Della Sorenson

Case overview

Della Sorenson was a Nebraska woman who killed relatives by poisoning. She was arrested after an unsuccessful attempt to kill two children in the neighborhood with poisoned cookies and later confessed to a long list of poisonings. Doctors concluded she was schizophrenic and she was committed to the state mental asylum. She died on June 24, 1941.

Background

Della Sorenson killed family members by poisoning “to get even.” Her killings involved friends, relatives, and acquaintances, and the deaths repeatedly occurred under mysterious circumstances before anyone realized it had to be more than a coincidence. Sentiments she expressed convinced doctors that she was schizophrenic, and she was committed to the state mental asylum.

The offence

Sorenson repeatedly poisoned people over a span of years, including children and her own family members.

Victims and motives described in her confession

• Sorenson killed her sister-in-law’s infant daughter, Viola Cooper, by poisoning her with a piece of candy.
• She killed two children of Mrs. Wetzel Cooper after she said she had offended their aunt by “gossiping about her.” She stated that “Every time I gave poison to one of Mrs. Cooper’s children, I said to myself, “Now I’m going to get even with you (Mrs. Cooper) for what you have said about me,” the confession said.
• Sorenson’s mother-in-law, Mrs. E. Wilhelmina Weldam, died of poison given by Sorenson in the summer of 1920 because she “was feeble and childish and a burden. I wanted to get her out of the way.”
• Sorenson killed her own daughter, Delia, on her first birthday.
• Sorenson killed her daughter, Minnie, whom she said she poisoned because “crying and fretting” irritated her.
• Sorenson killed her husband, Joseph Weldam, after a quarrel.
• Sorenson killed her second marriage child, Delores Sorenson, and an additional unnamed infant.

Quotations

“I like to attend funerals. I'm happy when someone is dying.”

“I had a feeling of elation and happiness. Then, after I got to thinking about what I had done, I was afraid and tried to hide it. I had the same feeling after the death of every one of those I poisoned.”

“They bothered me, so I decided to kill them.”

Investigation

The investigation into the series of poisonings started three weeks before Sorenson’s arrest following the serious illness of two small children whom Sorenson was alleged to have given some poisoned cookies.

Arrest

Sorenson was arrested in 1925 when she made an unsuccessful attempt at killing two children in the neighborhood with poisoned cookies.

Trial

Sorenson probably would never be tried on charge of murder because a county attorney announced that an investigation showed she was mentally unbalanced and that she would be placed in the State Insane Asylum.

Sentencing

County Attorney Dobrey announced last night that an investigation had shown Sorenson was mentally unbalanced and that she would be placed in the State Insane Asylum. Dobrey said that if she should be released from the institution “within two or three years” the murder charges could be revived.

Appeals

No appeal information was provided.

Outcome

Sorenson was committed to the state mental asylum because doctors believed she was schizophrenic. She died on June 24, 1941.

Timeline

• 1918-07-23 — Viola Cooper died after Sorenson poisoned her with candy.
• 1920 — John Weldman passed away of poison; Wilhelmina Weldman later died from the same cause.
• 1921-09-07 — Minnie Weldman, age 8, died.
• 1922-08-20 — Clifford Cooper, four months old, died.
• 1923-02-20 — Ruth, baby daughter of Mrs. Christina Brock, died.
• 1924-02-19 — Delores Sorenson died.
• 1924 — Another unnamed infant was killed.
• 1925 — Sorenson was arrested after an unsuccessful attempt to poison two children with poisoned cookies.
• 1925-04-20 — A county attorney announced Sorenson would be placed in the State Insane Asylum after investigation; murder charges could be revived if released within two or three years.
• 1941-06-24 — Della Sorenson died.

Other details

People named in connection with the poisonings

• Viola Cooper — sister-in-law’s infant daughter; died after being poisoned with candy.
• Mrs. Wetzel Cooper — sister-in-law; the aunt whose “gossiping about her” offense related to the deaths of her children.
• Clifford Cooper — four months old; died after being poisoned.
• Minnie Weldman — daughter; age 8; died after being poisoned.
• Joseph Weldam — husband; Sorenson said she poisoned him after a quarrel.
• Mrs. E. Wilhelmina Weldam — mother-in-law; died of poison given by Sorenson in the summer of 1920.
• Wilhelmina Weldman — her death was attributed to the same cause as John Weldman.
• John Weldman — first husband; passed away of poison.
• Ruth Brock — baby daughter of Mrs. Christina Brock; died after Sorenson poisoned her.
• Delores Sorenson — one-year-old daughter of her second marriage; died after Sorenson poisoned her.
• Delia — Sorenson’s daughter killed on her first birthday.
• Ruth — baby daughter of Mrs. Christina Brock; her death was attributed to poison.
• Christina Brock — mother of Ruth Brock.
• Mrs. Emmanuel [Della] Sorenson — name used in reporting.
• County Attorney Dobrey — announced results of the investigation.
• Mrs. Bella Sorensen — name used in reporting; she was described as 28 at the time of the April 20 announcement.
• Mrs. Sorenson — described as “a dull, commonplace woman” and as 25 years old in a later report.
• Joseph Weldam — also identified as the husband who was poisoned after a quarrel.
• John Weldman — also identified as Sorenson’s first husband.
• Viola Cooper — first victim identified in a later report; died July 23, 1918.

Housing and setting mentioned

A later report described Sorenson’s home as “a bleak, frame dwelling in Danneborg, Nebr.” and stated that in this house she killed victims using poison.

Confession details

In her signed confession, Sorenson related how she had killed:

• two of her own children, “Delores, and her three-year old daughter, Minnie,” stating Delores was poisoned because her “crying and fretting” irritated Sorenson, and Minnie was poisoned because she was ill with St. Vitus dance and “I could do nothing for her.”
• her husband, Joseph Weldam, after a quarrel. She also confessed that her mother-in-law, Mrs. E. Wilhelmina Weldam, died in the summer of 1920 because “she was feeble and childish and a burden. I wanted to get her out of the way.” She stated that for each poisoning of Mrs. Cooper’s children she said to herself, “Now I’m going to get even with you (Mrs. Cooper) for what you have said about me.”

Unsuccessful attempt

Sorenson’s arrest followed an investigation prompted by the serious illness of two small children who she was alleged to have given poisoned cookies.

Names and dates as presented in reporting

• April 20, 1925 reporting included: “St. Paul, Neb., April 20.”
• April 29 reporting included: “Omaha, Nebr., April 29.”

Alternative first names/variants used in reporting

Reporting used both “Della Sorenson” and “Mrs. Emmanuel [Della] Sorenson,” and also used “Mrs. Bella Sorensen” for Sorenson.