In the early 1900s, a quiet farm outside La Porte, Indiana, became the center of one of the most horrifying murder cases in American history. The woman at the heart of it was Belle Gunness, a Norwegian immigrant who would later be suspected of orchestrating the deaths of over a dozen men—and possibly many more.
Born Brynhild Størseth in Selbu, Norway, in 1859, Gunness emigrated to the United States in her early twenties. She settled in Chicago, married a fellow Norwegian, and began a pattern that would repeat throughout her life: collecting insurance money after mysterious tragedies. House fires, child deaths, and finally the sudden death of her husband—each event brought her financial gain and raised few questions at the time.
After moving to La Porte, Belle expanded her operations. She placed matrimonial ads in Norwegian-language newspapers, inviting suitors to her farm with promises of land, companionship, and shared prosperity. She instructed them to bring money—and to tell no one of their plans.
Many came. Few left.
In this episode of 200 Norwegians, host Fredrik Kalstveit traces Belle Gunness’s bloody path. Contributor is Jane Ammeson, author of Belle Gunness: America’s Femme Fatale.
Listen to episodes as they are released at the 200 Norwegian podcast website and on these podcast streaming apps:
Check Vesterheim’s blog every two weeks or subscribe on the apps to hear further episodes as we celebrate this anniversary year!
200 Norwegians is a podcast series by Fredrik Kalstveit featuring 200 stories of Norwegians who have shaped American history over the last two centuries.
This biweekly podcast is made in conjunction with Vesterheim Museum, and with support from the Norway House Foundation in San Francisco.
Listen to episodes as they are released at the 200 Norwegian podcast website and on these podcast streaming apps:
Check Vesterheim’s blog every two weeks or subscribe on the apps to hear further episodes as we celebrate this anniversary year!
Fredrik Kalstveit is a freelance Norwegian journalist and photographer covering tech, culture, politics, and Norwegian Americans. He is based in San Francisco, California. He has written for many publications, including TV 2 Norway, Aftenposten, Dagens Næringsliv, A-magasinet, and Vesterheim Magazine. He is author of the book Norske cowboyer: En reise gjennom ville vesten (Norwegian cowboys: A journey through the wild west), published in Norwegian.