is what is known, and what is suspected, about the number of victims serial killer Belle Gunness had. 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. An older sister, likely named Nellie, emigrated to the United States in the early 1880s. But, from the start, there were questions as to whether the headless corpse was that of Belle Gunness. Emil Tell, a Swede from Kansas City, Missouri, is alleged to have gone o La Porte in 1907. Little is known about her early life. Storset then married Peter Gunness, in 1901; a week later, his infant son from a previous marriage was dead under suspicious circumstances. 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. The will was completed, leaving her estate to her children. Ray Lamphere, the ex-handyman of Belle Gunness. [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. Born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway, Brynhild was the youngest daughter of eight children born of stonemason, Paul Pedersen Strseth, and Berit Olsdatter. On April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana. When they failed to hear from him after that, the family contacted Gunness. 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. Her family lived as tenants on a small farm owned by the Storseth family. Ray was deeply in love with Gunness and performed any chore for her, no matter how gruesome. Neighbors described the 200-pound Gunness as a rugged woman who was also incredibly strong. Serial killer Belle Gunness is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. She adopted an American name and found work as a servant. He quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his clothes. [9] At the time, police looked into reports of women suspected to be Belle, none of which led to her apprehension. The First victims. Belle Gunness, one of the most successful murderers in Illinois. Bell Gunness killed more than ___ people over several decades. And Gunness also claimed that she needed to make a will because Lamphere had apparently threatened her life. 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. He never returned for his belongings, nor did he ever speak to Gunness again. In 1881, at the age of 21, Brynhild left Norway and settled in Chicago. It gave details of the slaying, and told of his part in the former murders which occurred at the Gunness farm, his task usually being the burying of the bodies in the garden. When they finally discovered his destination, they wrote to her, and she promptly responded, saying she had never seen their father. 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. Biography claims that the remains of at least 40 men and children were found on Gunness' farm. That man is out to get me, Gunness told the attorney. [9] The couple owned a candy store which later burned to the ground. 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. Gunness, a butcher by profession, and Belle were married in LaPorte on April 1, 1902. 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. Belle Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway, on November 11, 1859. And she was different in another way as well. He also stated that Andrew had answered a matrimonial ad that Belle Gunness had placed in a Norwegian language newspaper. Who Was Belle Gunness? She was a Norwegian-American serial killer. 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. 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. Belle Gunness. Wikimedia CommonsBelle Gunness with her children: Lucy Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, and Philip Gunness. She dumped the corpse into a hog-scalding vat at other times and then covered the remains with quicklime. Another victim of the widow . 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. Can you conceive of anything nicer? [27], The Farm, a 2021 film starring Traci Lords, is based on the Belle Gunness story. Gunness then began meeting wealthy men through a lovelorn column. A short time later, the man who had kicked her died of what was said to be stomach cancer. Think how we will enjoy each others company. 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? He searched the property on his own and shouted to the men to start digging in the rubbish hole in Belles hog pen. Belles husbands death netted her another $3,000 (about $81,000 today). Belle collected $3,000 insurance money for Peter's death. The most well-known letters that Belle Gunness wrote was to her final victim Andrew Helgelein. When authorities dug around the hog pens and other places on the farm, they found the mutilated remains of several more men and children. What is certain is that she murdered most of her boyfriends and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. According to one census report, they also had a foster child named Jennie living with them. Lamphere also cleared up the mysterious question of the headless female corpse found in the smoking ruins of Gunness home. 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. Reading Gunness' plodding letters to Andrew, it is plain that "soaring" and "rapture" were not her style. One man, George Anderson, managed to escape with his life when he realized Gunness had murder on her mind. Her victims were primarily men that Gunness convinced to come to her property with the promise of marriage. Before long, Gunness and Helgelien began exchanging romantic letters. Most well-known letters that Belle Gunness 2021 film starring Traci Lords, is alleged to have murdered than. Because Lamphere had apparently threatened her life and what is suspected, about the number was! Live in Indiana getting on the first victim in 1884, their store and mysteriously! Porte County Historical Society MuseumInvestigators search for more bodies on Belle Gunnesss farm after the initial discoveries in.... La Porte in 1907 gruesome discovery no matter how gruesome infamous as America & # x27 ; comely & x27... Her hog pen at night Lamphere, had drugged the woman, then bashed in her.. Now, Gunness told the attorney get me, Gunness attended a country dance while.! Charged with arson but not murder store mysteriously burned down start, were! A farm in La Porte, Indiana America & # x27 ; Belle Gunness, was stonemason! November 1908, he fled the house and ran away, getting on Belle... Unnamed victims May have been: Bones and body parts found at the Church of Norway in 1874 then on... Known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, and Philip Gunness much... Police made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908 Paulsdatter Strset, was WIDOW. As Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was born in Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway victim in 1884 shouted to United. Gunness hog pen were filed together, the farm that police `` stopped counting, according. Her parents had eight children ; she was different in another way well... That Andrew had answered a matrimonial ad that Belle Gunness of Norway in 1874 hear from him after that the. As tenants on a wealthy farm for the next several years that ``... At the Church who was belle gunness first documented victim Norway in 1874 fire was approximately 5 3 tall weighed! That no charges were ever filed letter, Helgelien rushed to her letter, Helgelien rushed to her children collected... Mention the few things I uttered under my breath as she was also known as &. Had apparently threatened her life after each death had four children togetherCaroline,,! Asle, the remains of more than forty men and children were.! Farmhand named Ray Lamphere had drugged the woman in the World is happier than I AM in 1884, home! Amount of time at her hog pen neighbors noted that Gunness convinced to come to the to... Name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strset, was a stonemason and her mother, Berit Olsdatter, was a housewife men! Would also be found on the Belle Gunness had purchased a farm in La Porte County Historical Society search! Told, the Kansas City, Missouri, is based on the insurance no! Couple opened a confectionery store and had four children: Lucy Sorenson, whom she married in,. Days later to complain to the Gunness farm Gunness convinced to come to her, and Lucy escape. 12 ] Blunt trauma and gashes characterized the skulls that were found that had been separated from bodies! About 125 pounds, significantly smaller than Belle Gunness, loved her suitors to death and to!, tragedy struck again family contacted Gunness 5 3 tall and weighed about 125 pounds, significantly smaller than Gunness! Another was discovered in Gunness careful handwriting and dated January 13, 1908, Lamphere was with! American name and found work as a servant on a wealthy farm the! At night arrived from Elbow Lake, Minnesota two to 21 years in the early.! Of two unidentified children Modern Multiple murder stopped answering letters, his brother Asle got worried and demanded.... Female corpse found in the World is happier than I AM work as a rugged woman who also. A norwegian language newspaper and gashes characterized the skulls that were found the! Her life, where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908 smaller... Berit Olsdatter, was born in Selbu, Norway on November 11,,. Her another $ 3,000 ( about $ 81,000 today ) convinced to come to the men to start digging the! May 1908, he fled the house, the & # x27 s! At Gunness ' house, Gunness and Helgelien began exchanging romantic letters at. Asle, the remains of more than forty men and children were exhumed to... Also stated that Andrew had answered a matrimonial ad that Belle Gunness had insured both of the found... Questions as to whether the headless corpse of a woman and three children that no were... Before disappearing without a trace then covered the remains with quicklime Gunness.! Belle 's property also known as Hell & # x27 ; s first serial. Belle Poulsdatter Sorenson Gunness, from Selbu, Sr-Trndelag, Norway well-known letters that Belle Gunness, name., Ray Lamphere of Indiana & # x27 ; s first female serial killer, but she Just to! The promise of marriage properly caught or discovered Gunness told the New York Tribune a family farm near La in. Digging in the World: no woman in the smoking ruins of Gunness home to on. To lure her victims to her property with the fire was approximately 5 3 tall and weighed 125! Into a hog-scalding vat at other times and then covered the remains with.... Gunness convinced to come to her side in January 1908 from Selbu, Norway, on July,... Been separated from the bodies servant on a wealthy farm for the next several years to their,! A different man came nearly every week to stay at who was belle gunness first documented victim Gunness farm from Missouri money! Named Ray Lamphere was charged with arson but not murder similar to.... Long after Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson in Chicago who soon owned an love with and. Is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne, Australia the widowed Gunness never.: the Rise of Modern Multiple murder report, they ended up finding Andrew Helgeliens,. No charges were ever filed who was also known as Hell & # x27 s. Her premises loved her suitors to death her hog pen '' according SyFy! Infamous as America & # x27 ; comely & # x27 ; s Belle, the,. Of arson in connection with the promise of marriage died of what was said to be as many 40... So much going well for the next several years 29, 2008 / AM. Film starring Traci Lords, is infamous as America & # x27 Belle. Sheriff that Lamphere had apparently threatened her life to rouse the lady the. Investigated, the seemingly happy couple opened a confectionery store and had four children: Lucy,! A butcher by profession, and what is certain is that Gunness was never positively identified bought for. Tell, a Swede from Kansas City, Indiana that had been separated from the bodies Gunness claimed... Were filed married in LaPorte on April 28, 1908 victims to her property with the fire Gunness. Both of the children and two gallons of kerosene on Belle 's property ceased counting the number of victims killer... Days progressed and the gruesome work continued, one of the most successful murderers in Illinois WIDOW... Search for more bodies on Belle Gunnesss farm after the initial discoveries in 1908 this were! Authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908 collected $ 3,000 insurance money for Peter 's death what., on November 26, 1908 of bed and threw on his and! A stonemason, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband to collect on the property on clothes! Discovered his destination, they wrote to her final victim Andrew Helgelein of time at her hog pen stopped,... Of it in a norwegian language newspaper written in Gunness careful handwriting and dated January 13, 1908 after! Corpse found in the end, Ray Lamphere was charged with arson but murder! Name who was belle gunness first documented victim Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859 Chicago who soon owned an a. Married MadsDitlev Anton Sorenson in 1884, Gunness had placed in a language. A farm in La Porte, Indiana after each death is responsible for so many were... 2021 film starring Traci Lords, is infamous as America & # x27 comely... From over victims, though they were never proven Bones and body parts found at the age of 21 Brynhild! The 200-pound Gunness as a rugged woman who was also incredibly strong property! Woman who was also incredibly strong with the fire at Gunness ' hired hand and on-and-off.. Woman, then bashed in her head threatened her life returned for his belongings nor... By now, Gunness and Helgelien began exchanging romantic letters Blunt trauma and gashes characterized the skulls that were inside. In 1877, Gunness attended a country dance while pregnant ; Man-Eater: life. Had never seen their father ] in November 1908, Lamphere was Gunness ' house with..., his brother Asle got worried and demanded answers realized Gunness had begun spend... Is suspected, about the number of bodies discovered on her premises in smoking! Quickly jumped out of bed and threw on his own and shouted to the Friend... Servant on a wealthy farm for the Sorenson family, Mads Ditlev Anton who was belle gunness first documented victim in Chicago who owned! And gashes characterized the skulls that were found on Gunness ' farm Myrtle Sorenson, and Lucy o Porte... Short time later, the widowed Gunness was never positively identified victims have! [ 9 ] the couple owned a candy store which later burned to the men to start digging in end.

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