On today’s post we will be discussing a family that is believed to be one of the first serial killer families in America and it all started in the quiet state of Kansas.
Bloody Benders
Alright so let’s get started with the episode. It was the fall of 1870, when two German immigrants arrived in Osage county, Kansas, in search of a “claim”. Thanks to the Homestead Act, many poor immigrants were able to claim plots of land as long as they lived on it and developed it. (We won’t talk about how the land was originally stolen from the Osage Native Americans and then given away by the government after the American Civil War.) Their names were John Gebhardt and John Bender. They never really elaborated how they were related.
Many articles I read indicated that John Gebhardt was actually John Bender Sr. (around the age of 60) and the other John Bender Jr was his son who appeared to be around the age of 25. While other articles indicated they were brothers. We do know that at some point John Bender Jr, the son, joined him and he was able to speak fluent English. Some accounts said John Jr. was referred to as a half-wit because he would talk constantly and apparently had a real annoying laugh. He would often be seen laughing for no reason.
Then men were able to find a claim right next to a highly traveled path. Shortly after, they were joined by Bender’s wife, Kate, often referred to as Ma bender. Their daughter Kate also joined them. The family built a one room cabin on a plot of land. Their home became a waystation for a few years, for weary travelers.
Kate (the daughter) advertised her skills as a medium who could speak to the dead. She also believed in “free love”. Kate is said to have been a very attractive young woman and could be very influential in her speeches. Many historians believe Kate is what attracted many travelers to the Bender’s Inn. Shortly after the Benders arrived in the area, a few people went missing, but as it was the early frontier, this wasn’t uncommon. No one really thought much of it. Until one fateful day…
Rising politician, Andrew York, became suspicious of his brother William’s disappearance in the area. He led a search party to Bender's cabin that spring. After leaving he would state that they were odd and hostile. Kate did offer her medium services to help him find his brother. While he did still suspect Bender, he had no proof so decided to request a town wide search of all the houses so that he could also search Bender’s cabin. When authorities arrived to search the Bender’s cabin, they found no trace of the Bender family.
Gina’s Macabre Moment
So here is where the story gets a bit more interesting. The authorities began searching by pulling back a sort of canvas curtain that separated the room in two. Behind the curtain lay a trap door where a far gruesome sight was found. Pools of blood and several decomposing bodies. Several corpses were found around the 160 acre property also.
When travelers stopped for a place to eat they were set at the head of the table, right in front of the curtain. The males of the family would stand behind the curtain and strike the traveler in the head with a hammer. If they didn’t die immediately from the blow, one of the men would slice their throat. It is believed that they killed at least a dozen people including 1 infant who is believed to have been buried alive.
They tore the cabin apart board by board until nothing was left. Following a trail they found their wagon about 12 miles from the cabin. Attached to the wagon were starving horses still in harnesses. They found evidence that the Bender’s then got on a train to Humboldt, Kansas. It’s believed at least some of them traveled to Texas while the others went to St. Louis, Missouri. Reports say the Benders were often spotted, but because this was in the unknown west, trying to catch them would mean bringing in an army and losing resources the country couldn’t afford at the time as they were still trying to reorganize after the Civil War.
Some believe they had caught Ma and Kate Bender in a fraud case, but they were found not guilty and released. Some vigilantes throughout the west claimed to have captured and killed the Bender family. Between $2,000 to 3,000 reward was offered for their capture, but it was never claimed. That would be equal to between $45,000 and $68,000 in today’s money. So what happened to the Benders… Did they continue on their murder spree? Did they decide to start fresh in the west with the money and possessions they stole from travelers? Maybe one day historians will discover the truth.
The Bender family land was sold in 2021. Interestingly enough the new owner is actually interested in the history of the land and the Bender family. The previous owner just farmed the land and never cared about the history. According to the Kansas Reflector, there has been discussion of searching the property to see if they can find any more victims who might have been buried on the acreage. With the advancements in technology since 1870 they may be able to discover things they couldn’t in the past including doing some DNA testing.
And there you have the hi-story of the Bloody Benders. Be sure to tune into our podcast for the hilarious retelling of this post! Also follow us on Facebook, Insta, and Twitter to catch up on the national holiday of the day and random facts!
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