Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we unearth the gruesome story of Belle Gunness, a Norwegian-American immigrant who became one of history's most prolific female serial killers. Known as "Hell's Belle," Gunness is suspected of killing as many as forty people between 1884 and 1908, driven primarily by monetary gain.

We trace her path from Selbu, Norway, to the United States, where she initiated a pattern of insurance fraud involving the suspicious deaths of her husbands, Mads Sørensen and Peter Gunness, as well as several of her own children. We also detail how she used "lonely hearts" personal advertisements to lure wealthy suitors to her pig farm in La Porte, Indiana, only to rob and murder them.

Finally, we examine the fiery conclusion to her reign of terror. When her farmhouse burned down in 1908, authorities discovered the dismembered remains of more than a dozen victims buried in her hog pen. We discuss the enduring mystery surrounding the headless body found in the ashes and the confession of her hired hand, Ray Lamphere, who claimed Belle faked her death and escaped justice.