Belle Gunness was born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Strseth on November 11, 1859 in Selbu, Norway. Gunness immigrated to the United States in 1881 in search of wealth. She was the daughter of a stonemason. After she arrived in the United States, a series of insurance frauds and crimes followed her, escalating in size and danger.

Not long after Gunness married Mads Albert Sorenson in 1884, their stone home mysteriously burned down. The couple claimed the insurance money for both. Soon after, Sorenson died of heart failure on the day his two life insurance policies overlapped. Though her husband’s family demanded an inquiry, no charges were filed. It is believed that the couple had two children whom Guness poisoned in infancy for the insurance money.

Several more unexplained deaths followed, including the infant daughter of her new husband, Peter Gunness, followed by Peter Gunness himself. Her adopted daughter’s body would also be found on Belle’s property.

After the deaths of her children and husband, Gunness began meeting wealthy men through a lovelorn column. Her suitors were her next victims, each of whom brought cash to her farm and then disappeared forever. The names of these men were John Moo, Henry Gurholdt, Olaf Svenherud, Ole B. Budsburg, Olaf Lindbloom, and Andrew Hegelein.

In 1908, just when Hegelein’s brother became suspicious of her antics, Gunness’s luck seemed to run out. Her farmhouse was burned to the ground. However, in the smoldering ruins, workmen discovered four skeletons. Three of these skeletons were identified as her foster children. The fourth, believed to be Gunness, was inexplicably missing its skull. After the fire, her victims were unearthed from their shallow graves around the farm. The remains of more than forty men and children were exhumed.

Gunness’s hired hand, Ray Lamphere, was arrested for murder and arson on May 22, 1908. He was found guilty of arson but was cleared of murder. He died in prison, but not before revealing the truth about Belle Gunness and her crimes, including burning her own house down when the body that was discovered was not hers. Gunness attempted to fake her own death and ended up skipping town after withdrawing most of her money from her bank accounts. She was never tracked down and her death has never been confirmed.