Podcast Summary: "Weevil Doer"

Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities

Date: January 1, 2026
Host: Aaron Mahnke
Producer: iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

Overview

In this episode, Aaron Mahnke offers listeners two delightfully bizarre stories from the historical record. The first tale explores the 16th-century French tradition of putting insects on trial for crimes against humanity, focusing on a notorious case involving vineyard-destroying weevils. The second story takes a dark turn into early 20th-century true crime, chronicling the chilling exploits of Belle Gunness, America’s most prolific female serial killer and insurance fraudster.

Tale 1: The Trial of the Weevils

[01:08 – 05:37]

Key Discussion Points

• Setting the Scene:

  • The story unfolds in the wine-producing region of Saint-Julien, France, renowned for its grape harvest and centuries-old vineyards.
  • Year: 1545; the vineyards face devastation from a plague of weevils (Rhynchites oractas).

• Pursuing Justice (Renaissance-Style):

  • Rather than accept their loss, the townspeople take the weevils to ecclesiastical court—literally putting the insects on trial for destroying the grape harvest.
  • They hire Pierre Ducal as their attorney, who files an official complaint.

• An Unusual Defense:

  • The state appoints legal defenders for the weevils, making it a proper adversarial court case.
  • The presiding judge, Francois Bonivart, hears arguments from both sides.

• The Verdict:

  • Bonivart concludes that the weevils were merely acting in accordance with their nature and divine law.
  • He shifts the blame onto the townspeople, suggesting their misfortune is a sign from God.

    “The creatures acted according to their nature and according to the laws of God… the weevils represented, in the court’s view, divine punishment.” — Aaron Mahnke [03:15]

• Mandating Penance:

  • The court requires the townspeople to repent, pay their tithes, and carry out religious processions. At least two members from every household must participate.
  • After complying, townspeople report the weevil problem disappears—at least, temporarily.

• History Repeats (Sort Of):

  • In 1587, weevils return. The townspeople again seek legal remedy, referencing the earlier court decision and requesting new legal counsel for the now-deceased weevil representatives.

• A New Compromise:

  • This time, the defense again argues for the weevils’ right to live as God’s creatures.
    • The prosecution claims, “according to the Bible, animals are subservient to man”; the defense retorts, “man certainly has a right to command the animals, but not to prosecute them.” [04:30-04:50]
  • The case ends with the offer of a designated patch of land just for the weevils, but the insect advocates object—the land is barren.
  • The tale’s ending is lost to history; ironically, the last court documents were eaten by bugs.

Notable Quote

“The final two pages of the court documentation no longer exist. Because in an ironic twist… those pages were eaten by bugs.”
— Aaron Mahnke [05:29]

Tale 2: Belle Gunness, the “Black Widow”

[06:00 – 11:06]

Key Discussion Points

• A Hard Woman in Hard Times:

  • Belle Gunness, born in Norway in 1859, emigrates to the United States at age 21. She does menial work and marries fellow Norwegian immigrant, Mads Sorensen.

• Discovering Insurance—And Its Dark Side:

  • Belle learns she can profit from insurance policies.
    • Their Chicago home and business mysteriously burn down, yielding insurance payouts.
    • She takes out life insurance on foster children; two die “from colitis” (suggestively, poisoning).

• Escalating Greed:

  • Belle takes out overlapping life insurance policies on Mads and ensures his death on the one day both policies are valid.

  • Marries Peter Gunness, takes out life insurance on him and his children; both he and one daughter die soon after in suspicious circumstances.

  • The death of Peter is blamed on a "falling meat grinder," which is highly improbable, as Mahnke points out:

    “How one [meat grinder] happened to wind up falling on Peter’s head is a mystery.” — Aaron Mahnke [08:47]

• The “Lonely Hearts” Scheme:

  • Belle places ads seeking a husband, luring Andrew Helgelein from South Dakota. She convinces Andrew to withdraw and give her his savings; he then vanishes.
  • Andrew’s brother comes looking; suspicions mount and investigation ensues.

• A Fiery Cover-Up:

  • Belle’s house burns down. Authorities find multiple bodies, including a decapitated woman presumed to be Belle.
  • Evidence later suggests the headless corpse is not Belle’s; she likely murdered another woman as a decoy and fled.

• The Aftermath:

  • Dozens of bodies are found buried on the farm. Historians estimate Belle’s victims number between 20 and 40.
  • Belle absconds with the modern equivalent of $1 million from her crimes; her fate remains a mystery.

Notable Quotes

“The thing about meat grinders is, while they tend to be secured to a counter at waist level, so how one happened to wind up falling on Peter's head is a mystery.”
— Aaron Mahnke [08:47]

“Belle Gunes is known as the most prolific female serial killer in American history, and she’s also the most successful, having made the modern day equivalent of about a million dollars off of those crimes.”
— Aaron Mahnke [10:45]

Memorable Moments

• Ecclesiastical Law and Bug Justice:
  The oddly formal spectacle of putting bugs on trial, complete with legal counsel for both humans and insects.

• A Killer’s Masquerade:
  Belle Gunness’s chilling calculatedness, from orphan insurance scams to her final decapitation ruse.

• History’s Ironies:
  The delicious irony of the court records on weevil trials being eaten by insects themselves.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:08] — Begin story of the weevil trial in Saint-Julien
• [03:15] — Court verdict: weevils are divine punishment
• [04:30–04:50] — Legal back-and-forth: Do humans have the right to prosecute animals?
• [05:29] — Irony: court records eaten by bugs
• [06:00] — Beginning of Belle Gunness story
• [08:47] — The mystery of the falling meat grinder
• [10:45] — Belle Gunness: America’s most prolific female serial killer

Tone and Style

Aaron Mahnke’s narration mixes dry wit and bemused incredulity with a sense of macabre wonder. He maintains a brisk, storybook pace, peppering the tales with ironic humor and historical detail. The language is accessible but laced with the wry, slightly eerie curiosity that defines the show.

Conclusion

In this episode, "Weevil Doer," Mahnke shines a light on history’s strange corners—one, a court’s earnest struggle with the moral culpability of insects; the other, an unnerving example of human ingenuity gone fatally awry. Both stories leave us with questions—about justice, faith, and how far people will go (whether in the name of piety or profit). And always, as Mahnke signs off:
"Stay curious."