Belle Gunness- The Hell’s Belle

Introduction

Belle Gunness, aka Hell’s Belle, was a notorious and prolific female serial killer of America who terrorised the nation between 1884 and 1904. According to the reports, she committed fourteen murders, but some sources indicate that she must have killed around 40 people. The most chilling fact about Belle was that she killed her two husbands and all of her children for the sake of property. Her crimes shook the nation and gave her the title “Black Widow”. It is believed that she died in 1908, but her actual fate is unknown.

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Early life and Immigration to the US

Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth on November 11, 1859, into a joint family in the quaint area of Selbu, Norway. She was the youngest of the eight children of Paul Pedersen Storseth and Berit Olsdatter. Belle was poor, so she worked various jobs to collect money for her emigration to the US. She used to work on the neighbouring farm, milking and herding the cattle.

She was inspired by her elder sister, who immigrated to the US. In 1881, Belle collected enough money and went to her sister to live with her in Chicago.  When she first reached Castle Garden, she changed her name from Brynhild to Belle Petersen, then moved to her sister and brother-in-law. While living with them, Belle worked as a domestic servant and later worked at a butcher’s shop cutting animal carcasses. This was Belle’s life for a few years in the US.

In 1884, Belle married Mads Sorenson, a fellow Norwegian immigrant. Together, opened a candy store and had four children, but tragedy struck when their business and home were destroyed in a mysterious fire in 1896, resulting in the death of one of their children. Later her two children died in infancy due to acute colitis, a condition that could also be caused by poisoning. Like with the house and confectionary store, the insurance company paid out for their death.

In 1900, her husband Sorenson died coincidently on the same day his two life insurance policies overlapped. Although the family doctor confirmed that the death was natural due to a heart attack, another doctor suspected the strychnine poisoning. However, there was no evidence that could prove Sorenson’s death was unnatural. Therefore, the insurance company was obliged to give her the policy money.

Journey to become the Black Widow

After collecting a hefty life insurance payout from her husband’s death, Belle moved to La Porte, Indiana, where she purchased a farm. It was here that her deadly pattern began to emerge.  She married another Norwegian fellow, Peter Gunnesse, in April 1902, whose wife had recently died, leaving him with two young daughters. Within one week of their marriage, Peter’s youngest daughter died under suspicious circumstances. After a few months, Peter also died under mysterious circumstances. Though Belle claimed that Peter was killed after an accidental hit on his head by a sausage grinder, many people believed that Belle was responsible for his death.

Belle’s daughter Jennie was overheard telling her friend that her mother had killed her stepfather. The claims were never proved; however, after some time, Jennie was sent to boarding school and eventually was found dead and buried in a property. Peter’s elder daughter was the only living child left, who was taken to Wisconsin by Peter’s brother, Gust, a year later.

Over the following years, several men would enter Belle’s life, drawn by her personal ads seeking a husband and promising financial security. Yet, one by one, these men would vanish without a trace, leaving only speculation and suspicion. She frequently forged life insurance policies on her victims, collecting payouts after their “accidental” deaths. This fueled her greed and provided a motive for the murders. Belle used various aliases and personas, making it difficult for authorities to connect her activities and victims. This tactic hindered investigations for years. Often she was portrayed as the “monster” or “man-eater”.

Discovery of Black Widow

In April 1908, a fire consumed Belle’s farmhouse, where charred remains of her adopted daughter and two unknown children were found, which shocked the authorities. However, the body believed to be Belle’s was conspicuously missing. As investigators delved deeper, they uncovered a horror beyond imagination. There were remains of numerous individuals found buried on Belle’s property, mostly men who had answered her matrimonial ads. Some had been dismembered, others simply buried in shallow graves. Belle herself seemingly vanished in the fire. However, some believe she might have faked her death, further adding to the mystery surrounding her life and crimes. Despite evidence and confessions from accomplices, the true number of victims, her precise motives, and the complete details of her crimes remain shrouded in shadows.

The case captivated the public, becoming one of the first widely publicised serial killer investigations in the US that fuelled fear and fascination, shaping public perception of these criminals. Her story continues to intrigue criminologists and historians as her cunning manipulation, calculated methods, and the unsolved aspects of her case provide valuable insights into the minds of serial killers and the challenges of bringing them to justice.

Sources and Readings:

• Wicked West: Murderous Outlaws, Infamous Gunslingers, and the Taint of Empire by Philip J. Capelotti.
• Article on “ ‘The Black Widow’ of La Porte: Gender, Media, and the Construction of the Serial killer in the case of Belle Gunness” by Catherine M. Williams (2012).
• www.historydefined.net
• www.legendsofamerica.com

Written by

Surbhi Bhadoria