Belle Gunness - 1908 Indiana Serial Killer
Those of you from Indiana probably know everything about Belle Gunness, but I first read about her this morning in this article. Apparently she killed both of her husbands, all of her children and many of the men 
she lured with "personal " ads she posted in local newspapers. I always thought personal ads were risky business, and it seems they were 100 years ago too. Officially she died in a fire and her identy was "confirmed" because her dentures were found in the burnt remains of the house. Many people, at the time, believed Belle didn't really die and she used the fire to cover up her many crimes. The article is about a modern forensic attempt to determine what really happened. I don't know how this woman was able to attract so many men to eventually kill, but she sure was good at it.
There are many articles on the web about Belle and her exploits, but this Wikipedia version is pretty good and comprehensive. I would hate to have this woman in my family tree, but it appears she did her best to make sure there were no descendants to tell her tail.
Claire,
She was evil! I just wonder how she justified all of these murders in her own mind...especially the killing of her kids...fascinating, but sad story.
Thanks for visiting and your comment!
Tim
Posted by: Tim Agazio | April 30, 2008 at 05:31 PM
I thought I knew this name I read the whole story in a True Crime Magazine that I was gifted at Christmas, A truly evil woman Ms Belle !!
Posted by: Claire Frustine | April 30, 2008 at 04:42 PM