The infamous Bender family appeared quietly in southeastern Kansas in the spring of 1872. In May of 1871, the body of a man named Mr. Jones, who had his skull crushed and his throat cut, was discovered in Drum Creek. Wyatt Redd is a freelance writer from Nashville, Tennessee. There, the family had used canvas to split the one-room cabin into two parts—the back was kept as the living quarters, while the front was converted into a general store, kitchen, and dining table where travelers could stop for dry goods, a meal, or even a night of rest. And in spite of numerous sightings over the years, no one ever discovered where they had gone. Eventually, the father, John Bender Sr., turned the house into an inn to give weary travelers a place a to rest. Directed by John Alexander. This is the story of the Bloody Benders, America’s first family of serial killers. More than 140 years ago, one family committed such evil that they became known as the Bloody Benders. Meanwhile, Vigilante groups tried—with little success—to hold someone accountable, often arresting and then releasing innocent men. The reward offered for the Bloody Benders. By the next day, at least ten bodies had been recovered from the garden and well, along with additional dismembered body parts. Once the Benders were caught for their crimes, they went on the run. Though Elvira initially pretended not to understand English, she began yelling about how the woman had cursed her coffee when Colonel York repeated the accusation; Elvira then kicked the men out. Over a century later, you can still find them in books, TV, and on the big screen – people never get tired of their story! The family consisted of the husband John (Pa) Bender Sr., the wife Elvira Bender, the son John Bender Jr. and the daughter Kate Bender. 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 “half-wit.” After the men had prepared the land with a cabin and barn, the women arrived in 1871. In 1992, Fern Morrow Wood, a Cherryvale teacher, wrote The Benders, Keepers of the Devil's Inn. After digging around the property, the investigators found 11 bodies, all murdered by the Bloody Benders. Directed by John Alexander. The Bloody Benders were the first in the United States. It is the first and only comprehensive story of the Bloody Benders; a terrible chapter in the annuals of crime on this lonely prairie Inn in the southeast Kansas. After one family went missing in the area, their friend, Dr. William York, came to the area to ask if anyone had seen them. Elvira Bender, who went by Ma, was around the age of 55, spoke little English, and was so unfriendly that neighbors dubbed her “she-devil.”. The family consisted of John Bender, 60, his wife Mrs. Bender (later referred to as Kate Sr. since no one knew her given name), 55, son John Jr. and daughter Kate. In the front half of the house, the family ran an inn and store, while the back half was the family living area. You've just fallen victim to the Bloody Benders, America's first and, arguably, greatest family of serial killers.Think of their story like The Little House of 1000 Corpses on the Prairie.A lot of what we know about them is shrouded in mystery, but the stuff we do know for sure is, well, batshit freaking insane. With Bruce Davison, Linda Purl, James Karen, Buck Taylor. When it comes to true crime, Mark Twain was right: Truth is stranger than fiction. 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. Pa Bender was thought to be either from Germany or Netherlands and had a different name. When a guest arrived, they would be seated at a place of honor facing away from this curtain. Oct 17, 2017 - Early American Serial Killers. ‎In this episode, we head to Kansas and explore the Wichita Troll, the Sallie House, and the Bloody Benders. Hammers allegedly from the home have been displayed at the Cherryvale Museum, while a stained knife thought to have been taken from the Bender Inn now belongs to the Kansas Historical Society. And no matter how tenuous or fabricated the connection, this new book ensures that the lurid tale of the Bloody Benders will live on as long as the tale of the Ingallses. The family consisted of John Bender and his wife, Elvira, their son, John Jr., and daughter, Kate. The Bloody Benders quickly passed into legend as America’s first serial killer family. LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, NBC Sep 8, 2020 - Explore Clknightokc's board "Bloody Benders" on Pinterest. But when they were brought to Kansas, a panel from Labette County meant to confirm their identity provided inconsistent results. He questioned homesteaders along the trail as he made his way to Fort Scott, where he identified the wagon and horses as those he’d sold to Longcor and clothes found as belonging to the father and daughter. With the victim’s head outlined through the thin cloth, one of the Benders would smash their skull with a hammer. John, meanwhile, had a tendency to laugh aimlessly, which led many to think he might be mentally ill. Kate was the most social member of the Bender family, which made her the perfect face for the family inn. Eventually, the father, John Bender Sr., turned the house into an inn to give weary travelers a place a to rest. Most of all, the story of the Bloody Benders has endured because of its their ability to inspire fictional accounts—including one by famous prairie writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, who claimed that Pa Ingalls had joined a vigilante hunt and that she’d come to her own conclusion as to what he meant when he said the family would “never be found” in her annotated autobiography, Pioneer Girl. Then neighbors remembered finding additional bodies on the prairie the past winter that had been mutilated in much the same fashion. For many of those travelers, the Bender’s home would be their final resting place . John … The unsettling true story of America's first serial killing family. Based on the evidence and stories told by survivors of the Bender Inn, it is believed that guests were given the seat of honor at the dining table, which backed up against the canvas room divider and was positioned over the trap door to the cellar. After the death of his wife, Longcor and his 18-month-old daughter Mary Ann had left Independence, Kansas for Iowa, but never made it. But it was too late—Elvira had already revealed both her mastery of the English language, as well as her true nature. Yet Colonel York soon found more evidence against the Benders, and returned on April 3 with armed men. And spiritualists often practiced séances to contact these ghosts. In October 1870, five families moved to this area of Osage, settling around seven miles from where the city of Cherryvale would be established. In February 1872, two more men were found with the same unique injuries. Next, check out the story of Edmund Kemper, whose story is almost too gruesome to tell. Bloody Benders Historical Marker Of the “family,” Pa Bender was actually found to have been a man named John Flickinger, from either Germany or Holland. A manhunt was immediately launched for the murderers. Over a century later, you can still find them in books, TV, and on the big screen – people never get tired of their story! The idea of the Benders still being out there – not Pa, Elvira, Jr. and Kate, but their descendants – killing is kinda creepy. Stephanie Roisland shares the story of "The Bloody Benders". One detective even claimed to have tracked John Jr. to the border and found that he’d died of apoplexy. Later on, a woman who fled the house chased by knife-wielding Ma Bender prompted Mr. York to return with armed men, but they ultimately found nothing pointing to the local disappearances. In the 1870s, Kansas was home to wholesome homesteaders – and a family of serial killers, known as The Bloody Benders. The Bloody Benders Marker. The Bloody Benders: Horror in the Old West. The Benders, consisting of John Sr. (or Pa), Ma, John Jr., and Kate, were one of a group of Spiritualist families who had moved to an area outside of Cherryvale, Kansas. 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