Belle Gunness: DNA may solve century-old mystery of serial killer
Indigo Ace
DNA may solve century-old mystery of serial killer
Related Norwegian woman provides genetic sample to test whether body
in Forest Park grave was that of Belle Gunness
By Kristen Kridel | Chicago Tribune reporter
October 8, 2008
A woman who says she shares a bloodline with Belle Gunness may help
determine once and for all whether the notorious serial killer died in
a farmhouse blaze a century ago, or staged her death and fled.
A Norwegian woman recently provided DNA for comparison to the headless
skeleton long buried in Gunness' Forest Park grave. The results should
be available in about 6 months.
Researchers originally hoped to decode DNA recovered from envelopes
likely licked by the murderess and sent to a victim, but that hasn't
worked.
"The living relative is a much better sample," said Andrea Simmons,
the University of Indianapolis master's student turned forensic
anthropologist who excavated the remains last year.
The woman, whose name has not been released, learned of Simmons'
efforts to discover the truth about the LaPorte, Ind., widow through a
documentary aired in Norway, Simmons said. Five generations separate
the woman and Gunness, a native of Norway, who was believed to have
murdered at least 25 people, Simmons said.
They share an unbroken female line, which means their mitochondrial
DNA would be virtually the same, she said.
Gunness had lured at least 12 men to her farm in LaPorte with lovelorn
advertisements in a Norwegian newspaper. She instructed the suitors,
who came to marry her, to bring money.
The dismembered bodies of some of these men were found buried in the
hog pen after Gunness' home burned to the ground April 28, 1908.
Found in the basement were the charred remains of three children
Gunness was raising. They were huddled near the body of a headless
woman, according to century-old Tribune articles.
There was immediate suspicion Gunness killed another woman who
physically resembled her, faking her death just as her murder spree
was about to be discovered.
Looking for clues, Simmons and her team also excavated the bodies of
the three children in May.
kkridel @tribune.com.
Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-belle-dna-both-08-oct08,0,684227.story
--
Anne, indigoace at aol period com
Jewelry: http://www.prettygoodjewelry.com
Cats: http://www.goodsol.com/cats/
Chocolic
"Indigo Ace" <indi...@a01.com> wrote in message
news:48ecf378....@news.prodigy.net...
I don't remember, but what was their explanation for believing the
'headless' corpse found in the ashes was Belle, for cripes sake. She cut
off her own head and hid it? And her money was gone from the banks.
Wouldn't it be easier to test the DNA with Esther Carlson, the woman that is
highly believed to have been Belle? The remains would be fresher.
Chocolic