Bloody Benders

The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who owned a small general store and inn in Neosho County, Kansas from 1872 to 1873. The family consisted of John Bender, his wife, son, and daughter Kate. Kate was very attractive and outgoing, and thus became a large draw for the Bender's establishment. She proclaimed herself to be a healer and psychic who could cure sickness and contact the dead. Kate is beleived to be the driving force behind the Bender family killings.

The Bender Killing Method

The Bender family's home had a large room which was divided by a curtain. If a guest appeared to be wealthy, they would give him a seat of honor with his back to the curtain. Kate would distract the guest, while John Bender and/or his son would come from behind the curtain and strike the guest on the skull with blunt object such as a sledgehammer. The body would then be dragged behind the curtain and thrown down a trap door into a cellar. Once in the cellar, the body would be stripped and then buried somewhere on the property, often in the orchard.

The Downfall of the Benders

In the spring of 1873, Dr. William York arrived at the Bender's Inn. York had visited previously on his trip west and had told his brother, a colonel, about the inn. York never returned home.

On May 4, 1873, a short time after Dr. York's disappearance, Colonel York arrived at the inn, explained to the Benders that his brother had gone missing, and asked if they had seen him. They said they had not and suggested the possibility that he had run into trouble with the Indians. Colonel York agreed that this was possible and was served dinner.

The story goes that after dinner, Colonel York was sitting in front room when he noticed a gold locket under one of the beds. He opened it and was surprised to see his brother's wife and daughter looking at him. He slipped out and returned the next morning with the sheriff and several deputies only to find that the Benders had fled. After a search of the Bender property, 11 mounds of earth in the trees and as many as two dozen bodies were reportedly found. The first grave revealed the body of Dr. William York.

It is not known what happened to the Benders after they fled. Colonel York used his military status to organize an extensive search but found nothing. Several groups of vigilantes were formed to search for them as well. Many stories say that one vigilante group actually caught the Benders and shot all of them but Kate, whom they buried alive.

The story spread and the search continued on and off for the next fifty years. Often groups of two travelling women were accused of being Kate Bender and her mother. Two women in Detroit were reportedly extradited on this charge, but the case was never brought to court.

References

External links

'The Bloody Benders'

An excellent resource with many pictures.

BLOODY BENDERS: MASS MURDERERS OF KANSAS

Bibliography

• Lane, Brian and Gregg, Wilfred. The New Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers. Headline Book Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0747253617

See also

Serial Killers