Female serial killers have shared some common characteristics. Many of the killers are difficult to identify because of the different methods they use to kill their victims. For Belle Gunness, she is known as one of many America’s female serial killer. Being a Norway immigrant and traveling to the U.S. at age 21, Gunness came in search of wealth. It is believed that Guinness's motives were to promptly collect life insurance policies from the people she murdered. According to Papazian (2001), a “black widow is the female serial killer who is most organized and successful with her murders. This killer usually starts killing after the age of 25 and may murder for an average duration of ten or more years before the police apprehend her” (p. 51).
