Belle Gunnes

In the sixth episode of 200 Norwegians, you’ll hear the story of Belle Gunness—the most dangerous Norwegian church lady in American history. Follow her journey from Selbu, Norway, to the outskirts of La Porte, Indiana, where she built a deadly empire of matrimonial ads, life insurance scams, and disappearing suitors.

Discover how an immigrant woman became one of America’s most prolific serial killers—and how one suspicious brother helped bring her story to light.

Was it greed that drove Belle to kill? Or something even darker?

This episode follows the strange, violent arc of a woman who didn’t just change the lives of those around her—she may have changed how Americans saw Norwegian immigrants altogether.