Belle Gunness: The Last Chapter, via DNA

Ninety-nine years ago serial killer Belle Gunness met her own grisly fate.

OR DID SHE?

DNA may now answer this century-old mystery. For years there were rumors that the most vile, crude, profligate murderess in Indiana's history got away. The remains of the woman thought to be Belle have now been unearthed from their burial place in Chicago and genes from those bones will be compared to DNA from an envelope known to have been sealed by Belle Gunness. The Indianapolis Star has the details in a nice long feature story. It seems fitting that as we near the century mark on her purported death that the case gets a firm ending after all, and another poignant touch is the use of an envelope. Did it contain one of the black widow's billets-doux? A larger question - will DNA wonders never cease?

For more Belle see The Mistress of Murder Hill: The Serial Killings of Belle Gunness by Sylvia Elizabeth Shepherd.

Comments

[Bill]

Nat Schlesinger killed his brother Jack, he stole all his money and then burned the place down

[carole gill]

Interesting comment from Bill. I'd be interested in any more information regarding that theory if you have any. I'm sure other readers would also be interested.

[Ben Fellini]

Did anyone else hear about golden globe nominated producer Edward Bass' directorial debut "Belle?" I just finished a great article in the La Porte newspaper in Indiana where the serial killer Belle Gunness resided in the early 1900s. I hope they're considering Angelina Jolie or Kate Winslet for the role. Check it out at http://heraldargus.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=130505&SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4 or go to edwardbassfilms.com to see Edward Bass' other work.