Real Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Theories Book III

Belle Gunness

Belle Gunness, born BrynhildPaulsdatter Størseth (November 11, 1859 – possibly April 28,1908), was a Norwegian-American serial killer who was active inIllinois and Indiana between 1884 and 1908. Gunness is thought tohave killed at least fourteen people, most of whom were men sheenticed to visit her rural Indiana property on the promise ofmarriage, while some sources speculate her involvement in as many asforty murders. Gunness seemingly died in a fire in 1908, but it ispopularly believed that she faked her death. Her actual fate isunconfirmed.

Early life

Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset (BelleGunness) was born in Selbu, Norway on November 11, 1859 to Paul andBerit Storset; she was the youngest of eight children. She wasconfirmed at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1874. At age 14, shebegan working for neighboring farms by milking and herding cattle tosave enough money for passage to New York. She moved to the UnitedStates in 1881. When she was processed by immigration at CastleGarden, she changed her first name to Belle, then traveled to Chicagoto join her sister, Nellie who had immigrated several years earlier.

In Chicago, while living with hersister and brother-in-law, she worked as a domestic servant, then gota job at a butcher's shop cutting up animal carcasses, until herfirst marriage in 1884.

Deaths associated with Gunness

Mads Sorenson and children

Belle Gunness married Mads Sorenson in1884. Sorenson and Gunness owned a candy store which burned to theground. The couple's home had also burned down, and both instancesgranted the couple insurance payouts.

Two babies in their home died frominflammation of the large intestine, which can result from poisoning.Belle had insured both of the children and collected a largeinsurance check after each death. Neighbors gossiped about thebabies, since Belle never appeared to be pregnant.

Sorenson had purchased two lifeinsurance policies. On July 30, 1890, both policies were active atthe same time, as one would expire that day, and the other began.Sorenson died of cerebral hemorrhage that day. Gunness explained hehad come home with a headache and she provided him with quininepowder for the pain; she later checked on him and he was dead.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. With the insurance money, she moved to La Porte, Indiana, and boughta pig farm.

Peter Gunness

Belle married Peter Gunness on April 1,1902. The following week, while Peter was out of the house, hisinfant daughter died of unknown cause in Belle's care.

Peter died eight months later due to askull injury. Belle explained that Peter reached for something on ahigh shelf and a meat grinder fell on him, smashing his skull. Thedistrict coroner convened a coroner's jury, suspecting murder, butnothing came of the case. Belle collected $3000 insurance money forPeter's death.

Disappearances

Gunness began placing marriage ads inChicago newspapers in 1905. One of her ads was answered by aWisconsin farmhand, Henry Gurholt. After traveling to La Porte,Gurholt wrote his family, saying that he liked the farm, was in goodhealth, and requesting that they send him seed potatoes. When theyfailed to hear from him after that, the family contacted Gunness. Shetold them Gurholt had gone off with horse traders to Chicago. Shekept his trunk and fur overcoat.