Over the years, Indiana has been the birthplace of some NOT so good people!
They seem to accumulate like flies on the rim of a garbage can......
But, never the less, they ARE Hoosiers and have made quite a name for themselves!
One of the oldest but less known serial killers who happened to live in Indiana was a woman.
Living just outside of Laporte IN. she would place adds in big city newspapers for mates.
These unknowing, trusting, and totally unsuspecting men came for visits never to be seen again.
They had been instructed to bring money to cover costs while they were visiting and to NOT tell anyone where they were going.
This was stated because it was scandalous back then for a widow woman to have single male visiters.
Once they arrived, they were poisoned and then buried under the dirt floor of her barn.
Someone suspected foul play and when they arrived to investigate, they found the house afire and no trace of the woman, her children, or any of the visitors!
Soon into the investigation they dug up close to 25 bodies from the barn floor and estimated there had been as many as 40 total visitors who could not be acounted for.
The woman was never found and believed to have died in the fire but her children were never found!
Some say she moved to California and lived out her life under an assumed identity.
This was one of the very first cases of serial killings in the U.S. and also one of the most sinister!
The womans name was Belle Gunness. Twice married and the mother of 3 children she was the model citizen and was never suspected of any wrong doing until the very end.
The site of her farm is believed to be haunted by the souls of the men she murdered.
Just goes to show you theres alot more to Indiana then cornfields!
This article is the first posted to my new group "Infamous Indiana" with many more to come!
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Comments: 66 ( 1 removed by Gary L. )
Just had to start with this gal as shes a little less known than most.
Robin, you will find California brings out the worst in Hoosiers!
Thanks for the comments!
(dont wanna get any women mad at me!) LOL
I recently heard of a museum close to Laporte IN. that has a display of some of her personal belongings and a brief story.
If possible I will find it and post some pics.
Great story!
Ready to sit on the edge of your chair.......here's one of the stories.
BELLE
Nice article... and it instantly reminded me of a song that was popular when I was studying in America: Indiana Wants Me!"
Here's the music-video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoeLOD9zD6A
I was in Highschool! LOL
I need to add some more to this group since there have been so many "infamous" people come from this state.
Just have to find the time! LOL
The warm weather attracts all types.
Nice bit of history. It's not very often somebody brags about the dark-side of their home state.
There are lessons to be learned from it!
Belle wasn't the inspiration for Bent Lorentzen's "Indiana Wants Me" song, but there are plenty of Hoosiers that could be (coming from someone who lived close to the disappearance localle of Jimmy Hoffa).
this is so cool!!
good story and your a Stephen King fan, hah?
Gary, I had never heard of her. Thanks for the history lesson. The one I can't get out of my mind is the evil woman that tortured and kill poor little Sylvia it sounds like likens. I need to look her up. I reasd the book when I was a teenager and have never forgotten it.
Thanks for your comment on the photo from Garfield Park. I can't believe we were that close to you.
Patti, that was Gertrude Benezhevski.
I remember that like it was yesterday.
She actually had kids in the neighborhood do most of the torturing.
Sylvia Lykins was her name.
I am going to do a post about her also.
Thanks Gary, I now realize that I have a morbid sense of curiosity.
Great article.
-R.
Thats better than a curious sense of morbidity! LOL
Thanks for the comment!
Kinda crazy, nuts. To bad she didnt kill child rapers or something.
Child Rapers should have the "Penile/Rectal Inversion" surgery done on them when convicted.
Belle would have been too good for those types individuals!
I remember a case of a woman's body being found stuffed in a dresser of the (then) famous & upscale Claypool Hotel in Indianapolis . . . don't remember if there was ever an arrest. Bet you'll be able to tell me.
She was a call girl if i remember right and i guess she called the wrong room?
Her choices were only justified in her own mind because of her belief system. Ideas and opinions are easily changed, but belief systems are not. If she really believed that her revenge was justified then as far as she was concerned everything was ok.
I wonder how old the children were when the house caught on fire and they all disappeared. Could it be that the children were old enough to start the fire themselves? Did they find out what their mom was doing and want out? Did they kill her, set the house afire, skeedaddle off to California and live the rest of their days on chocolate biscuits and tea? hmmmm........
Yes, the KKK was centered here for a very long time too.
Most of what you will read in this group will be very disturbing.