logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2017
40m 39s

“The Midwest Black Widow” - Belle Gunnes...

SPOTIFY STUDIOS
About this episode

Norwegian immigrant Belle Gunness was one of America's deadliest black widows. Suitors answering her personal ads seeking romance found themselves at the wrong end of Belle's meat cleaver. Join Greg and Vanessa as they investigate the motives behind Belle's prolific murders. Was early-life trauma to blame? Or did simple greed drive Belle to kill?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Oct 6
The Doomsday Murders
This episode first aired on April 14, 2025. The sordid story of Chad and Lori Daybell hit national news in 2020: missing children, suspicious deaths, and a trail of fringe religious beliefs. We’re diving in with author and former criminal defense attorney Lori Hellis, whose book ... Show More
40m 37s
Sep 29
Albert Fish
This episode first aired on August 19, 2024. He’s been called many names: the Boogeyman, the Thrill Vulture, the Moon Maniac, the Werewolf of Wysteria… But in life, he was known as Albert Fish and his gruesome crimes redefined the limits of human depravity. Stay up to date with c ... Show More
37m 12s
Sep 22
Jolly Jane Toppan (And an Announcement!)
This episode first aired on January 15, 2018. On the outside, Jane Toppan seemed like a loving nurse who cared deeply for her patients. But for years, she used her nursing skills to experiment with medicines…and kill the people who trusted her the most. Stay up to date with chang ... Show More
49m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2021
"The Murder Farm" Belle Gunness Pt. 2
There's still so much mystery surrounding the fate of Belle Gunness, and what exactly happened on her now-infamous murder farm. The truth may be just as terrifying as the rumors… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
43m 53s
Jul 2021
"The Murder Farm" Belle Gunness Pt. 1
Belle Gunness never wanted much from her life: a fresh start in the USA, a nice husband, and maybe some children. But after a chance fire burned down her family home, an idea sparked in her — one that would lead to countless murders at her chilling Indiana farm. Learn more about ... Show More
45m 26s
Dec 2021
"Hell's Belle" Gunness
Sara and Danny are back to cover the crime spree of Belle Gunness, a farm owner in Illinois in the early 1900's. They start off with some relevant details of her early life and her immigration to the US from Norway, and then get into the suspicious deaths of people surrounding he ... Show More
57m 16s
Jul 2019
Episode 374: Belle Gunness Part I - Holes in the Hog Pit
It's Heavy Hitter time as we cover the most vicious black widow America has ever seen: Hell's Princess herself, Belle Gunness. Join us on the first part of our series as we cover Belle's road her murderous plot to rob countless Norwegian bachelors of both life and money as well a ... Show More
1h 32m
Jan 2017
E28: The Hall-Mills Murder
Two corpses are found posed under a tree in New Brunswick, New Jersey. An heiress, a reverend, a cheating wife, a charming bachelor, the local oddball, and the love affair that turned deadly—with this cast of characters, it’s no wonder the case kicked off one of the biggest media ... Show More
39m 59s
Jun 2020
Black Widows Series: Martha Needle
This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing ... Show More
11m 2s
Oct 2020
"The American Beauty Murder" Pt. 1: Kristin Rossum
After a childhood spent striving for perfection in the early '90s, a devastating ballet injury turned Kristin Rossum to drugs. She married the man who helped her get clean, but after a series of marital rifts, she used her knowledge as a toxicologist to plan the perfect murder. L ... Show More
48m 27s
Jun 2020
Female Criminals: Mary Elizabeth Wilson
This month, we’re featuring mini episodes from the Female Criminals special series, “Black Widows.” Every day in June, Female Criminals is taking a closer look at the web of lies, deceit, and murder spun by some of history’s most deadly women: First up, we’re discussing Mary Eliz ... Show More
10m 7s