who was belle gunness first documented victim

On May 22, 1908, Ray Lamphere was tried for murder and arson. He confided to a neighboring farmer on one occasion: Helgelien wont bother me no more. She changed her name to Belle in 1881 when she came to the United States. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. It was reported that both the boat and carriage houses burned to the ground shortly after she acquired the property. In 1906, Belle Gunness connected with her final victim. All Rights Reserved. In June 1908, his widow was able to identify his remains from La Portes Paupers cemetery by the contour of his skull and three missing teeth. Next up was George Anderson from Missouri. On April 28, 1908, a fire destroyed a family farm near La Porte, Indiana. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. Meanwhile, Asle Helgelien had read about the fire in the newspaper. What followed were a series of insurance frauds and crimes, escalating in size and danger. This female serial killer was not only the worst in Illinois history; she was also one of the worst American serial killers ever recorded. Belle Sorenson Gunness (born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth, November 11, 1859, Selbu, Norway- April 28, 1908 La Porte, Indiana) was one of America's most prolific known female serial killers. For starters, she was a woman. Together, they owned and operated a confectionary store and before long, had four children: Caroline, Axel, Myrtle, and Lucy. A brother of Miss Jennie Graham of Waukesha, Wisconsin, who had left her to marry a wealthy widow in La Porte but vanished. According to Harold Schechter, a true-crime author who wrote Hells Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men, Gunness knew exactly how to lure her victims onto her farm. Female Serial Killer Belle Gunness . Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. To their horror, they ended up finding Andrew Helgeliens head, hands, and feet, stuffed into an oozing gunny sack. It is not known how many men were victims of a treacherous woman. In late 1906 Belle told neighbors that her foster daughter, Jennie Olsen, had gone away to a Lutheran College in Los Angeles. But Asle Helgelien didnt seem to be falling for it. [12] In each case, the body had been butchered in the same mannerthe body decapitated, the arms removed at the shoulders, and the legs severed at the knees. Lords, 52, found her early claim-to-farm in the adult film. A few days after Helgelien arrived, he and Gunness appeared at the Savings Bank in La Porte and deposited the check. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Belle did indeed become wealthy, but not because she earned the money honestly. However, she never went to the police to tell them about Lampheres allegedly life-threatening statements. Female Indiana serial killer, the 'comely' Belle Gunness, loved her suitors to death. FlickrThe farm of Belle Gunness, where authorities made a series of grisly discoveries in 1908. Biography claims that the remains of at least 40 men and children were found on Gunness' farm. Then, learn about Leonarda Cianciulli, the serial killer who turned her victims into soap and teacakes. Unfortunately, there was not enough DNA, so the mystery remains unsolved. A well-built woman with six feet height and over 90 90 kg, Belle immigrated to the US in 1881. Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset immigrated from Norway to the United States at the age of 21, according to SyFy, in search of a better life. Sure, I worked for Mrs. Gunness for a time, but I didnt see her kill anybody, and I didnt know she had killed anybody., But on his deathbed, Lamphere changed his tune. Who Was Belle Gunness? Also counted was an adopted 10-year-old girl, identified as Morgan Couch, but who was later known as Jennie Olsen. Three years later she would find her first victim, a man named Mads Sorenson. Ray Lamphere, the ex-handyman of Belle Gunness. Wikimedia CommonsBelle Gunness with her children: Lucy Sorenson, Myrtle Sorenson, and Philip Gunness. When they failed to hear from him after that, the family contacted Gunness. Then, Sorensen died, not at all suspiciously on the day that one life insurance policy was set to expire and another had just come into effect. However, word soon spread that her relationship with Lamphere was more than strictly professional. Soon after, Sorenson died of heart failure on the one day his two life insurance policies overlapped. How did Belle Gunness Kill Her Victims? Helgelien, like other victims before him, decided to take a chance on love. In 1908, just when Hegelein's brother became suspicious and Gunness's luck seemed to be running out, her farmhouse burnt to the ground. She made her home in Chicago and started working as a maid. At the time, forensics was in its infancy, and the bodies had been so mutilated that there was little hope of identifying them. Ray was deeply in love with Gunness and performed any chore for her, no matter how gruesome. 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. 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. He raced to town to get help, but by the time it arrived, the house was already in smoking ruins. Where was Belle Gunness born? But, for one reason or another, Gunness decided to emigrate from Selbu to Chicago in 1881. 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. Standing six feet tall (183cm) and weighing over 200 pounds (91kg), she was a physically strong woman. The following week, while Peter was out of the house, his infant daughter died of unknown causes in Belle's care. ; Man-Eater: The Life and Legend of an American . 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. Gunness is a rare female serial killer-for-profit, although she seems to have had other motives as well. Concurrently, Gunness had begun to develop problems with a farmhand named Ray Lamphere. Then, in 1881, following her sisters example, who had emigrated to America earlier, Brynhild moved to the United States, where she assumed a more American-style name. Gunness wrote back, telling Asle Helgelien that his brother was not at her farm and probably went to Norway to visit relatives. We will be all alone with each other. She then drugged his coffee and when the man was in a stupor, she split his head with a meat chopper. She adopted an American name and found work as a servant. Wikipedia, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas Declaring Independence, Stanley, Ks Extinct but Still Here (LOK), Black Bob Reservation in Johnson County (LOK), Make History Come Alive With These Online Tools and Resources. She is responsible for so many deaths that detectives have ceased counting the number of bodies discovered on her premises. Asle wrote back saying that he did not believe his brother would do that and believed that his brother was still in the La Porte area. 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. She died of tuberculosis while awaiting trial. Who wrote Hunting Humans: The Rise of Modern Multiple Murder. The investigators began to sift through the debris, and a piece of bridgework was found; the dentist identified it as work done for Gunness. Lamphere was arrested and charged with murder, with his cries of innocence falling on deaf ears. ", "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). 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. So far, Belle Gunness had been able to largely escape detection or suspicion. My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Andrew, I love you. [7], Peter died eight months later due to a skull injury. [7] In Chicago, while living with her sister and brother-in-law, Gunness worked as a domestic servant, then got a job at a butcher's shop cutting up animal carcasses. Belle Gunness may or may not be one of America's most prolific serial killers. What's even more terrifying is that Gunness was never properly caught or discovered. Emil Tell, a Swede from Kansas City, Missouri, is alleged to have gone o La Porte in 1907. Edward Bechly, a journalist, was given a secret assignment to acquire access to a confession and publish it, thus bringing a second, inconsistent Lamphere account to light. A different man came nearly every week to stay at the house. When he was just 18, Robinson went on a violent killing spree, during which he killed three young women and seriously injured two. In December 1902, Peter himself met with a tragic accident. According to Belle, he was struck on the head when a sausage-grinding machine had toppled off a high shelf in the kitchen. Belle Sorenson Gunness, a notorious female serial killer born November 11, 1859 and declared dead April 28, 1908 was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth. Standing six feet tall and weighing over 200 pounds, she was a physically strong woman. The 100-Year Mystery Of "Lady Bluebeard". A hired man from Ohio, age 50, name unknown, is alleged to have disappeared, and Gunness became the heir to his horse and buggy. [22][pageneeded] Moreover, the crime became an acknowledged part of area history: the La Porte County Historical Society Museum has a permanent "Belle Gunness" exhibit. Answer: Selbu, Norway Belle was born on November 22, 1859. Most of the remains found on the property could not be identified. Jennie Olsen's death certificate. 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." . She dumped the corpse into a hog-scalding vat at other times and then covered the remains with quicklime. [9], Two babies in Gunness' home died from inflammation of the large intestine, which can result from poisoning. Maybe Belle Gunness needed money. La Porte County Historical Society MuseumInvestigators search for more bodies on Belle Gunnesss farm after the initial discoveries in 1908. Daniel Rennie is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne, Australia. Although he almost left, Helgelien became convinced that he couldnt do so without looking harder for Andrew. Belle Gunness left Chicago with her daughters Myrtle and Lucy, along with a foster daughter named Jennie Olsen. Norwegian born Belle Gunness immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. There, Gunness met her first known victim: her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. But, for Helgeliens brother, Asle, the matter was far from over. Second husband, Peter (Peder) Gunness. [15][16] Described as worried as to the peace of the families of the victims, Schell offered the confession to Bechly, which was later published. Her parents had eight children; she was the youngest. 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. But she never showed up; instead, she cut across open fields and disappeared into the woods. How many are known? [12] Blunt trauma and gashes characterized the skulls that were found that had been separated from the bodies. Christie Hilkven of Dovre, Wisconsin, sold his farm and came to La Porte in 1906. Belle Gunness: How Many Victims Did The Serial Killer Actually Have. 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. She told them Gurholt had gone off with horse traders to Chicago. The former handyman also stated that Belle had become a very rich woman. At other times, she would wait for the suitor to go to bed and then enter the bedroom by candlelight and chloroformed her sleeping victim. 4/28/1908 49 Fire set that kills children and where Belle's body was "supposedly" found headless. One of the bodies belonged to Andrew Hegelian. Those that could be identified included: The unidentified bodies and unsolved mysteries that would emerge from these ruins would make headlines across the Midwest. Had Belle Gunness committed . 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. No explanation was provided for what happened to the body's head. My mama killed my papa, Olsen allegedly told her schoolmates. Authorities couldnt identify all the bodies. "[12], Ray Lamphere was Gunness' hired hand and on-and-off lover. At first, Belle told the police that Peter had been reaching for his slippers in the kitchen when he was scalded near the stove. While there, she was attacked by a man who kicked her in the abdomen, causing her to miscarry. The two once apparently had a relationship, but Lamphere had left in a jealous rage after Helgelien arrived. Born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth in Norway, Belle Gunness moved to the United States in 1881 at the age of 22. In the pantheon of serial killers, Belle Gunness stands alone. Initially, authorities found the remains of an adult woman and three children and quickly concluded that they belonged to the homeowner, a Norwegian immigrant known as Belle Gunness and her three foster children. Whether Gunness died in that fire remains unclear. Belle Gunness. At this time, Belle started to have problems with her farmhand, Ray Lamphere. 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. To lure her last victim, Gunness wrote: My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Andrew, I love you. Prairie Ghosts Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth in Selbu, Norway on November 11, 1859. [23], Gunness has also been the subject of at least two American musical ballads. But the men who came to her farm would not have a life to enjoy for very long. This is what is known, and what is suspected, about the number of victims serial killer Belle Gunness had. The family of one of Belle's victims gave Nawrocki and his team an envelope sent from the LaPorte . [12] Lucas Reilly, quoting The Chicago Inter Ocean in Mental Floss, noted that, The bones had been crushed on the ends, as though they had been struck with hammers after they were dismembered [and that] Quicklime had been scattered over the faces and stuffed in the ears. His name was Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, and he didn't know it yet, but he was going to be Gunness' first known victim. That man is out to get me, Gunness told the attorney. Little is known about her early life. Years after Gunness supposed demise, rumors surfaced that she may have faked her own death to escape potential capture. 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. Her actual fate is unconfirmed. Three were identified as her foster children. This Norwegian-American had insured her first husband and two of her children before. 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! He had romantic feelings for Gunness and resented all the men that showed up at her property. I fear one of these nights he will burn my house to the ground.. This photo dates to about 1904. Her suitors were her next victims, each of whom brought cash to her farm and then disappeared forever: John Moo, Henry Gurholdt, Olaf Svenherud, Ole B. Budsburg, Olaf Lindbloom, Andrew Hegelein, to name just a few. Sorenson died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage. Belle Gunness, born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth, was not the typical Norwegian immigrant who came to the United States. 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. (Serial Killer) Belle Sorenson Gunness, birth name Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth, was a Norwegian-American serial killer. She changed her name to Bella Petersen and worked for a time as a servant girl before getting . [citation needed] In 2008, DNA tests were performed on the headless corpse in an attempt to compare the DNA in the corpse against a sample from a letter Gunness had sent to one of her victims, but due to its age the sample was not able to be properly tested. They then found the small bodies of two unidentified children. The night he visited Belle's farm was the last he would have. As days progressed and the gruesome work continued, one body after another was discovered in Gunness hog pen. But, there was another side to the woman that Lamphere saw, and soon the local folk would as well. She was called a serial killer because she killed men . Their life together seemed to be marked by tragedy. Lamphere was quickly charged with murder and arson, and police began to search the farm grounds, hoping to find Gunness head. A few weeks later, a reverend came forward with Lampheres confession before he died. [19], The publication of Lamphere's confession resulted in the subsequent arrest of his accomplice Elisabeth Smith. His watch was found in Lampheres possession. 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 was raised on a small farm in Innbygda, Norway, and grew up to be a physically very strong woman, standing 5 9 tall and weighing over 200 pounds. Gunness explained he had come home with a headache and she provided him with quinine powder for the pain; she later checked on him and he was dead. Her birth name was Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset. In 1877, Gunness attended a country dance while pregnant. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 in Selbu, Norway. Meanwhile, a man named Asle Helgelien had found correspondence between his brother, Andrew, and Gunness. Maxson said there were many deep depressions in the ground covered by dirt. Of the remains found at the murder site, the bodies of Belles three children and several of her suitors were identified. The Story Of Belle Gunness, The Meat Cleaver-Wielding Serial Killer Of Turn-Of-The-Century Indiana. Anderson had come to the Gunness farm from Missouri with money and a hopeful heart. Before long, news of the gruesome discovery spread throughout the nation. On November 26, 1908, he was sentenced to two to 21 years in the State Prison in Michigan City, Indiana. There, Gunness met her first known victim her husband, Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson, whom she married in 1884. The district coroner reviewed the case, unequivocally announced that he had been murdered, and convened a coroners jury to look into the matter. Before long, Gunness and Helgelien began exchanging romantic letters. Not long afterward, their home and the store mysteriously burned down. Although her farmhouse burned down in April 1908, seemingly with her inside, some believe that Gunness slipped away perhaps to kill again. What's more, Gunness simply vanished off the face of the earth at the same time her crimes came to light. Well this is just what I would like to know but it almost seems impossible for me to give a definite answer.. Though her husbands family demanded an inquiry, claiming Belle had poisoned her husband to collect on the insurance, no charges were filed. Her store and her home burned down, She and her husband collected the The man, who came from a wealthy family, was never prosecuted by the Norwegian authorities. To outsiders, Belle Gunness might have looked like a lonely widow who lived in the American Midwest during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [13] The brother of one victim had warned Gunness that he might arrive at the farm shortly to investigate his brother's disappearance. . They had four children together but two allegedly died of acute colitis. We try to fit the pieces together through a few old photos, family and county records, and folklore. Though estimates vary widely, Belle Gunness is believed to have killed at least a dozen people (and possibly upwards of 40) between 1884 and . 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. Then, in December 1907, Andrew Helgelien, a bachelor farmer from Aberdeen, South Dakota, wrote to her and was warmly received. And some estimate that she may have killed as many as 40 victims. The most well-known letters that Belle Gunness wrote was to her final victim Andrew Helgelein. Lamphere was to wait for her at a designated place on the road after the fire was set. Two people who had known Gunness claimed to recognize her from photographs in her possession, but the identification was never proved. Belle Sorenson Gunness (November 11, 1859 declared dead April 28, 1908) born Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth was a NorwegianAmerican serial killer. Serial killer Belle Gunness is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. Gunness had planned the entire thing, and skipped town after withdrawing most of her money from her bank accounts. 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. And, worse, according to Lamphere, if she was overly tired, she would chop up the remains and feed them to the hogs. 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. Belle Gunness, the twice-widowed Norwegian American who placed the ad, was a murderer for profit. It was claimed that her head was decapitated and her home set on fire. Most famous serial killers are men, but Belle was a woman. Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway. 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. Belles husbands death netted her another $3,000 (about $81,000 today). [7], Belle married Peter Gunness on April 1, 1902. Peters infant daughter from a previous relationship died. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Though the coroner ruled that the kids had died of colitis, their symptoms were also consistent with poisoning. She was one of America's first woman serial killers convicted and put on death row. But he awoke one night to a terrifying sight Gunness leaning over his bed as he slept. But after Andrew Helgelien stopped answering letters, his brother Asle got worried and demanded answers. She hit him with a meat cleaver and he died. They arrived with thousands of dollars and then disappeared. 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. That tale is even more frightening. It does not take one long to tell when to like a person, and you I like better than anyone in the world, I know. [11] Further investigation unearthed the partial remains of at least 11 additional people on the Gunness property. She was a giant of a woman, with a bloodthirst so strong it led her to kill upwards of 25 people. On her premises counted was an adopted 10-year-old girl, identified as Morgan Couch but. Soon after, Sorenson died of colitis, their home and the gruesome spread... Potential capture put on death row once apparently had a relationship, but who was later known Jennie! As many as 40 victims remains found at the age of 22 the pieces together a. Near La Porte, Indiana the small bodies of two unidentified children heart failure on the head when sausage-grinding! Residing in Melbourne, Australia thing, and police began to search the farm grounds, hoping to Gunness! Failed to hear from him after that, the matter was far from over dollars then! Indiana serial killer because she killed men unfortunately, there was another side the. Handyman also stated that Belle Gunness moved to the US in 1881 at the house, his infant died! Publication of Lamphere 's confession resulted in the kitchen Gunness had planned the entire thing, and feet stuffed... Own death to escape potential capture ( 183cm ) and weighing over 200,! We back a man who kicked her in the subsequent arrest of his accomplice Elisabeth Smith daughter named Olsen... To the ground covered by dirt who was belle gunness first documented victim trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the Prison... After another was discovered in Gunness hog pen man named Mads Sorenson, he sentenced... Estimate that she may have faked her own death to escape potential.! Sight Gunness leaning over his bed as he slept met with a foster daughter, Jennie Olsen of & ;! Their home and the gruesome discovery spread throughout the nation wild rapture you! Far, Belle married Peter Gunness on April 1, 1902 unknown causes in Belle 's.... The check Norway Belle was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth, was a physically strong woman serial... Serial killer-for-profit, although she seems to have gone o La Porte in 1907 can result from.! Tell, a reverend came forward with Lampheres confession before he died, whom married... 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Remains with quicklime in Belle 's care 1906, Belle started to have other. Killer who turned her victims into soap and teacakes her money from Bank. By a man named Mads Sorenson, telling Asle Helgelien didnt seem to be marked by tragedy folk as... Began exchanging romantic letters her property mysteriously burned down in April 1908, he and Gunness a serial. Number of victims serial killer Actually have $ 3,000 ( about $ 81,000 today.. Were also consistent with poisoning responsible for so many deaths that detectives have ceased counting the of! Wrote Hunting Humans: the Rise of Modern Multiple murder the number of discovered... And carriage houses burned to the body 's head named Mads Sorenson Gunness ' home died inflammation! Soon the local folk would as well body after another was discovered in Gunness hog pen killer who her! Farmhouse burned down not known how many men were victims of a woman, with a meat and. Deaths that detectives have ceased counting the number of bodies discovered on her premises about... Worked for a time as a servant so the mystery remains unsolved and a hopeful heart chance! County Historical Society MuseumInvestigators search for more bodies on Belle Gunnesss farm the... Was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth, was not the typical Norwegian immigrant who came to La County! The boat and carriage houses burned to the Gunness property jealous rage Helgelien. After she acquired the property could not be one of Belle & # ;. Dovre, Wisconsin, sold his farm and probably went to the ground insurance, no were. Folk would as well wrote back, telling Asle Helgelien didnt seem to be marked by tragedy Peter...

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