Wicked Woman Wednesday

“Where are all the men who loved Belle Gunness? Buried. Literally.”

When we think of serial killers, we often picture cold-eyed men lurking in shadows. But this Wicked Woman Wednesday, we dive into the story of a woman who used love, greed, and charm to murder dozens — all while playing the role of a grieving widow and devoted mother.

Meet Belle Gunness, one of the deadliest women in American history.

The Woman Behind the Apron

Born in Norway in 1859, Brynhild Paulsdatter Størseth emigrated to the U.S. and changed her name to Belle Gunness. She settled in La Porte, Indiana, where she built a modest farm and an even darker reputation.

To neighbors, Belle was strong, independent, and unlucky in love.
But behind closed doors, Belle was writing love letters — and digging graves.

Love Letters with a Body Count

Belle placed ads in newspapers across the country, inviting wealthy men to her farm with the promise of love, marriage, and a new beginning.

Many came.
Few ever left.

One by one, her suitors arrived carrying life savings. And one by one, they vanished. Belle’s "solution"? Say they returned home, ran off, or never arrived. All the while, she forged documents, cashed checks, and buried bodies in the pig pen.

She was a master of manipulation — a Black Widow hiding behind a butcher’s smile.

The Fire That Exposed the Horror

In 1908, Belle’s farmhouse mysteriously burned to the ground. Inside, authorities found the bodies of her children… and a headless female corpse believed to be Belle herself.

But the autopsy raised questions: the body didn’t match Belle’s size.

Then came the shovels.

Digging around the property, police uncovered over a dozen bodies — men, children, and parts — all victims of Belle’s scheme.

And the most shocking part?

Belle Gunness was never definitively found.

Some claimed she faked her death and disappeared into the shadows.

Final Body Count:

Over 14 confirmed victims
Estimated total: 25–40+
Status: Presumed dead, but never confirmed

Wicked Profile

Belle Gunness was:

• A master manipulator

• A financial predator

• A remorseless killer

• And possibly one of the first female serial killers in America

She turned love into a weapon. Home into a hunting ground. And men into memories.

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Killer Thoughts and Twisted Plots