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Belle Gunness: A Case Study

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In 1881 the boring life of Brynhild Paulsdatter Størseth was just not enough to make her happy. Growing up poor in Norway just could not satisfy her want for wealth. Many people say that is why she moved to America; to start her new life as Belle Gunness and to acquire wealth. After three years of living her new life, she fell madly in love with Mads Ditlev Anton Sorenson. Two years later they opened a candy store, although their store was not doing enough business to make a profit. One year later is mysteriously burnt to the ground. They were then able to collect insurance, which added to their money stash. They later had four children together, but sadly Caroline and Axel died in infancy. The two children's lives were insured so Belle and …show more content…

A doctor that had seen him said that Sorenson died from Strychnine poisoning, and Belle told the doctor that she had given her husband his newest medicinal “powders” to help him feel better. After the death she decided to move to La Porte, Indiana where she met Peter …show more content…

This type of poison can be found in the seeds of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree. That plant is commonly found in India, Southern Asia, and Australia. This is a very strong poison so a very small amount is enough to cause some serious health problems and even death. As little as 0.15 milligrams of Strychnine can a person sick, and less than 5 milligrams can kill a person. It is most commonly measured in milligrams. The molecular formula for Strychnine is C21H22N2O2. It is a solid state of matter. Some of the other uses of this poison are that it has been used as rat poison and as a pesticide. It can even be found mixed in some street drugs like LSD, cocaine, and heroin. Back in the day it was used in a pill to treat human ailments. When Strychnine enters the body it glycine mediated nerve cell inhibition, which means it prevents the operation of the chemical that controls nerve signals to the muscles. The chemical that controls the nerve signals acts like an “off-switch” for the muscles. When the chemical is is gone, muscles throughout the body suffer severe and painful spasms. Even though the person's consciousness and brain are not affected, the muscles will begin to get tired and then the person will not be able to breathe. The body will try to repair the chemical for the muscles but will not be able to, due to the severe

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