September 30, 2022 • 31 mins
As we close the book on our first season of Black Widows, I want to thank everyone for following along and supporting Tales From The Dark True Crime. If you’ve enjoyed this journey so far, please feel free to leave a 5 star review on whatever platform you prefer and be sure to join us again on October 15th for our second season. In the meantime, we will have marathons and season recaps for you to relive this first season.
In our final episode of Black Widows, we set eyes on what I believe is the worst one yet. This black widow created an entire empire off of luring wealthy men into her home, into their death. She killed everyone around her and her fate is still uncertain to this day.
This is the case of Black Widow Belle Gunness.
In our final episode of Black Widows, we set eyes on what I believe is the worst one yet. This black widow created an entire empire off of luring wealthy men into her home, into their death. She killed everyone around her and her fate is still uncertain to this day.
This is the case of Black Widow Belle Gunness.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
As we close the book on ourfirst season of Black Widows, I want
to thank everyone for following along andsupporting Tales from the Dark True Crime.
If you've enjoyed this journey so far, please feel free to leave a five
star review on whatever platform you prefer, and be sure to join us again
(00:21):
on October fifteenth for our second season. In the meantime, we will have
marathons and season recaps for you torelive this first season. In our final
episode of Black Widows, we seteyes on what I believe is the worst
one yet. This black widow createdan entire empire off luring wealthy women and
(00:45):
men into her home into their death. She killed every one around her,
and her fate is still uncertain tothis day. This is the case of
Black Widow Bell Gunnis. This isTales from the Dark. Bell Gunnis was
(01:41):
born on November eleventh, nineteen fiftynine, but not by her Bell name.
Her original Christian name was Brunhild PaulStatter soor Set, before she changed
it later in life. Bell wasborn to Paul stor Set and Barrett Ulstatter.
Paul was a Stonemason, and Bellewas the youngest of eight children.
(02:06):
The family lived in Norway in avery small cotter's farm. There were rumors
that Belle was pregnant in eighteen seventyseven and attended a country dance. It
was said that Belle was attacked bya wealthy man who kicked her in her
stomach, causing her to miscarry.The man himself came from a wealthy family
(02:29):
and was never prosecuted for his crimes. People who reportedly knew Belle at the
time said that her entire personality changedafter that night. The man who attacked
Bell died shortly after, cited astomach cancer. Bell would spend the next
few years working at a wealthy farmto make a trip across the Atlantic.
(02:52):
Like her sister, Nellie Larson hadearlier in her life, Bell made her
trip to a marreor in eighteen eightyone, and during this time took the
name Belle Gunness. While working asa servant, Bell would marry Mad's Anton
Sorson in eighteen eighty four in Chicago, Illinois. The couple would open a
(03:16):
confectionery store in eighteen eighty six,only for it to mysteriously burn down a
year later. The couple did receivean insurance payment, which would pay for
their next home. According to theUnited States Census on June thirteenth, nineteen
hundred, the couple had four children, Caroline, Axel, Myrtle, and
(03:39):
Lucy. Both Caroline and Axel weresaid to dine in ephasy from acute kawitis,
symptoms which closely match those of manydifferent types of poisoning. The two
children, according to an article onMay seventh, nineteen o eight from New
York Times, would be buried ina plot belonging to Mad's and Belle.
(04:02):
Myrtle A and Lucy B would bethe two living children in Belle's home,
along with an adopted ten year oldgirl by the name of Morgan Couch,
who would later be known as JinnyOlson. Mad's sourson, would die on
July thirtieth, nineteen hundred, reportedlyon the only day his two life insurance
(04:25):
policies overlapped. The first doctor toexamine Mad's body believed that he had died
from strict nine poisoning. However,the family doctor had been treating Mad's for
an enlarged heart and changed the causeof death to heart failure. No autopsy
was completed at his death, asit was not considered suspicious, even after
(04:50):
Belle told the doctor that she hadbeen giving her late husband medicinal powders to
help him feel better. The dayafter her husband's funeral, Bell applied for
the life insurance money. Mad's family, however, insisted that Belle had poisoned
him in order to receive the money, and demanded that an inquiry beheld for
(05:14):
the policy. It is unclear,however, if Mad's body was ever exhumed
or if the inquiry was seen through. Belle received eighty five hundred dollars or
three hundred thousand dollars to day.Bell used the money to buy a farm
on the outskirts of Laport, Indiana. Belle Gunnis bought a plantation on mc
(05:40):
clung Road in nineteen o one,but according to reports, both the boat
and the carriage house burned down shortlyafter her new ownership. While Bell was
preparing for her move from Chicago,Bell grew close with a former acquaintance and
widower named Peter Gunnis, who wasalso in Norwegian. They married and Lapoor,
(06:00):
Indiana on April first, nineteen otwo. Just one week after their
ceremony, Peter's infant daughter died afterbeing left alone in the house with Belle.
The cause of death was undetermined.In December nineteen o two, Peter
himself suffered an untimely death. Accordingto a recounting from Belle herself, Peter
(06:27):
was reaching for his slippers next tothe kitchen stove when he was scouted with
brine. Later on, she claimedthat a portion of a sausage grinder fell
from high shelf and caused a fatalhead injury. One year later, Peter's
brother, gust took Peter's older daughter, Swanhild, from Belle and moved her
(06:49):
to Wisconsin. Swanhild was the onlychild to survive living with Belle Gunnis.
Belle made three thousand dollars from thelife insurance of Peter Gunnis, and to
day's dollar value that when equal onehundred and three thousand, three hundred and
(07:10):
fifteen dollars. Many locals could notbelieve the story that Belle had spun.
Peter himself ran a hog farm ontheir property and was well known as an
excellent butcher. The coroner reviewed theevidence and announced that, with no uncertainty,
Peter Gunnis had been murdered. Hegathered together a jury to look into
(07:32):
the matter. All the while,Jinny Olsen, Belle's foster daughter, was
overheard confessing to a classmate, mymamma killed my papa. She hit him
with a meat cleaver and he died. Don't tell a soul. However,
when Jinny was brought in and questionsabout these allegations, she denied ever saying
(07:57):
those remarks. Bell eventually convinced theborrower that she was innocent, and on
May nineteen oh three, Bell gavebirth to a baby boy, Philip.
A few years went by, andin nineteen o six, Belle told her
neighbors that she had sent her fosterdaughter, Jenny, to Lutheran College in
(08:20):
Los Angeles, while some neighbors weretold it was a finishing school for young
ladies. Later on, in futureinvestigations, though, Jenny's body would be
found buried on Bell Gunnis's property.In nineteen o seven, Bell employed a
single farm hand by the name ofRay lamp Here, and around the same
(08:43):
time, Bell posted the following advertisementin the matrimonial columns of all Chicago Daily
newspapers along with other large Midwestern cities. Personal comely widow who owns a large
farm in one of the finest districtsin Laport County, Indiana. Desires to
make the acquaintance of a gentleman's equallywell provided with a few of joining fortunes.
(09:13):
No replies by letter considered unless cinderis willing to follow answer with personal
visit. Trillers need not apply.Several middle aged men of memes responded to
Belle's ads. One of those menincluded John Moe from Elbow Lake, Minnesota.
(09:35):
John allegedly brought more than one thousanddollars with him to pay for Belle's
mortgage from reports of neighbors, butBelle introduced him as her cousin. John
disappeared from Belle's farm only a weekafter his arrival. Next, George Anderson
from Tarkio, Missouri, came forBelle's hand. During dinner with George,
(10:03):
Belle brought their attention to her mortgage. George agreed to pay off her farm
if they decided to wed. Laterthat night, George awoke to see Belle
standing over him, holding a gutteringcandle in her hand, and she wore
a sinister expression on her face.Without saying a word. She ran from
(10:26):
the room when she noticed that Georgehad awoken He quickly gathered his things and
fled from the home, taking atrain to Missouri. That same night,
more suitors came to Belle's home,and none other than George Anderson ever left.
She began ordering large trunks to bedelivered directly to her home, and
(10:48):
the delivery driver, Clyde Sturgis,recalled how Belle would lift the enormous trunks
with much ease, like a bagof marshmallows. He was quoted. Bell
kept the shutters of her home closedday and night, and was often seen
at night digging within her pigpen bypassing farmers. Old b. Budsburg,
(11:09):
an elderly widow from Iola, Wisconsin, came to Bell's home next. Ole
was lasting alive at the Lawport SavingsBank on April sixth, nineteen oh seven.
There, Ole mortgaged his Wisconsin land, signed over the deed, and
withdrew several thousands dollars of cash.Ol did not, however, communicate with
(11:35):
the sons about where he was going. After digging into it and not seeing
their father return, the sons foundout where he went and that he went
to visit Bell. They decided towrite to her. She replied and told
them that she had never seen theirfather. Bell continue to develop relationships with
(12:01):
wealthy men, and all disappeared aftervisiting her. In December nineteen oh seven,
Belle wrote back and forth with AndrewHelgalina, a bachelor farmer from Alberdeen,
South Dakota. A letter dated Januarythirteenth, nineteen oh eight read,
(12:22):
think how nice we will enjoy eachother? Can you conceive of anything nicer?
I think of you constantly when Ihear your name mentioned. And this
is when one of the dear childrenspeaks of you, or I hear myself
humming it with the words of anold love song. It is beautiful music
to my ears. My heart beatsin wild rapture for you, my Andrew.
(12:48):
I love you, come, preparedto stay forever. Convinced of her
love for him, Andrew promptly wentto her side in January nineteen o eight.
He brought with him a check fortwenty eight hundred dollars and his belongings.
A few days after his arrival,Belle and Andrew were seen together at
(13:11):
the Lawport Savings Bank cashing out thetwenty eight hundred dollars. Andrew disappeared a
few days later, but Belle wasseen making two deposits, one of five
hundred dollars and another for seven hundred. At this time, Belle began having
troubles with her farm hand Ray Lamphire. Ray was uncontrollably in love with Belle
(13:37):
Gunness. Ray worked day and nightto impress Bell and grew extremely jealous of
all the suitors coming to her farm. Ray began making scenes in front of
the men, and on February third, nineteen oh eight, Bell fired him.
Shortly after, she went to thelocal courthouse and Belle claimed that Ray
(14:00):
was not in his right mind,that he was a menace to the public.
She was able to convince the localauthorities to hold a sanity hearing,
where Ray was declared same and thenreleased. After the release, Bell went
to her local sheriff to claim thatRay had come back to her property and
(14:20):
argued with her. Bell claimed thathe was a threat to her family and
had the police arrest him for trespassing. During this time, Andrew's brother Isle
was worried when Andrew did not returnhome and wrote to Bell to figure out
where he had gone. Bell wroteback and said she believed Andrew had gone
(14:45):
to Norway to visit family. Aledid not buy this. He believed that
his brother was still in Indiana andtold bell so. Belle's response to this
was that Ile was more than andwelcome to come search for his brother,
that she would even help conduct thesearch, but it was a costly endeavor
(15:07):
and he would need to compensate herfor her time. At the same time,
is believed that Belle was setting upa cover story for her own arson.
She was meaning with a lawyer toset up her will and claimed that
she was worried that Ray Lamphere wouldhurt her and her property. The lawyer
(15:28):
oblige and set her inherit tempts togo to her kids. Belle then went
to the bank and paid off hermortgage entirely. However, Belle never went
to the police with these concerns.On April twenty eighth, nineteen o eight,
Belle's farmhand, Joe Maxon, awoketo smoke filling up his room on
(15:52):
the second floor of Belle's home.Joe attempted to open his bedroom door,
but the fire made it possible.Joe screamed out for Belle and her children,
but to no avail. I hadto leap out of the second story
window to save himself. Joe scrambledto get help putting out the fire,
(16:14):
but the property was in ash andshambles. Before the fire could be controlled,
four bodies were found in the home, three of Belle's children, and
a headless female that some thought tobe Belle in the basement of the home.
County Shere Smutzer reported to the sceneand recalled the information Belle had given
(16:36):
the police about Ray lamp fear.Belle's lawyer also came forward and recounted that
Belle feared for her life because ofRay. Once Smutzer found Ray, he
could not get a word out beforeRay asked, did widow, Gunness and
the kids get out all right?Smutzer informed him of the fire. Ray
(17:00):
denied having anything to do with it. Ray claimed that he was nowhere near
the property when the fire happened.However, a young man by the name
of John saw him. Came forwardand claimed that he saw Ray running away
from Belle's property right after the firestarted. Ray told the boy, you
(17:21):
wouldn't say that to my face,to which John replied, yes, I
will. You found me hiding behindthe bushes, and you told me you'd
kill me if I didn't get outof there. Many people flocked to the
Belle residence to search for evidence andanswers to what happened. There would be
(17:41):
controversy over the headless woman found,as many people did not believe it was
Belle. Belle was a stockwoman,six feet tall and weighed between one hundred
and eighty and two hundred pounds accordingto the measurements of the local apparels.
The body found was a petite stature, less than one hundred and fifty pounds,
(18:03):
and did not have the same bonestructor as what was perceived a Belle
gunnis. Many neighbors examined the remainsand all stated that the body found was
not Belle. Strangely enough, DoctorJ. Myers was sent the stomach contents
of the body to a pathologist,who found months later that the organs contain
(18:26):
lethal doses of streynine. Doctor IraP. Norton, Belle's dentist, came
forward and said if he could getany samples of the teeth or dental work,
he would be able to successfully identifythe body as Belle. Lewis Klondike
(18:47):
Schultz, a former miner, washired to sift through all the degrees in
order to find more evidence. Aswork progressed, more bodies were uncovered from
the property, but on May nineteenth, nineteen o eight, a piece of
bridge work was found made of twocanines, porcelain teeth in gold crown work.
(19:10):
Doctor Norton identified the dental work assomething he had done for Bell,
and the body was named as her. Around this time, All arrived in
Lawport and informed Sheriff Smutzer that hebelieved his brother died at the hands of
Bell. Her farm hand Joe cameforward and claimed that when he first started,
(19:33):
Bell requested that he even out aportion of her land that she had
supposedly buried trash. Sheriff Smutzer broughttwelve men back to the farm to investigate.
On May third, nineteen o eight, the men discovered the bodies of
Jinny Olsen, two unidentified small children, Andrew, and many others in Belle's
(19:57):
hogpen. The list continues as thefollowing. Olb. Budsburg of Iowa,
Wisconsin, Thomas Limbo, Henry Groholtof Scandinovia, Wisconsin, olof Spinherd from
Chicago, Joe mo of Elbow Lake. His watch was found in Lancefire's possession
(20:23):
Olaf Limbloom. Then reports of otherpossible victims began to come in. William
Mengey, a coachman of New YorkCity who had left that city on April
first, nineteen o four, HermannKolnitzer of Chicago, who disappeared in January
(20:44):
nineteen oh six. Charles Edmund ofNew Carlisle, Indiana. George Barry of
Tuscola, Illinois. Christie Hilcovin ofDorver, Barron County, Wisconsin, who
sold his farm and came to Laportin nineteen o six. Chairs Nieburg,
(21:06):
a twenty eight year old Scandinavian immigrantwho lived in Philadelphia, told friends that
he was going to visit Gunness inJune nineteen o six and never came back.
He had been working for a saloonkeeper and took five hundred dollars with
him. John H. Mcjunkin ofCorpoulos, near Pittsburgh left his wife in
(21:26):
December nineteen o six after corresponding witha Lawport woman. Olaf Jensen, a
Norwegian immigrant of Carol, Indiana,wrote his relatives in nineteen o six that
he was going to marry a wealthywidow at Lawport Henry Bigg of laport who
disappeared in June nineteen o six ashired man named Edward Canary of Pink Lake
(21:52):
also vanished. In nineteen o six. Burt Chase of Indiana sold his book
shop and told friends of a wealthywidow and that he was going to look
her up. His brother received atelegram supposedly from Alberdeen, South Dakota,
claiming Bert had been killed in atrain wreck. His brother investigated and found
(22:14):
the telegram was fictitious. Tonius Petersonof Rusford, Minnesota is alleged to have
disappeared on April second, nineteen oseven. A gold ring marked S B.
May twenty eighth, nineteen o sevenwas found in the ruins. A
(22:37):
hired man, George Bradley of Tuscola, Illinois, is alleged to have gone
to Laporte to mean a widow andthree children in October nineteen oh seven.
T J. Tefflin of Minneapolis isalleged to have come to see Gunnis in
nineteen oh seven. Frank Rindinger,a farmer in Wisconsin, came to Indiana
(23:00):
in nineteen o seven to marry andnever returned. Emil tell A Suede from
Kansas City as alleged to have gonein nineteen o seven to Laport and never
returned. Lee Porter of Barringtonville,Oklahoma, separated from his wife and told
his brother he was going to marrya wealthy widow in laport John E.
(23:26):
Hunter left Pennsylvania on November twenty fifth, nineteen o seven, after telling his
daughters he was going to marry awealthy widow in northern Indiana. The list
continues, and there are also unnamedvictims, a daughter of missus H.
Woodser of Toledo, Ohio, whoattended Indiana University near Laporte in nineteen o
(23:48):
two. An unknown man and womanare alleged to have disappeared in September nineteen
o six, the same night JinnyOlsen went missing. Gunnis claimed were a
Los Angeles professor and his wife whohad taken Jinny to California, a brother,
Miss Jinny Graham of Wyouki, Wisconsin, who had left to marry a
(24:11):
rich widow in Laport but vanished.A hired man from Ohio aged fifty name
unknown is Allegedo disappeared and Gunnis becamethe heir to his horsome Bucky an unnamed
man from Montana told people at aresort he was going to sell Gunness his
horsome buggy, which were found withseveral other horses and Bucky's at the farm.
(24:37):
Most bodies discovered were not able tobe identified, and because of the
nature of the recovery, an exactnumber of bodies could not be determined,
but is believed that approximately twelve victimswere found. Ray Lampfare was arrested on
May twenty second, nineteen oh eight, and tried for murder and arson.
Ray denied all charges and used anoffense that the headless body they had found
(25:03):
was not bound. Ray's lawyer,wort Warden, worked closely with the local
jeweler to prove that the dental workfound by Klondike should have been partially melted
and imperfect. They provided evidence ofa similar dental procedure being put into a
blacksmith's forge, claiming that the resultsshowed that the canines, porcelain, teeth,
(25:26):
and gold had been placed post fire. Other witnesses claimed to see the
miner Klondike placed the evidence near thebody before claiming to find it. On
November twenty sixth, nineteen o eight, Ray was found guilty of arson alone
and was sentenced to twenty years inthe state prison. Ray would dive of
(25:49):
tuberculosis on December thirtieth, nineteen onine. On January fourteenth, nineteen ten,
Reverend A Shell brought to light raysdying confession. Ray swore that Belle
Gunness was still alive. He recountedthat Ray himself never murdered anyone, but
(26:11):
helped Belle bury her victims. Whena victim arrived at Belle's home, she
would charm them, make them comfortable, then feed them on large meal.
She would then drug their coffee andwait until they were deep asleep. Bell
would split their head with a meatcleaver. In other cases, she would
(26:34):
wait until her suitors fell asleep inbed. Then she would chloroform them and
carry them into the basement. Todissect her victims, Bell would place the
remains on her hogpen or in variousplaces on her property. When she was
low on time, she would poisontheir coffee to kill them immediately. Belle
(26:56):
also dumped some corpses in the hogscouting that and covered them with quicklime.
Or if Belle was exhausted, shewould chop up the remains and feed them
to her hogs in the dead ofnight. Ray claimed that the headless female
body found was that of a Chicagonative that Belle had lured in under the
(27:18):
pretense of being a housekeeper. Belledrugged her, smashed her head in,
and decapitated the body. She thentied weights to the head and threw it
deep into a nearby swamp. Bellethen chloroformed her children, strangled them,
and dragged their bodies into the basement. According to some accounts, Belle abandoned
(27:44):
Ray and ran across the nearby fieldinto the woods after the fire was started.
Others say Ray took Belle to atown nine miles away to see her
off to Chicago. Ray said thatBelle was a rich who killed forty two
men. By his count, hadtaken money ranging from one thousand dollars to
(28:07):
thirty two thousand dollars. She hadallegedly made over two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars from her schemes, which isequal to almost eight million dollars today.
Local banks later admitted that bell withdrewmost of her money just days before the
fire. For many years, peopleclaimed to see Belle in Chicago, Los
(28:33):
Angeles, New York and many othercities. However, nothing was ever proven.
As late as nineteen thirty one,it was reported that Belle was living
in Mississippi, where she supposedly owneda very large property. Sheriff Smutzer said
(28:53):
that he received about two reports amonth of the alleged black widow's location for
more than twenty years. However,the female body from Belle's farm has never
been positively identified to this day.What do you think of this case?
(29:14):
Is this truly the one that gotaway? Or did Ray Lamphere murder Belle
and her children like she predicted?What do you think happened to Bell?
Be sure to let us know,because for now, for tonight, I
think we are going to have toadd the case of black Widow Bell Gunness
(29:37):
to our never ending but are alwaysgrowing tails from the dark wants alone
As we close the book on ourfirst season of Black Widows, I want
to thank everyone for following along andsupporting Tales from the Dark True Crime.
If you've enjoyed this journey so far, please feel free to leave a five
star review on whatever platform you prefer, and be sure to join us again
(00:21):
on October fifteenth for our second season. In the meantime, we will have
marathons and season recaps for you torelive this first season. In our final
episode of Black Widows, we seteyes on what I believe is the worst
one yet. This black widow createdan entire empire off luring wealthy women and
(00:45):
men into her home into their death. She killed every one around her,
and her fate is still uncertain tothis day. This is the case of
Black Widow Bell Gunnis. This isTales from the Dark. Bell Gunnis was
(01:41):
born on November eleventh, nineteen fiftynine, but not by her Bell name.
Her original Christian name was Brunhild PaulStatter soor Set, before she changed
it later in life. Bell wasborn to Paul stor Set and Barrett Ulstatter.
Paul was a Stonemason, and Bellewas the youngest of eight children.
(02:06):
The family lived in Norway in avery small cotter's farm. There were rumors
that Belle was pregnant in eighteen seventyseven and attended a country dance. It
was said that Belle was attacked bya wealthy man who kicked her in her
stomach, causing her to miscarry.The man himself came from a wealthy family
(02:29):
and was never prosecuted for his crimes. People who reportedly knew Belle at the
time said that her entire personality changedafter that night. The man who attacked
Bell died shortly after, cited astomach cancer. Bell would spend the next
few years working at a wealthy farmto make a trip across the Atlantic.
(02:52):
Like her sister, Nellie Larson hadearlier in her life, Bell made her
trip to a marreor in eighteen eightyone, and during this time took the
name Belle Gunness. While working asa servant, Bell would marry Mad's Anton
Sorson in eighteen eighty four in Chicago, Illinois. The couple would open a
(03:16):
confectionery store in eighteen eighty six,only for it to mysteriously burn down a
year later. The couple did receivean insurance payment, which would pay for
their next home. According to theUnited States Census on June thirteenth, nineteen
hundred, the couple had four children, Caroline, Axel, Myrtle, and
(03:39):
Lucy. Both Caroline and Axel weresaid to dine in ephasy from acute kawitis,
symptoms which closely match those of manydifferent types of poisoning. The two
children, according to an article onMay seventh, nineteen o eight from New
York Times, would be buried ina plot belonging to Mad's and Belle.
(04:02):
Myrtle A and Lucy B would bethe two living children in Belle's home,
along with an adopted ten year oldgirl by the name of Morgan Couch,
who would later be known as JinnyOlson. Mad's sourson, would die on
July thirtieth, nineteen hundred, reportedlyon the only day his two life insurance
(04:25):
policies overlapped. The first doctor toexamine Mad's body believed that he had died
from strict nine poisoning. However,the family doctor had been treating Mad's for
an enlarged heart and changed the causeof death to heart failure. No autopsy
was completed at his death, asit was not considered suspicious, even after
(04:50):
Belle told the doctor that she hadbeen giving her late husband medicinal powders to
help him feel better. The dayafter her husband's funeral, Bell applied for
the life insurance money. Mad's family, however, insisted that Belle had poisoned
him in order to receive the money, and demanded that an inquiry beheld for
(05:14):
the policy. It is unclear,however, if Mad's body was ever exhumed
or if the inquiry was seen through. Belle received eighty five hundred dollars or
three hundred thousand dollars to day.Bell used the money to buy a farm
on the outskirts of Laport, Indiana. Belle Gunnis bought a plantation on mc
(05:40):
clung Road in nineteen o one,but according to reports, both the boat
and the carriage house burned down shortlyafter her new ownership. While Bell was
preparing for her move from Chicago,Bell grew close with a former acquaintance and
widower named Peter Gunnis, who wasalso in Norwegian. They married and Lapoor,
(06:00):
Indiana on April first, nineteen otwo. Just one week after their
ceremony, Peter's infant daughter died afterbeing left alone in the house with Belle.
The cause of death was undetermined.In December nineteen o two, Peter
himself suffered an untimely death. Accordingto a recounting from Belle herself, Peter
(06:27):
was reaching for his slippers next tothe kitchen stove when he was scouted with
brine. Later on, she claimedthat a portion of a sausage grinder fell
from high shelf and caused a fatalhead injury. One year later, Peter's
brother, gust took Peter's older daughter, Swanhild, from Belle and moved her
(06:49):
to Wisconsin. Swanhild was the onlychild to survive living with Belle Gunnis.
Belle made three thousand dollars from thelife insurance of Peter Gunnis, and to
day's dollar value that when equal onehundred and three thousand, three hundred and
(07:10):
fifteen dollars. Many locals could notbelieve the story that Belle had spun.
Peter himself ran a hog farm ontheir property and was well known as an
excellent butcher. The coroner reviewed theevidence and announced that, with no uncertainty,
Peter Gunnis had been murdered. Hegathered together a jury to look into
(07:32):
the matter. All the while,Jinny Olsen, Belle's foster daughter, was
overheard confessing to a classmate, mymamma killed my papa. She hit him
with a meat cleaver and he died. Don't tell a soul. However,
when Jinny was brought in and questionsabout these allegations, she denied ever saying
(07:57):
those remarks. Bell eventually convinced theborrower that she was innocent, and on
May nineteen oh three, Bell gavebirth to a baby boy, Philip.
A few years went by, andin nineteen o six, Belle told her
neighbors that she had sent her fosterdaughter, Jenny, to Lutheran College in
(08:20):
Los Angeles, while some neighbors weretold it was a finishing school for young
ladies. Later on, in futureinvestigations, though, Jenny's body would be
found buried on Bell Gunnis's property.In nineteen o seven, Bell employed a
single farm hand by the name ofRay lamp Here, and around the same
(08:43):
time, Bell posted the following advertisementin the matrimonial columns of all Chicago Daily
newspapers along with other large Midwestern cities. Personal comely widow who owns a large
farm in one of the finest districtsin Laport County, Indiana. Desires to
make the acquaintance of a gentleman's equallywell provided with a few of joining fortunes.
(09:13):
No replies by letter considered unless cinderis willing to follow answer with personal
visit. Trillers need not apply.Several middle aged men of memes responded to
Belle's ads. One of those menincluded John Moe from Elbow Lake, Minnesota.
(09:35):
John allegedly brought more than one thousanddollars with him to pay for Belle's
mortgage from reports of neighbors, butBelle introduced him as her cousin. John
disappeared from Belle's farm only a weekafter his arrival. Next, George Anderson
from Tarkio, Missouri, came forBelle's hand. During dinner with George,
(10:03):
Belle brought their attention to her mortgage. George agreed to pay off her farm
if they decided to wed. Laterthat night, George awoke to see Belle
standing over him, holding a gutteringcandle in her hand, and she wore
a sinister expression on her face.Without saying a word. She ran from
(10:26):
the room when she noticed that Georgehad awoken He quickly gathered his things and
fled from the home, taking atrain to Missouri. That same night,
more suitors came to Belle's home,and none other than George Anderson ever left.
She began ordering large trunks to bedelivered directly to her home, and
(10:48):
the delivery driver, Clyde Sturgis,recalled how Belle would lift the enormous trunks
with much ease, like a bagof marshmallows. He was quoted. Bell
kept the shutters of her home closedday and night, and was often seen
at night digging within her pigpen bypassing farmers. Old b. Budsburg,
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an elderly widow from Iola, Wisconsin, came to Bell's home next. Ole
was lasting alive at the Lawport SavingsBank on April sixth, nineteen oh seven.
There, Ole mortgaged his Wisconsin land, signed over the deed, and
withdrew several thousands dollars of cash.Ol did not, however, communicate with
(11:35):
the sons about where he was going. After digging into it and not seeing
their father return, the sons foundout where he went and that he went
to visit Bell. They decided towrite to her. She replied and told
them that she had never seen theirfather. Bell continue to develop relationships with
(12:01):
wealthy men, and all disappeared aftervisiting her. In December nineteen oh seven,
Belle wrote back and forth with AndrewHelgalina, a bachelor farmer from Alberdeen,
South Dakota. A letter dated Januarythirteenth, nineteen oh eight read,
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think how nice we will enjoy eachother? Can you conceive of anything nicer?
I think of you constantly when Ihear your name mentioned. And this
is when one of the dear childrenspeaks of you, or I hear myself
humming it with the words of anold love song. It is beautiful music
to my ears. My heart beatsin wild rapture for you, my Andrew.
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I love you, come, preparedto stay forever. Convinced of her
love for him, Andrew promptly wentto her side in January nineteen o eight.
He brought with him a check fortwenty eight hundred dollars and his belongings.
A few days after his arrival,Belle and Andrew were seen together at
(13:11):
the Lawport Savings Bank cashing out thetwenty eight hundred dollars. Andrew disappeared a
few days later, but Belle wasseen making two deposits, one of five
hundred dollars and another for seven hundred. At this time, Belle began having
troubles with her farm hand Ray Lamphire. Ray was uncontrollably in love with Belle
(13:37):
Gunness. Ray worked day and nightto impress Bell and grew extremely jealous of
all the suitors coming to her farm. Ray began making scenes in front of
the men, and on February third, nineteen oh eight, Bell fired him.
Shortly after, she went to thelocal courthouse and Belle claimed that Ray
(14:00):
was not in his right mind,that he was a menace to the public.
She was able to convince the localauthorities to hold a sanity hearing,
where Ray was declared same and thenreleased. After the release, Bell went
to her local sheriff to claim thatRay had come back to her property and
(14:20):
argued with her. Bell claimed thathe was a threat to her family and
had the police arrest him for trespassing. During this time, Andrew's brother Isle
was worried when Andrew did not returnhome and wrote to Bell to figure out
where he had gone. Bell wroteback and said she believed Andrew had gone
(14:45):
to Norway to visit family. Aledid not buy this. He believed that
his brother was still in Indiana andtold bell so. Belle's response to this
was that Ile was more than andwelcome to come search for his brother,
that she would even help conduct thesearch, but it was a costly endeavor
(15:07):
and he would need to compensate herfor her time. At the same time,
is believed that Belle was setting upa cover story for her own arson.
She was meaning with a lawyer toset up her will and claimed that
she was worried that Ray Lamphere wouldhurt her and her property. The lawyer
(15:28):
oblige and set her inherit tempts togo to her kids. Belle then went
to the bank and paid off hermortgage entirely. However, Belle never went
to the police with these concerns.On April twenty eighth, nineteen o eight,
Belle's farmhand, Joe Maxon, awoketo smoke filling up his room on
(15:52):
the second floor of Belle's home.Joe attempted to open his bedroom door,
but the fire made it possible.Joe screamed out for Belle and her children,
but to no avail. I hadto leap out of the second story
window to save himself. Joe scrambledto get help putting out the fire,
(16:14):
but the property was in ash andshambles. Before the fire could be controlled,
four bodies were found in the home, three of Belle's children, and
a headless female that some thought tobe Belle in the basement of the home.
County Shere Smutzer reported to the sceneand recalled the information Belle had given
(16:36):
the police about Ray lamp fear.Belle's lawyer also came forward and recounted that
Belle feared for her life because ofRay. Once Smutzer found Ray, he
could not get a word out beforeRay asked, did widow, Gunness and
the kids get out all right?Smutzer informed him of the fire. Ray
(17:00):
denied having anything to do with it. Ray claimed that he was nowhere near
the property when the fire happened.However, a young man by the name
of John saw him. Came forwardand claimed that he saw Ray running away
from Belle's property right after the firestarted. Ray told the boy, you
(17:21):
wouldn't say that to my face,to which John replied, yes, I
will. You found me hiding behindthe bushes, and you told me you'd
kill me if I didn't get outof there. Many people flocked to the
Belle residence to search for evidence andanswers to what happened. There would be
(17:41):
controversy over the headless woman found,as many people did not believe it was
Belle. Belle was a stockwoman,six feet tall and weighed between one hundred
and eighty and two hundred pounds accordingto the measurements of the local apparels.
The body found was a petite stature, less than one hundred and fifty pounds,
(18:03):
and did not have the same bonestructor as what was perceived a Belle
gunnis. Many neighbors examined the remainsand all stated that the body found was
not Belle. Strangely enough, DoctorJ. Myers was sent the stomach contents
of the body to a pathologist,who found months later that the organs contain
(18:26):
lethal doses of streynine. Doctor IraP. Norton, Belle's dentist, came
forward and said if he could getany samples of the teeth or dental work,
he would be able to successfully identifythe body as Belle. Lewis Klondike
(18:47):
Schultz, a former miner, washired to sift through all the degrees in
order to find more evidence. Aswork progressed, more bodies were uncovered from
the property, but on May nineteenth, nineteen o eight, a piece of
bridge work was found made of twocanines, porcelain teeth in gold crown work.
(19:10):
Doctor Norton identified the dental work assomething he had done for Bell,
and the body was named as her. Around this time, All arrived in
Lawport and informed Sheriff Smutzer that hebelieved his brother died at the hands of
Bell. Her farm hand Joe cameforward and claimed that when he first started,
(19:33):
Bell requested that he even out aportion of her land that she had
supposedly buried trash. Sheriff Smutzer broughttwelve men back to the farm to investigate.
On May third, nineteen o eight, the men discovered the bodies of
Jinny Olsen, two unidentified small children, Andrew, and many others in Belle's
(19:57):
hogpen. The list continues as thefollowing. Olb. Budsburg of Iowa,
Wisconsin, Thomas Limbo, Henry Groholtof Scandinovia, Wisconsin, olof Spinherd from
Chicago, Joe mo of Elbow Lake. His watch was found in Lancefire's possession
(20:23):
Olaf Limbloom. Then reports of otherpossible victims began to come in. William
Mengey, a coachman of New YorkCity who had left that city on April
first, nineteen o four, HermannKolnitzer of Chicago, who disappeared in January
(20:44):
nineteen oh six. Charles Edmund ofNew Carlisle, Indiana. George Barry of
Tuscola, Illinois. Christie Hilcovin ofDorver, Barron County, Wisconsin, who
sold his farm and came to Laportin nineteen o six. Chairs Nieburg,
(21:06):
a twenty eight year old Scandinavian immigrantwho lived in Philadelphia, told friends that
he was going to visit Gunness inJune nineteen o six and never came back.
He had been working for a saloonkeeper and took five hundred dollars with
him. John H. Mcjunkin ofCorpoulos, near Pittsburgh left his wife in
(21:26):
December nineteen o six after corresponding witha Lawport woman. Olaf Jensen, a
Norwegian immigrant of Carol, Indiana,wrote his relatives in nineteen o six that
he was going to marry a wealthywidow at Lawport Henry Bigg of laport who
disappeared in June nineteen o six ashired man named Edward Canary of Pink Lake
(21:52):
also vanished. In nineteen o six. Burt Chase of Indiana sold his book
shop and told friends of a wealthywidow and that he was going to look
her up. His brother received atelegram supposedly from Alberdeen, South Dakota,
claiming Bert had been killed in atrain wreck. His brother investigated and found
(22:14):
the telegram was fictitious. Tonius Petersonof Rusford, Minnesota is alleged to have
disappeared on April second, nineteen oseven. A gold ring marked S B.
May twenty eighth, nineteen o sevenwas found in the ruins. A
(22:37):
hired man, George Bradley of Tuscola, Illinois, is alleged to have gone
to Laporte to mean a widow andthree children in October nineteen oh seven.
T J. Tefflin of Minneapolis isalleged to have come to see Gunnis in
nineteen oh seven. Frank Rindinger,a farmer in Wisconsin, came to Indiana
(23:00):
in nineteen o seven to marry andnever returned. Emil tell A Suede from
Kansas City as alleged to have gonein nineteen o seven to Laport and never
returned. Lee Porter of Barringtonville,Oklahoma, separated from his wife and told
his brother he was going to marrya wealthy widow in laport John E.
(23:26):
Hunter left Pennsylvania on November twenty fifth, nineteen o seven, after telling his
daughters he was going to marry awealthy widow in northern Indiana. The list
continues, and there are also unnamedvictims, a daughter of missus H.
Woodser of Toledo, Ohio, whoattended Indiana University near Laporte in nineteen o
(23:48):
two. An unknown man and womanare alleged to have disappeared in September nineteen
o six, the same night JinnyOlsen went missing. Gunnis claimed were a
Los Angeles professor and his wife whohad taken Jinny to California, a brother,
Miss Jinny Graham of Wyouki, Wisconsin, who had left to marry a
(24:11):
rich widow in Laport but vanished.A hired man from Ohio aged fifty name
unknown is Allegedo disappeared and Gunnis becamethe heir to his horsome Bucky an unnamed
man from Montana told people at aresort he was going to sell Gunness his
horsome buggy, which were found withseveral other horses and Bucky's at the farm.
(24:37):
Most bodies discovered were not able tobe identified, and because of the
nature of the recovery, an exactnumber of bodies could not be determined,
but is believed that approximately twelve victimswere found. Ray Lampfare was arrested on
May twenty second, nineteen oh eight, and tried for murder and arson.
Ray denied all charges and used anoffense that the headless body they had found
(25:03):
was not bound. Ray's lawyer,wort Warden, worked closely with the local
jeweler to prove that the dental workfound by Klondike should have been partially melted
and imperfect. They provided evidence ofa similar dental procedure being put into a
blacksmith's forge, claiming that the resultsshowed that the canines, porcelain, teeth,
(25:26):
and gold had been placed post fire. Other witnesses claimed to see the
miner Klondike placed the evidence near thebody before claiming to find it. On
November twenty sixth, nineteen o eight, Ray was found guilty of arson alone
and was sentenced to twenty years inthe state prison. Ray would dive of
(25:49):
tuberculosis on December thirtieth, nineteen onine. On January fourteenth, nineteen ten,
Reverend A Shell brought to light raysdying confession. Ray swore that Belle
Gunness was still alive. He recountedthat Ray himself never murdered anyone, but
(26:11):
helped Belle bury her victims. Whena victim arrived at Belle's home, she
would charm them, make them comfortable, then feed them on large meal.
She would then drug their coffee andwait until they were deep asleep. Bell
would split their head with a meatcleaver. In other cases, she would
(26:34):
wait until her suitors fell asleep inbed. Then she would chloroform them and
carry them into the basement. Todissect her victims, Bell would place the
remains on her hogpen or in variousplaces on her property. When she was
low on time, she would poisontheir coffee to kill them immediately. Belle
(26:56):
also dumped some corpses in the hogscouting that and covered them with quicklime.
Or if Belle was exhausted, shewould chop up the remains and feed them
to her hogs in the dead ofnight. Ray claimed that the headless female
body found was that of a Chicagonative that Belle had lured in under the
(27:18):
pretense of being a housekeeper. Belledrugged her, smashed her head in,
and decapitated the body. She thentied weights to the head and threw it
deep into a nearby swamp. Bellethen chloroformed her children, strangled them,
and dragged their bodies into the basement. According to some accounts, Belle abandoned
(27:44):
Ray and ran across the nearby fieldinto the woods after the fire was started.
Others say Ray took Belle to atown nine miles away to see her
off to Chicago. Ray said thatBelle was a rich who killed forty two
men. By his count, hadtaken money ranging from one thousand dollars to
(28:07):
thirty two thousand dollars. She hadallegedly made over two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars from her schemes, which isequal to almost eight million dollars today.
Local banks later admitted that bell withdrewmost of her money just days before the
fire. For many years, peopleclaimed to see Belle in Chicago, Los
(28:33):
Angeles, New York and many othercities. However, nothing was ever proven.
As late as nineteen thirty one,it was reported that Belle was living
in Mississippi, where she supposedly owneda very large property. Sheriff Smutzer said
(28:53):
that he received about two reports amonth of the alleged black widow's location for
more than twenty years. However,the female body from Belle's farm has never
been positively identified to this day.What do you think of this case?
(29:14):
Is this truly the one that gotaway? Or did Ray Lamphere murder Belle
and her children like she predicted?What do you think happened to Bell?
Be sure to let us know,because for now, for tonight, I
think we are going to have toadd the case of black Widow Bell Gunness
(29:37):
to our never ending but are alwaysgrowing tails from the dark wants alone
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