Join local historian Bruce Johnson in examining a notorious part of our county’s history!

The Gunness Mystery is a documentary detailing the life of one of the most prolific female serial killers in history. In the late 1800s, Belle Gunness emigrated from a small town in Norway to the bustling city of Chicago. Following the death of her first husband, she moved with several of her foster children to a farm in La Porte, Indiana. Belle began reaching out to men across the Midwest through a series of want ads in Scandinavian newspapers. Those who answered her ads were promised a bright future as a partner in her farm. They were also told to sell their belongings, bring only cash, and not tell anyone where they were going. Those who came were never seen alive again. Written and narrated by Bruce Johnson, and directed by Stephen Ruminski, The Gunness Mystery is the most accurate documentary film chronicling the life and crimes of the mysterious Belle Gunness.