Between 1918 and 1925, a quiet Nebraska woman named Della Sidel Sorenson quietly wove a chilling pattern of death around those closest to her. On the surface, Della seemed like any ordinary housewife. But behind that calm exterior was a killer hiding in plain sight, and no one suspected a thing.
Her first victim? Her sister-in-law’s infant daughter, poisoned in July 1918. It was written off as a tragedy. But then came more: friends, family, even her own husband, and two of her children. One by one, they died under mysterious circumstances.
Doctors blamed accidents. Illness. Natural causes. But the deaths kept piling up.
She was arrested in 1925 and confessed. Eight lives, all taken by poison. Her motive remains murky. Some speculated madness, others suspected resentment or control. But rather than face trial, she was declared insane and committed to a mental hospital in Hastings, Nebraska, where she died on June 24th, 1941, at the age of 44.
DOB:
February 16th, 1897Conviction(s):
- N/A
Date of crime:
1918 and 1924Location(s):
NebraskaDate of arrest:
1925Details:
Killed 8 family members over a seven year period before she was caught.Confirmed Victim(s):
- Viola Cooper
- John Weldman
- Wilhelmina Weldman
- Minnie Weldman
- Clifford Cooper (4 months)
- Ruth Brock
- Delores Sorenson (1)
- Unnamed infant
Method:
PoisoningSentence:
Sent to a mental hospitalCurrent whereabouts:
Died in on June 24th, 1941Last Updated on 03/23/2026
