Belle Gunness

Serial Killer

Belle Gunness: The Murderer of the La Porte Farm

Early Life and the Beginning of a Dark Reputation

Belle Gunness was a Norwegian-American serial killer whose crimes became one of the most notorious murder cases of the early twentieth century. Born Brynhild Paulsdatter Størseth on November 11, 1859, in Selbu, Norway, she immigrated to the United States in 1881 and eventually settled in the Chicago area. She later became known as Belle Sorenson and then Belle Gunness through her marriages. Although the exact number of people she killed remains uncertain, investigators discovered the remains of numerous victims on her farm near La Porte, Indiana, in 1908. At least fourteen deaths have been associated with her, while much higher estimates have appeared in later accounts. Gunness appeared outwardly to be a hardworking widow and farm owner, but a remarkable series of deaths, disappearances, fires, and insurance payments surrounded her. Some deaths connected to her were officially attributed to illness or accidents at the time and were never legally proven to be murders. Other victims were later found buried on her property. For that reason, it is important to separate documented deaths and identified remains from accusations that could never be conclusively proved.

Deaths in the Sorenson Household

Belle married Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson in Chicago in 1884. During their marriage, their home and later their confectionery business were damaged or destroyed by fires, resulting in insurance payments. Death also repeatedly entered the household. Two young foster children, Caroline and Alex, died while in Belle's care. Caroline died in 1896 and Alex in 1898. Their reported cause of death was colitis, although later suspicion centered on the possibility that poisoning could have produced similar symptoms. No murder conviction resulted from either death. Mads Sorenson died in Chicago on July 30, 1900. The timing immediately attracted attention because two life-insurance policies reportedly overlapped on that particular day. His recorded death involved a cerebral hemorrhage, but relatives and later investigators questioned whether he might have been poisoned. Belle received insurance money after his death. With her financial situation improved, she moved with her children to a farm outside La Porte, Indiana, in November 1901. ...

Confirmed Victims: (14)

Caroline Sorenson , Date of Death: 1896

America's Femme Fatale: The Story of Serial Killer Belle Gunness