On April 28, 1908, in La Porte, Indiana, Belle Gunness’s house burned to the ground and four bodies were found inside, one of them headless. The victims were allegedly Belle Gunness and her three children. Was this a terrible accident, murder, or a faked death? What was subsequently found on the farm would give some answers but also generate more questions.
Sources and resources:
Wikipedia
"United States Census, 1900", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS78-PBL : Thu Apr 11 20:19:17 UTC 2024), Entry for Mats Sorensen and Bella Sorensen, 1900.
Belle Gunness biography, https://www.biography.com/crime/belle-gunness
Legends of America: https://www.legendsofamerica.com/belle-gunness/
"Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1968", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7D5-P8V : Sun Mar 10 02:10:44 UTC 2024), Entry for Mads Christian Sorenson and Anna Bennedigte Brondorp, 09 Dec 1873.
Photos of Esther Carlson and Belle Gunness: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=743741852681169&set=a.665700227151999
Video with images (warning: extremely gruesome images):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YLqgBk_eKw
This podcast uses sound from Freesound.org:
minor-key-music-box by user darkwaryurmc (http://freesound.org/s/318908/) licensed under CCBYNC 4.0
All statements in this podcast represent the opinions of the host and her guests.
Cover art photos: photo, public domain.