Dirty Money Files

Belle Gunness: Murder, Mayhem & Missing Heads

• Chili & Jordan

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🔪 Belle Gunness: Murder, Mayhem & Missing Heads - Discover the chilling story of America's deadliest "Black Widow" who turned murder into a profitable enterprise in early 1900s Indiana. From lonely hearts schemes to life insurance fraud, follow the blood-soaked trail of this ruthless killer who amassed over $250,000 through her deadly financial schemes (equivalent to millions today).

Journey to La Porte, Indiana, where this Norwegian immigrant built her infamous "murder farm" and lured wealthy suitors to their doom through carefully crafted lonely hearts advertisements. Learn how she combined cold-blooded murder with meticulous bookkeeping, transforming her isolated farmstead into a killing ground where over 40 victims met their fate.

Uncover the twisted tale of how Gunness manipulated life insurance policies, orchestrated "accidental" deaths, and convinced wealthy men to liquidate their assets before making them disappear forever. This episode reveals her methods of exploitation, her calculated victim selection, and the mysterious fire that brought her reign of terror to an explosive end - or did it?

Join us for this haunting exploration of greed, deception, and murder as we examine one of history's most calculating killers who proved that the deadliest predators don't always lurk in the shadows - sometimes they're keeping the books.

#FinancialMotives #TrueCrime #InsuranceMurder #LegalBattles #Crime
#News #DeadlyWomen #FinancialCrime #TrueCrimeStories
#DirtyMoneyFiles #FinancialCrimes #BelleGunness #TheBlackWidow
#SerialKillerStories #TrueCrimePodcast #MurderAndMoney #CrimeHistory #LaPorteMurders #TrueCrimeCommunity #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeAndGreed #CriminalMastermind #MoneyAndMurder #GreedyCrimes 

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[00:00:00] Opening Music.

Chili: Welcome back money maniacs to another episode of Dirty Money Files, the show where greed meets grim reality and bad decisions meet even worse consequences. 

Chili: Jordan, Jesus. 

Chili: Uh, I'm Chili, your sarcastic navigator through history's shadiest schemes, and as always, I've got my hubby, and partner in crime, I mean, crime mockery, Jordan, along for the ride.

Jordan: I thought you only had to introduce me, but now you've got to introduce Kuda 

Chili: Kuda. I didn't expect you to bring him up there. 

Jordan: No, neither did I. 

Chili: Uh, today we're taking a trip to the little town of La Porte, Indiana to the early 1900s. Picture it dirt roads, horse drawn carriages and one seriously twisted lady who turned murder into her favorite way to make a quick dollar.[00:01:00] 

Jordan: Goodbye Kuda. 

Chili: He, he was done.

Chili: Belle Gunness wasn't your average scammer. She was the damn pioneer of some of the dodgiest schemes you have ever heard of. But before we get into it, we'll summarise. She used lonely heart ads to reel in wealthy men, convince them to sell everything, swipe their cash, and well, repeat. Don't worry, we'll get into the grim details soon, but let's just say Belle's farm wasn't exactly the romantic escape these poor dudes were hoping for.

Chili: And by the way, Belle didn't stop at cleaning out their wallets, no. She took things to a whole new level by cashing in on their life insurance policies. [00:02:00] Honestly, it's grim as hell, but she really built herself a proper death fuelled financial side hustle. And well, back then, the port was the perfect place for someone like Belle to run her little schemes.

Chili: With quiet streets and nosy neighbours that sadly didn't ask the right questions, Belle's farm was unfortunately big enough to ensure no one ever found out what she was up to, or at least, for a while. And so, over the course of this episode, We'll unravel her web of lies, greed, and madness. From romance schemes to shady life insurance schemes, Belle Gunness built herself a dodgy legacy, with bodies buried on her property like a full on cemetery.

Chili: You know, just without the gravestones. And with that, shall we meet the Queen Bee of Death? 

Jordan: [00:03:00] Definitely. 

Chili: Mm. 

Chili: Belle Gunness, and I'm probably going to say this wrong, was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Størseth in Norway in 1859. She didn't exactly have the fairy tale start. Life in rural Norway was tough, with harsh winters, endless work, and well, not a whole lot of opportunity.

Chili: So, like many others chasing the dream of a better life, Belle made the big ol' move to America in 1881. She settled in Chicago, married Mads Sorensen, and I probably also said that wrong, in 1884. But things in our murderess's life took a quick turn. First, two of her children died under what you and I would call mysterious circumstances.

Chili: And then Mads? He conveniently passed away the [00:04:00] very day his life insurance policy lapsed. Dodge. 

Jordan: Never trust the life insurance. 

Chili: You're dead. The minute, the minute you get a life insurance policy, you're just dead. Waiting, just waiting for death. 

Chili: Pivoting back to Belle, she of course cashed in and didn't skip a beat.

Chili: With the compensation money in hand, she buggered off to La Porte, Indiana, ready for her next chapter of her dodgy dealings. In the port, Belle of course took on the role of a grieving widow, luring in wealthy men with promises of romance and fantasy future on her farm. Her method was simple, but ruthlessly effective.

Chili: She charmed her suitors into selling everything they owned, and handing over their life savings. Once their pockets were emptied, their usefulness had [00:05:00] run out. And, well, that's it. They disappeared, obviously. Belle's operation wasn't just about stealing money, it was about maximising every opportunity. From life insurance payouts to her victim's hard earned cash, Belle worked the system like a pro.

Chili: Her farm wasn't just a home, it was the centerpiece of her financial crime spree. Whether it was charming, lonely old men, or keeping nosy neighbors at bay, Belle ran her schemes with precision, someone who knew exactly how to exploit trust for profit. Belle, as we know, born Brynhild, hailed from the snow kissed town of Selbu, Norway.

Chili: A place as cold as opportunities were scarce. Her family struggled to make ends meet. In a world where hard work barely put food on the [00:06:00] table, it's safe to say that little Brynhild grew up with dreams far too big for the humble farm life that she was saddled with. Fast forwarding to 1881 when she'd had enough of Norway's icy winds and crushing poverty, she packed her bags, kissed the fjords goodbye, and set sail for the land of opportunity, America.

Chili: But let's not get too sentimental here. Our girl wasn't exactly landing to play by the rules of the American dream. Landing in Chicago, she reinvented herself, trading in her Norwegian roots for a shiny new identity as a domestic servant. It was a humble beginning. But it was her front row seat to the financial systems and society quirks that she'd later exploit to a deadly effect.

Chili: She was shrewd and ambitious, let's face it, [00:07:00] had the moral compass of a brick. The anonymity of the bustling new city worked wonders for someone who had no intention of living a straightforward life. America gave Belle the fresh start she wanted. But her rags to riches tale would soon take a decidingly grim detour.

Chili: Spoiler alert, it wasn't hard work or perseverance that got her ahead. So her first stop on her marital train as we've discussed is Mads Sorensen. Mads and Belle married in 1884 in Chicago. From the outside, It looked like your typical immigrant success story. A loving couple building a life together. But beneath the surface, not so much.

Chili: Tragedy followed Belle like a bad smell. Before Mad Sorensen's death, he and Belle tried to build a family. Whether their union produced any [00:08:00] biological children remains debated among researchers. Some claim the couple had none, while others suggest they had four. Two of their children died under questionable circumstances.

Chili: Their cause of death was acute colitis with symptoms like nausea, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Eerily similar to those caused by certain poisons, both children's lives were ensured and Belle, true to form, collected the payouts without hesitation. Unable to conceive more children, Mads and Belle then turned to adoption, welcoming three daughters Jenny, Myrtle and Lucy from struggling local families in their Chicago neighborhood.

Chili: Belle managed to maintain the appearance of a caring mother and a loyal wife. But trouble always seemed to be lurking in her shadow. In a fittingly suspicious twist. [00:09:00] The couple opened a small confectionery shop that, within a year, mysteriously burned to the ground, conveniently allowing Belle to collect insurance money and fund a new home.

Chili: And if that wasn't such enough, Mads didn't exactly have a long, happy retirement to look forward to. And by fate, or something more sinister, He passed away on the exact day one of his two life insurance policies expired. I mean, what are the odds? 

Jordan: Perfect timing, really. Happy with life for them. 

Chili: Mmm. 

Jordan: I'm not gonna ever let you get a life insurance policy on me though.

Chili: I know. You will literally be running for the hills. 

Chili: Belle, of course, collected this payout and, without batting an eyelid, soon made her way to La Porte Indiana, where she purchased her little death farm. It was a fresh start, but not in the wholesome way you'd hope. For Belle, La Porte was just the [00:10:00] next chapter in what would be a grim and profitable career.

Chili: If you're starting to think Belle's grieving process involved dollar signs instead of tissues, you're spot on. The deaths of her loved ones weren't just coincidental, they were downright profitable. And let's be real, if your husband dies just at the right moment to make you richer and no one asks too many questions, wouldn't you rinse and repeat?

Chili: For Belle, it was just business, baby. 

Chili: So with the development of her financial schemes, when she landed in La Porte, she wasn't just looking for a home, rather she was laying the groundwork for her grim enterprise. As a widow with a sob story and a farm to maintain, Belle crafted a persona that drew in wealthy bachelors like moths to a flame.

Chili: Her ads [00:11:00] in the local papers played up her hardworking nature and financial stability, But they also hinted at a partner who could join her in managing her prosperous farm. And by partner, she meant walking piggy bank. It wasn't just her charm that sealed the deal. It was her ability to make the whole setup seem legitimate.

Chili: Belle encouraged her suitors to sell everything, liquidate their assets and arrive at her farm with every last cent. Not exactly the start of a fairy tale romance. Rather the start of their grim demands. 

Jordan: She must have a really nice picture in these ads. 

Chili: Well, I think she was just really good at being like, sexy or something.

Jordan: Master manipulator? 

Chili: 1880s, 1880's

Jordan: Do they have photos in the 1880s? 

Chili: Yeah, but like, that's when you're just staring off into the distance. You also don't know if they're like, alive or not, or [00:12:00] not. Have you seen death portraits? 

Jordan: No, whats that?

Chili: It's like to memorialise someone that just died, particularly like children.

Chili: They will like put makeup on and take a photo of your dead body. 

Jordan: Or like pose. 

Chili: Like they pull their eyelids open and they just look like dolls almost, and they would have like family portraits. But they all looked grim, so you actually wouldn't, technically if you're looking at it, you wouldn't necessarily tell who was the dead person.

Jordan: Sometimes your research is creepy. 

Chili: You're welcome. Where, where was I? This wasn't Belle's first rodeo of financial fraud. She cut her teeth on insurance scams, perfecting the art of cashing in on tragedy during her time in Chicago. By the time she got to La Porte, she'd refined her schemes to a razor's edge.

Chili: What started as [00:13:00] unfortunate accidents involving her family, evolved into a full scale operation targeting lonely, wealthy men. For Belle, her farm wasn't a home. It was a man's financial black hole into her pocket. Men entered with dreams of romance and security, but rarely left with their lives. She combined the art of a con with cold blooded efficiency, ensuring that her schemes were as profitable as they were deadly.

Chili: Gunness early insurance broad laid the groundwork for her later, more elaborate financial plots. In sort of a self education or learn on the job way, she quickly mastered the art of manipulating the system, taking out policies on family members and orchestrating their deaths to collect substantial payouts.

Jordan: You'd think the insurers would stop trusting it after the first couple, you know? [00:14:00] 

Chili: We'll get there. Um, as we know, this pattern of behavior began with her first husband. only to grow more calculated as she established herself in La Porte. What set Gunness apart from the average fraudster of her time was her ability to exploit loopholes in insurance policies with chilling precision, and her complete lack of moral restraint when it came to murder for financial gain.

Chili: Her schemes often involved intricate financial manipulations, eerily similar to modern day investment frauds. Where perpetrators rely on fabricated explanations to deceive their victims. So with her farm being the foundation of her sinister money making scheme, it's privacy and it's expansive grounds offered the perfect cover for her deadly operation, providing ample space to [00:15:00] dispose of her victim's remains without arousing any suspicion. Gunness used the property to execute her plans with precision, taking full advantage of its secluded location to attract unsuspecting suitors. Belle approached running her farm with cold, calculated precision, treating it like a grim assembly line.

Chili: Each man arrived believing in promises of a better future, love, partnership, and financial stability. I

Chili: nstead, they became part of her carefully orchestrated plan. Stripped of their wealth before meeting a dead end. 

Jordan: They never had to worry about their finances again though. So they got the financial stability they always wanted.

Chili: Yes, in the ground. Her calculated strategy allowed her to reap enormous profits for the time while maintaining the air of normalcy to [00:16:00] outsiders. It was as much about control as it was about money, and Belle mastered both with chilling efficiency. So I think we know now that Gunness Lonely Hearts ads were calculated to target a very specific type of victim.

Chili: Wealthy, older, men. 

Chili: Looking for companionship and a fresh start. She cast herself as the ideal match, a successful, attractive widow. With a thriving farm and dreams of building a future with the right partner, her ads emphasised her assets and subtly hinted at the need for someone who could contribute emotionally and financially to their shared life.

Chili: It was the perfect bait for men with means and minimal family ties. Her selection process wasn't rushed. Gunness often [00:17:00] corresponded with her suitors for months. carefully sifting through details about their financial situations, family connections, and just how easily they might vanish without drawing attention.

Chili: She took her time, building trust, ensuring that each man was both lucrative and low risk. When the timing was right, she would invite them to her farm, often after instructing them to sell their belongings and bring cash in hand. Once there, they were as good as gone. Belle's meticulous approach to victim selection ensured that her crimes were as profitable as they were difficult to trace.

Chili: By isolating her victims from their assets and communities, she made sure the trail leading to her door was almost non existent. Her cunning manipulation, trust, and vulnerability left [00:18:00] authorities scrambling to uncover the truth. Her methods of murder and disposal were also as calculated as her financial schemes.

Chili: She relied on a lethal combination of poison and blunt force trauma to get rid of her victims swiftly and silently. The isolated location of her farm worked her advantage, providing her with sweet, sweet privacy to conceal the grim aftermath. Bodies were often buried in the pig pen, or cooked, I mean incinerated, in the farm's large stove, leaving barely a whisper of their existence behind.

Chili: Belle took every care to make evidence from the property just, well, not exist. Her obsessive attention extended beyond the murderings, ensuring that authorities would struggle to link her to the vanishings. The position in which she erased traces of her crime showed a [00:19:00] mind driven by ruthless practicality.

Chili: Perhaps the most unsettling part was just how seamlessly Belle folded her deadly activities into the mundanity of farm life. Each victim wasn't just, you know, Another life lost, but another deposit in her growing fortune, and she approached it all with a detached and calculated efficiency. Belle Gunness's record keeping were also unsettlingly thorough.

Chili: Especially for her time, she maintained multiple sets of books. One for her farm operations, to keep up appearances, and another, carefully hidden, to document her criminal exploits. Using a mix of coded entries and fake names. She cloaked the true nature of her transactions. Nothing escaped her grasp. She tracked her victims [00:20:00] assets with precision, inventing bogus investment portfolios, and even creating fake correspondence from non existent financial institutions to keep her scheme believable.

Chili: She also catalogued their personal belongings. Either selling or repurposing them to wring out every last cent from her victim. 

Jordan: She's thorough.

Jordan: Very thorough. 

Chili: I mean, if she put this to good use, like, she could have built an actual business empire. 

Jordan: She has a business empire, it's just not a very legitimate one.

Chili: No, true. 

Chili: Her ability to manipulate financial systems was as impressive as it was disturbing. In an age before digital technology, she executed unauthorised transfers and misappropriated funds with unnerving ease. Her schemes showcased a natural grasp of deception and [00:21:00] fraud, leaving her victims not just dead, but entirely erased from the financial world.

Chili: So now we'll talk about her notable victims, and their finances. Andrew Helligan, a wealthy bachelor from South Dakota, wasn't just a catch, he was a winning ticket waiting to be cashed. Andrew fell under Belle's spell after answering one of her beautifully crafted Lonely Hearts ads, written with her signature blend of sincerity and sweet nothings.

Chili: Her letters had just enough practicality to make her seem like the perfect partner. A hardworking widow with a seemingly prosperous farm, an a void in her life for the right man to fill, and you know, his life savings. So Standard Belle, of course, convinced Andrew to sell off his farm and liquidate his assets.

Chili: Are we [00:22:00] surprised? 

Jordan: No.

Chili: By the time he arrived at her farm with cash in hand. Andrew wasn't just stepping into the future of love and partnership, he was stepping into his final chapter, written by the lovely Belle herself. Andrew's 3,000 USD, worth over 80,000 in today's money, didn't just disappear, he transformed into another line in Belle's unofficial ledger of profit and loss, ensuring her fortune grew even as her victim count climbed.

Chili: Belle's other notable victims, like Ole B. Budsberg and John Moe, didn't just walk into her life, they walked into her balance sheet. Budsberg, a lonely widower from Wisconsin, arrived at Belle's farm, chasing fantasy promises of companionship and a fresh start. But uh, [00:23:00] instead, he handed over 1,900 USD, over 50, =000 in today's money.

Chili: And, of course, became another number in Belle's uniquely dark ledger. His emotional vulnerability likely made him an easy target, and Belle, as always, knew exactly how to reel the men in. All was last seen alive on April 6th, 1907. At La Porte Savings Bank, where he mortgaged his Wisconsin land, signed over the deed, and withdrew several thousand dollars in cash.

Chili: His sons, Oscar and Matthew Budsberg, had no idea their father had gone to visit Gunness. When they eventually learned of his destination and wrote to her, Belle, the picture of audacity, coolly replied, claiming that she had never met their father. Several other middle aged men would then follow [00:24:00] Budsberg's path.

Chili: That same year, arriving at the Gunness Farm, full of hope only to disappear without a trace shortly after their visit. Then there was John Moe, from Minnesota. He showed up with 1,000 USD, about 27,000 today. Maybe it was the lure of a lucrative business venture or Belle's well crafted charm, but whatever she told him, it worked.

Chili: Moe brought his life savings to her doorstep, unknowingly funding Belle's growing fortune. And stealing, I mean, sealing, his fate. Then came George Anderson, a Norwegian immigrant from Missouri, who also fell victim to Belle's charm. Over dinner, she casually mentioned her mortgage, and Anderson enchanted agreed to pay it off if they married. But later that night, Anderson woke [00:25:00] up to find Belle standing over him, holding a flickering candle and wearing a chilling expression. Without a word, she turned and left the room. Trusting his instincts, Anderson quickly packed his belongings and fled the farm, catching the next train back to Missouri.

Chili: Anderson was the only suitor to live to tell the tale. I think we know by now, Belle didn't just murder for greed, it was her own personal art form, a sort of persona or personality. You know, like starting a trend of being a hipster in Newtown, but like, in her case, a murderess in La Porte. Every victim was more than just a name, but not in the sense that you would think they're a human, they were a line in what could only be described as her twisted household budget spreadsheet.

Chili: But instead of saving for a Europe trip or a treat [00:26:00] yourself weekend, Belle's budget goals were cold calculated. And all about just how much she could document, bookkeep, and squeeze from her next victim. 

Jordan: But where did she spend it all on her farm in La Porte? 

Chili: Pretty much. 

Jordan: She just did it because she could?

Chili: It was just like, solving her farm needs.

Chili: And I also think 

Jordan: Oh, so she cared about the farm? 

Chili: Well, yeah, like she, she needed a place to live, but I don't think the farm was making money. 

Jordan: Yeah, she, she just needed to murder people to have money? 

Chili: Yes, there's one thing I know from Clarkson's farm is you just don't make money from farms. I don't think that's, you know, a uniquely modern thing.

Chili: I think that's just a overall terrible thing about farming, which even though we do, we do actually need farming. 

Chili: Um, anyway. 

Jordan: Just not murder farming. 

Chili: No, not murder farming. Not a cemetery. 

Chili: As Belle Gunness farm of horror racked up more disappearances, [00:27:00] the families of her victims weren't just confused and grieving, they were connecting the dots.

Chili: They started talking, digging, and swapping stories that unfortunately mirrored each other. These weren't just random banishings, they reeked of something nefarious. And trust me, it wasn't the pig pen. The family's constant badgering put heat on the local cops, finally breaking them out of Belle's charming widower spell and forcing them to take a proper look.

Chili: On April 28, 1908, Belle Gunness farm in La Porte, Indiana, went up in flames, bringing her reign of terror to a very dramatic and fiery end, or so it appears. When the fire was finally extinguished, investigators made a very grisly discovery in the cellar. A headless female corpse. Conveniently presumed to [00:28:00] be Belle herself.

Chili: But was it really her? Or did she use the blaze like some black magic disappearing act to dodge justice? The rumours spread like wildfire. And yes, the pun is very intended. With theories flying from accidental death to what I believe was a very elaborate escape plot. Either way, the story took on a life of its own.

Chili: The aftermath? Absolute chaos. Reporters swarmed the town. And people flocked from everywhere, desperate to see the infamous murder film. Meanwhile, cops were just stumbling over themselves, trying to figure out if the headless body was actually Belle, or just another one of her victims. The mystery only grew with sightings of Belle popping up for years.[00:29:00] 

Chili: Claims that she was living her best life, far from La Porte, kept her legend alive. Flames or not, Belle left a cemetery, I mean, a farm, full of bodies, question, and a story people couldn't stop talking about. Her crimes may have flown under the radar forever if it wasn't for this fiery spectacle. After her farmhouse erupted in flames and the fire was cleared, firefighters found one hell of a nightmare in the cellar, charred bodies.

Chili: As we can imagine, the grizzly find lit a match under law enforcement's arses, igniting them to confront the all too interesting disappearances linked to Belle's death trap of a farm. Investigators expanded their search across the entire property, and dug up what can only be described as a real life [00:30:00] horror show and not like the rocky horror show type.

Chili: Not that I don't have qualms with that too. 

Chili: Over the following weeks, more than 40 sets of remains were exhumed, ranging from complete skeletons to fragments, many showing clear signs of dismemberment and burning. Belle's attempts to erase her crimes might have been thorough, but not thorough enough to hide the sheer scale of her killing spree.

Chili: As you can imagine, forensics in the early 20th century were pretty rudimentary and identifying victims wasn't exactly an easy thing to do. However, investigators managed to make progress by using personal items found alongside the remains and cross referencing missing persons reports. Among the identified victims was Andrew Helligan, Ole B. Budsberg, and [00:31:00] John Moe.

Chili: Men who had all been lured to their deaths by Belle's promises of love and a new life. It's enough to make you wonder if anyone ever really knew what they were signing up for. If the bodies weren't incriminating enough. The cherry on top was Belle's meticulous bookkeeping. Investigators discovered her ledgers detailing her victim's assets and the profits she pocketed from her deadly schemes.

Chili: It painted a chilling picture. Belle wasn't just killing for money. She was running a calculated financial operation, one murder at a time. What shocked investigators Even more was how far Belle's reach extended. Her crimes weren't just limited to La Porte. Law enforcement agencies from multiple states joined forces chasing leads of missing [00:32:00] persons who'd vanished after responding to her Lonely Hearts ads.

Chili: This collaboration was actually groundbreaking for its time, setting a new standard for multi state investigations. When it comes to Belle Guinness, Belle, sorry, Guinness, I mean it looks like Guinness, just without the I, but anyway. When it comes to Belle Gunness' games, the numbers were just as chilling as her methods.

Chili: We're talking a financial empire built on deception, murder, and some seriously grim creativity. Estimates put her haul somewhere between 250,000 and 300,000 USD. 

Jordan: In today's dollars? 

Chili: In today's money, yeah. I mean, like, people weren't rich back then. 

Jordan: Yeah, yeah. 

Chili: Um, and how did she manage it? Diversification.

Chili: Yes. Like a twisted Victorian era [00:33:00] side hustle. The Elon Musk of murder and mayhem. So we know, Belle didn't just rely on one revenue stream, she had a whole portfolio of crimes. There was life insurance payouts from her two first husbands, and let's not forget a few of her unfortunate children, direct cash grabs from love struck suitors who showed up with their life savings, and the occasional property acquisition from victims who literally signed their lives away.

Chili: If her records are to be believed, and let's face it, they're as detailed as they are horrifying. Each victim contributed anywhere from 1,000 to 4,000 back then, uh, or about 30,000 to 120,000 today, and I want to say, they found 40 bodies, or at least parts of bodies, on her farm, that's, [00:34:00] that's a lot. Anyway, at least a dozen men fell victim to her grisly retirement plan, so kind of a lot of money.

Chili: But the money wasn't the only fallout. For the families of these men, the impact was catastrophic. Loved ones were not only grieving, but they were also grappling with financial ruin. Drained savings and shattered lives. Communities like La Porte, one sleepy and trusting, were forever scarred. Their sense of safety and innocence went up in smoke alongside Belle's farmhouse.

Chili: And let's be honest, there are no therapy sessions or GoFundMe pages in the early 1900s. Take the Gunness family, losing their patriarch, this is her first husband, under sketchy circumstances was bad enough, but throw in financial hardship, [00:35:00] you've got trauma on steroids. His kids left to grapple with a fatherless future and a gut punching realisation their step mum.

Chili: Oh, I think this might have actually been her second husband. She married a lot of people. 

Jordan: It's hard to keep track of. 

Chili: Yeah, it's hard to keep track of. Uh, realisation that their stepmum wasn't just evil, she was evil with a calculator. 

Chili: Peter Gunness met his end on one winter's night in 1900. One of Belle's daughters woke to a commotion and found Peter on the kitchen floor writhing in pain.

Chili: Belle claimed a heavy iron meat grinder had fallen from the shelf and struck his head. He didn't survive the night. A year later, an inquest raised serious doubts. The story of a falling meat grinder seemed implausible, and both the sheriff and coroner suspected foul play, especially considering the [00:36:00] earlier suspicious death of Peter's infant child in Belle's care.

Chili: Despite their concerns, the death was ruled accidental, aided by Belle's tearful performance as a grieving widow. Even her daughter appeared to know more than she let on. Just a week before the fire that destroyed the farmhouse. She confided to a friend, My mama killed my papa. She hit him with a meat cleaver.

Chili: Don't tell a soul. 

Chili: And Jenny Olsen, Belle's adopted daughter, got a raw deal even after death. Belle, ever the opportunist, likely raided Jenny's assets or inheritance like a Black Friday sale, leaving her biological family, To grieve not just their loss, but also their looted resources. In the years leading up to Jenny's disappearing, Belle kept up appearances as the grieving widow and devoted mother.

Chili: In late 1906, she claimed Jenny had [00:37:00] left for Los Angeles to attend a Lutheran college, or in other versions, a finishing school for young ladies. But no college in California had any record of her. The grim truth came to light later when Jenny's remains were found buried on Bell's property. 

Chili: Even before the fire, whispers around La Porte were hard to ignore.

Chili: Why did so many men visit Belle's farm, only to vanish without a trace? And where was her wealth coming from? Her modest farm trade couldn't explain her increasingly lavish lifestyle. Locals noticed Belle was wearing the hats and long coats of her missing suitors while tending to the fields or strolling in the rain.

Chili: As for Jenny, some believed she'd grown suspicious of her adoptive mother's behavior, especially how Belle's suitors always seemed to just leave in the middle of the night, never to be seen again. Maybe [00:38:00] Jenny asked one too many questions. For Belle, that might have been all that it took to decide Jenny's grim fate.

Chili: Honestly, the audacity is off the charts. 

Chili: And poor Ray Lamphere, Belle didn't just ruin his life, she torched his reputation too. Quite literally. As her farmhand, Ray was the unlucky bloke who was originally pinned for her supposed murder. And the arson that burned down the farmhouse. When he dodged the murder charges, going him for that, I guess, he still got stuck for the arson conviction, legal fees, fines, and being ostracised by everyone, all because he got tangled in Belle's mess, even his family probably faced blowback, struggling to shake the stink of the association with La Porte's resident murder queen. [00:39:00] The Sorensen family? They didn't escape unscathed either. Let's not even start on how unresolved cases screw with life insurance payouts. Bell's schemes didn't just kill people, they killed futures. Andrew Helgian's family was another casualty of Belle's greed. Not only did she swindle him out of his life savings, his brother, Asle, spent a small fortune on travel, investigators, and legal fees, trying to figure out what the hell happened.

Chili: The Budsburgs family? Belle targeted their elderly patriarch, Ole. Draining him of his hard earned cash. His kids likely faced immediate financial struggles. Wondering how one woman could embody both death and debt collection. To summarise her financial victims included an array of unfortunate men lured by her charm and false promises.[00:40:00] 

Chili: Henry Gerholdt from Wisconsin arrived with 1500. His watch later found with a body. John Moe's watch was discovered in Ray Lamphere's possession. Christy Hilkven sold his Wisconsin farm in 1906 and vanished at La Porte. And Charles Neiberg, a young Scandinavian from Philadelphia, disappeared after carrying 500 to Belle.

Chili: Others, like John H. McJunkvin from Pennsylvania, Olaf Jensen from Indiana, and Burt Chase from Indiana, each sold assets or brought savings to La Porte, only to meet grim fate. Bert's death was even falsified as a train wreck in a suspicious telegram sent to his brother. Men like Lee Porter from Oklahoma, John Hunter from Pennsylvania, Abraham Phillips from West [00:41:00] Virginia, and Benjamin Carling from Chicago, each carrying significant amounts of cash or assets vanished.

Chili: Some later identified by personal items like a railway watch or unique dental patterns. And adding to this macabre ledger were anonymous victims, including a man whose buggy, Belle apparently inherited, and another whose horse and cart were found among her possessions. The trail of men, broken families, and emptied wallets was as fast as it was grim.

Chili: In the end, all they got was heartbreak and a hefty bill. Full of horror, the fallout was seismic. Paranoia took over, neighbours side eyed each other, trust was torched, and the town's once quiet reputation was replaced with macabre infamy. 

Jordan: Good for tourism, though. 

Chili: Yeah, dark. 

Jordan: A little Disney World of Murder.

Chili: Dark tourism. Dark tourism. I mean, to be [00:42:00] honest, I'd probably go, but. 

Jordan: Yeah, it's cause you're into weird murder tourism. 

Chili: It's interesting. 

Chili: Um, don't forget the time I accidentally drove us into Wolf Creek area. 

Chili: Local businesses suffered as outsiders turned the community into a freak show. The damage wasn't just emotional, it was economic too.

Chili: Belle's crimes also exposed some serious systematic fails. Life insurance, loopholes, shoddy missing persons investigations. And a legal system about as watertight as a sieve all came under fire. Her case became a rallying cry for reforms, from stricter insurance policies to better protection for vulnerable folks.

Chili: See, I told you, we'd get there. The psychological impact? Immense. Survivors dealt with guilt, and families [00:43:00] wrestled with generational trauma. The stories of Belle became cautionary tales, whispered through generations, like Brother Grimm's bedtime story. Do you know? Did you know? You don't know about Brother's Grimm?

Jordan: I like, I've heard of it, but I don't know the story. 

Chili: It's like original fairy tales, but it's like the grim version. 

Jordan: Yeah, so it's like fairy tales, but super scary. 

Chili: Yeah, I think I actually have my original like bound book somewhere, I'll show you. 

Jordan: Definitely won't read that tonight. 

Chili: No, it's creepy. 

Chili: In the aftermath, La Porte struggled with how to memorialise the victims without amplifying the killer's infamy.

Chili: What to do with a farm that was subject of an intense debate, with opinions divided between destruction and remembrance, and, you know, monetary tourism. Belle's crimes didn't just leave scars. They served as a haunting reminder of [00:44:00] how unchecked greed and manipulation can tear families, communities, and lives apart.

Chili: Belle Gunness didn't just earn her place in history books, she carved it out with blood, deception, and a bank ledger that would make your accountant, me, cry. As one of the most prolific and cunning female serial killers, Belle took financial fraud and murder to new levels. Blending romance scams, life insurance squindles, and outright murder into a business model that could only be described as the darkest of side hustles, her crimes shocked the nation.

Chili: Not just because of the brutality, but because they exposed gaping vulnerabilities in the early 20th century systems. Life insurance loopholes? Check. Inadequate missing person reports? Check. Belle's schemes [00:45:00] became a gruesome wake up call showing just how easily someone could exploit trust for financial gain.

Chili: Even now, criminologists and historians can't stop analysing her case. Not just for its horror, but for the lessons it offers on greed, manipulation, and the devastating cost of unchecked monetary ambition. If Belle Gunness taught us anything aside from a thousand ways to spot a sociopath, it's about the importance of sniffing out financial red flags.

Chili: Her ability to charm and manipulate victims with carefully crafted letters and false promises serves as a grim reminder to keep your wits about you in financial transactions, and maybe also in life in general. 

Jordan: Don't go to a dodgy farm. 

Chili: Yeah, don't get a life insurance policy. 

Jordan: Yeah. Never get a life or never let your partner get a life insurance policy for you.

Chili: Or [00:46:00] multiple on you.

Jordan: Yeah. But that's a real red flag. 

Chili: Real red flag. And while we'd like to think the world is a lot savvier these days, let's not kid ourselves, these scams are still alive and well. Sure. The letters have moved online. The promises now arrive by email or, you know, Tinder. 

Jordan: I think I'd prefer a Nigerian prince to like a murderess though.

Jordan: So, you know. 

Chili: Yeah, but no, 

Jordan: As far as scams go, at least i'm alive. 

Chili: I know, but there's a lot of people who like pretend to be like celebrities. I think I would like prefer that, like, you know, I don't know, just thinking like the catfish TV show that we used to watch. 

Jordan: Yeah. Maybe just not get scammed at all.

Chili: Yeah. Just don't, don't talk to people online. 

Chili: Anyway, so, sorry. 

Chili: Sure, the letters have moved online, and the promises now arrive via email. [00:47:00] The money's more likely to vanish into a dodgy bitcoin wallet. But the playbook, it's all practically the same. Belle's spiritual successors are still out there, sliding into inboxes, setting up fake investment schemes, and spinning tales of love and riches.

Chili: Stricter identity checks and fraud monitoring might help, but they're far from foolproof, as every new headline proves. The best defense, a healthy dose of skepticism. 

Jordan: Skepticism? I'm here to help with the pronunciations sometimes. 

Chili: Skepticism. 

Chili: Now I can't say it. Like, at that time I couldn't say cinnamon. 

Jordan: A healthy dose of skepticism.

Jordan: Yeah, yeah. 

Chili: Chinahmen. 

Jordan: Chinahmen. 

Chili: Chinahmen. 

Chili: Chinahmen. 

Chili: Anyway, a healthy dose of skeptic 

Jordan: Skepticism, that's right, I got it for you, you can move on. 

Chili: An eye for the absurd and remembering that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably [00:48:00] is. Belle's case also underscores the need for robust safeguards for vulnerable individuals.

Chili: Whether it's life insurance scams or dodgy self managed super funds, protecting people from exploitation is a lesson that sadly, we are still learning, because, let's face it, there will always be another bell gunners in the wings, waiting to turn someone else's trust into their personal payday. 

Chili: Well, that's it for today's dive into the morbid and money driven life of Belle Gunness.

Chili: If you're not thoroughly horrified yet, maybe re listen to the bit where she buried bodies like she was stocking a freezer from a Costco haul. Belle wasn't just running scams, she was running the creepiest ledger in history. 

Chili: If you enjoyed today's episode, or if you're considering cancelling your life insurance, don't forget to like, share and [00:49:00] subscribe.

Chili: And hey, maybe warn your friends about any mysterious widows advertising opportunities in their personal ads, or Tinder, or whatever else is out there. 

Jordan: Farmer wants a wife. 

Chili: Ohh, thats fab. 

Chili: Um, anyways, Jordan and I love hearing your thoughts, so drop us a comment or DM us on social media. But for now, remember to stay skeptical, and Stay safe and don't trust anyone who insists you bring cash to a farm.