The bloody benders were a german family of four that settled a claim in. The bloody benders were a family of serial killers who owned an inn and small general store in labette county of southeastern kansas from 1871 to 1873. The group soon built a oneroom home equipped with a canvas curtain that divided the space into two areas. And to suggest she was an artist is the understatement of the century. Land that once belonged to bloody benders serial killer. With the eye witness accounts of some lucky to survive visitors, and the recovery of the bodies, just how they committed the murders was revealed. After watching slaughter, i had to do a piece on the family, and i really enjoyed researching and writing about them.
Authorities recovered the bodies of up to 11 people from the old west tract of land owned by the notorious bloody benders. The bloody benders were a german family of four that settled a claim in southeastern kansas in labette. While bender mythology holds that john and kate were brother and sister, contemporary newspapers reported that several of the benders neighbors have stated that they claimed to be married, possibly a common law marriage. The bloody benders were a german family of four john bender sr. It covers the ongoing investigation into the bloody benders. The bloody benders they really didnt belong in the 19th century. The saga of the bloody benders by rick geary goodreads. Based on the true story of the bloody benders paul ibbetson. In 1992, fern morrow wood, a cherryvale teacher, wrote the benders, keepers of the devils inn. The bloody benders, americas first serial killer family. Ma and pa reportedly mostly spoke german, although the younger benders spoke fluent english.
The bloody benders, americas first family of serial killers. Tony bender, was a new york mobster who served as a highranking capo of the genovese crime family for several decades. By all appearances, the benders were like most area settlers. In this episode of murder with friends, grace baldridge and amir nikoui discuss the bloody benders. The unsettling true story of americas first serial killing family.
The benders were a family who arrived in labette county kansa around 1870 the the bender family built a one room log shanty the size of it was sixteen by twenty. Nearly a dozen travelers who stopped at their small inn were murdered, and their bodies later found buried on the benders property. And their story remains a ghastly part of kansas folklore to this day. Plot of land once belonging to a family of serial killers goes. A family owns and operates a creepy hotel in the late 19th century where some of the guests who checkin disappear mysteriously. The bloody benders homestead the bloody benders moved to kansas in 1870.
York, and is a descriptive firsthand account of the murder of her husband, by the benders of cherryvale. Order reprint this is the place where the ghost hunters wanted to set up their. The deaths appeared to begin in 1871 when a body was found with his head smashed in and his throat slit. The infamous homicidal family of labette county, kansas. From october 1870 until april 1873, a german family consisting of ma and pa bender and their two grown children, quiet john and vivacious katie, ran a murder inn seven miles northeast of cherryvale in labette county. Bender surname and aimee bender see more anthony strollo anthony c. Thought to be german immigrants, the elder bender was around the age of 60 and spoke little english and with a thick accent, while the younger. The bloody benders were a german family of four that settled a claim in southeastern kansas in labette county in 1871, according to the kansas historical. With stephanie beaton, mikul robins, william combs, vinnie bilancio.
When the bender family opens a tavern along the osage trail in southeastern kansas, many westward bound travelers suddenly go missing. William york was a man who went calling on the benders in the spring of 1873. The bloody benders are believed to be one of the first serial killer families in america. The shocking true tale of the murderous family known as. The township of osage, labette county, in kansas was in the early 1870s the scene of at least a dozen murders by a family that became known as the bloody benders. The group is believed to be one of the first serial killer families in america. Strollo june 18, 1899 disappeared april 8, 1962, a.
The family consisted of john bender and his wife, elvira, their son, john jr. The six most terrifying serial killer families in history. The bloody benders serial killers of kansas legends of america. Ma and kate planted a garden and small orchard near the house. God bless you miss peaches, and may you rest in peace, at last. It turns out, the bender tavern became their final destination, and out in the old west, no one can hear you scream. The bloody benders were a family of serial killers who lived and operated in labette county, kansas from 1871 to 1873. The bloody benders were a small german immigrant family who settled in late 19th century kansas, opened a grocery storeinn and began murdering rich lodgers and stashing the bodies across the prarie and in a ditch beneath the house. Mar 20, 2018 the bloody benders quickly passed into legend as americas first serial killer family. One of the most intriguing mysteries of the old west concerns the disappearance of the kansas murder family known as the benders. The bloody benders were a family of serial killers who lived and operated in labette county, kansas, from 1869 to 1873. The woman who supplied us with the font to use for the bloody benders logo has passed away at age 73.
The inn is separated by a canvas curtain, from behind which the bleeck family kills visitors seated in a chair of honor with a hammer. The bloody benders were the first in the united states. The bloody benders were a german family of four that settled a claim. The family consisted of john bender, his wife elvira bender. Nov 08, 2011 the bloody benders november 8, 2011 henry cabot beck scare master john carpenter, who created the halloween franchise, wants to make a picture about the bloody benders, a german family of serial killers who ran a general store and saloon in mound valley, kansas, in the early 1870s. They were spiritualists that claimed a couple hundred acres of land, and other homesteaders never really questioned who they were or where they came from. The benders were widely believed to be german immigrants, only the. No, she was not a graphic designer, not an illustrator, she was nothing of the sort. With bruce davison, linda purl, james karen, buck taylor. Considered by many to be americas first serial killers, the bloody benders were an immigrant family living in 1870s kansas who ran a roadside murder inn.
See more ideas about bloody benders, serial killers and true crime. Robert michael bender born april 28, 1957 is an american professional basketball coach, currently an assistant with the memphis grizzlies of the national basketball association. Sep 03, 20 one of the most intriguing mysteries of the old west concerns the disappearance of the kansas murder family known as the benders. July kicks off with a grisly bang as the boys of blurry photos introduce you to the bloody benders. The benders were the only ones out of this group who made themselves known to the locals in town, as the other families either eventually moved away or simply kept to themselves. Made in 2008 about the bloody bender family in 1800s kansas,an audio telling of their strange story. The saga of the bloody benders is the final of rick gearys altogether eight graphic novels on various murder cases of the victorian era. See more ideas about bloody benders, bender, serial killers.
In 1870 a family of murders moved into southeast kansas. In the 1870s a group of four german immigrants settled in kansas. The kansas homestead where americas first serial killer family. The bloody benders of kansas house of tortured souls. In the 1870s, labette county, kansas became a destination for a small groups of spiritualists among them, the bender family, who built a cabin that served as their home and an inn for travelers. This family of serial killers made national headlines for their horrific crimes committed during. The bloody benders were a family of serial killers who owned a small general store and inn in labette county, kansas from 1872 to 1873 shared with people but never released. It is the first and only comprehensive story of the bloody benders. Sketches from the 19 book the benders in kansas by john towner james the members of the bender family were not named bender, and with the exception of the two women, were not related. The investigation passed several times through the cabin of the benders, a family of german immigrants who ran a small grocery store and restaurant outside of cherryvale, kansas, but the benders appeared completely innocent.
Next, check out the story of edmund kemper, whose story is almost too gruesome to tell. Pa bender wasnt much of a speaker, and when he did speak, it was almost impossible to understand what he said he spoke in a low, guttural style, with few english words pa spoke german. No documentation or definitive proof of their relationships to one another, or where they were born. The family consisted of john bender, 60, his wife mrs. With gary ayash, peter chiamardas, ben church, melissa b.
The benders are often described as a family of german descent. This book contains the bender tragedy, and is a reprint from june 8, 1875. The benders were able to keep up their bloody serial killing ways for nearly two years until they came across their final victim. Apr 25, 2012 in 1870 a family of murders moved into southeast kansas. They would have been far more suited to the 20th or 21st centuries. Grade 10 upthe bender clannearly silent mother, germanspeaking father. Once the body was in the basement, the bloody benders, as they later became known, would strip it of any clothes and valuables and bury it in a mass grave. In the early 1870s the counties of labette and montgomery in kansas were experiencing an alarming number of missing persons. Over a century later, you can still find them in books, tv, and on the big screen people never get tired of their story. Thought to be german immigrants, the elder bender was around the age of 60 and spoke little english and with a thick accent, while the younger bender was around 25, spoke english well but with an accent, and had a habit of laughing aimlessly that led some to label him a halfwit. Bloody benders property goes up for sale in kansas cnn. Nov 28, 2016 its bizarre enough when a single serial killer is terrorizing the community. A troubled doctor searches for patients swallowed by the prairie and encounters the benders, homesteaders trapped by a life of unspeakable sin.
The bloody benders were a german family of four that settled a claim in southeastern kansas in labette county in 1871, according to the kansas historical society khs. On this episode of oclock, tom and jenny explore one of the darkest corridors of 19th century american history, focusing on the infamous bloody benders, a faux family of four murderers who are. Ma and pa bender primarily spoke german, and the english they did speak was so heavily accented as to be unintelligible. Bloody benders schrader real estate and auction co land. The bender family abandoned the scene of their crimes, and their ultimate. It turns out, the bender tavern became their final. The bloody benders were a small german immigrant family who settled in late 19th century kansas, opened a grocery storeinn and began murdering rich. Punk music, lyrics, and videos from mexico city, d. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. One of the families was that of a german american named john bender, sr. How the bloody benders made murder the family business. Bloody benders talk to the dead in person, theyll send you. The benders were widely believed to be german immigrants.
The bloody benders were a family of serial killers who lived and operated in labette county, kansas, between 1871 and 1873. The bloody benders were a family of serial killers who lived and operated in labette county. In the 19th century, kansas was a bloody place, especially before the civil war as freesoilers and slavery advocates duked it out for control of the new territory. Aug 12, 2014 with gary ayash, peter chiamardas, ben church, melissa b. This is a novel based on a true story of a dutch german family of four. Based on the true story of the bloody benders ibbetson, dr. One of these spiritualist families was the benders, with the grand patriarch of the family, john bender sr. In 1843, in rural kansas a family of serial killers known as the bloody benders cut a deadly swath across the prairie. The benders turned the front half into an inn and grocery store where travelers on the nearby osage trail could find rest, supplies, and a warm meal. William york was a man who went calling on the benders. Standing over six feet tall, john was a giant of a man.
He was probably born in germany or the netherlands. The big valley, season 3, episode 6, ladykiller 1967 loosely depicts the story of the bloody benders, as an innkeepers pretty daughter is the bait used to rob and kill visitors. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The bloody benders serial killers of kansas legends of. The benders are often described as a family of german descent, though little is known about them, and some researchers have questioned whether they were actually related. The bloody benders were a family of serial killers who owned an inn and small general store in labette county, kansas from 1871 to 1873. But no one linked the murder to the bloody benders. But many of their victims were poor, which suggests that the family simply enjoyed killing. The bloody benders serial killers of kansas bender mounds, kansas by kathy weiseralexander. Kansas homestead of the bloody benders hit auction block.
But an entire family of serial killers is almost unheard of. Depicting the arrival of a murderous german immigrant family in rural kansas shortly after the civil war, it makes no attempt whatsoever to analyze its characters actions and worldviews from a contemporary perspective. May 12, 2014 the year of pluto new horizons documentary brings humanity closer to the edge of the solar system duration. Are the bloody benders the creepiest serialkiller family. May 07, 2007 the saga of the bloody benders is the final of rick gearys altogether eight graphic novels on various murder cases of the victorian era. Grade 10 upthe bender clannearly silent mother, german speaking father. Money was certainly part of why the bloody benders decided to start killing their victims. The kansas homestead where americas first serial killer. The benders were a family who arrived in labette county kansa around 1870 the the bender family built a one room log shanty the size of it was sixteen by twenty the shanty was used for an inn divided by a canvas curtain so there might be some privacy the benders lived on one. A family of individuals, some of whom were immigrants from germany settled in labette county and. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required.