The Bloody Benders

1. The Bloody Benders By: Alex Sicilia

2. Who are the Bloody Benders? • The Benders were a family of four that seemed like average pioneers during the 19th Century • They immigrated from Germany and moved to Labette County, Kansas • The family was very spiritual and were very cult-like • The family consisted of John Sr., Ma Bender, Kate and John Jr. Bender • The family purchased 160 acres of land

3. John Bender Sr. • Was 60 years old when he moved into Labette County, Kansas • Stood over six feet tall • Known for his big bushy beard • Many thought he was a giant who was widely feared.

4. John Bender Jr. • John was a tall slender man who had brown hair and a finely kept moustache • About 25 years old • Laughed aimlessly and during inappropriate times

5. Kate Bender • Daughter Kate was the "friendliest" of the family • She spoke good English with just a slight accent and had good social skills • About 23 years old • Was the first to start conversations with strangers • Attended Sunday School regularly and was accepted by the community

6. Ma Bender • Mrs. Bender was a very heavy woman who was very unfriendly • She was known as “she devil” by locals • She believed she could talk to the dead as preformed ritualistic acts

7. The Bender’s Operation • They opened their store and inn in 1871 • Many travelers would stop by and spend the night or stock on supplies • Travelers with larger sums of money started to go missing • Rumors began to spread that people were going missing and that the trail should be avoided • Dr. William H. York was the first missing man that raised great amounts of suspicion • A neighbor went over and found an empty cabin and unfed barn Land purchased by John Sr. present day

8. Bender Findings • The town put together a search party and searched the Bender’s land • In the empty cabin nothing was left, clothes, food and personal possessions • The townspeople smelled something horrible throughout the house coming from a trap door • The door was pried open and clotted blood was found causing the odor • There were no bodies in the 6ft deep hole • The town began to dig up and uncover bodies buried throughout the land • Dr. York was the first body found with a large head injury and throat sliced from ear to ear

9. Bender Findings (cont.) • The benders had more than 20 victims • The way the victims were killed followed the same routine • They would hit the victim on the head with a hammer and slice the throat to assure death • The family would kill while the traveler was eating while their back was turned Re-creation of murders

10. Why did the Family Murder? • The Benders killed for one reason, which was for pure enjoyment and the rush • They did not make a substantial amount of money or other valuable items from the travelers to be a reason

11. Body Disposal and Media • They disposed the bodies by either burying them around the homestead or near a local creek • All the bodies were buried in separate secluded graves • Mass graves did not occur here • There was little media attention, but a few cash reward no greater than $4,000 was put on their heads • The family’s actions were often changed or manipulated to make for an interesting spooky story.

12. How are They Evil • The Bloody Benders were each individually evil • They would all show some sort of hospitality to the victim, giving them shelter and food, but then would slit their throat • There is never confirmation if they believe that what they were doing was evil • To avoid being caught, they fled right after people started to take notice and raise suspicion about the family Slice view of the house they lived in

13. Adolescence • The Bender family was not even a real family • The only two that were related was Ma and Kate • John Sr. was a remarry and John Jr. was believed to be Kate’s lover • Ma Bender had been believed to have married 2 other times, killing both husbands and murder some of the children to prevent them from testifying against her • The signs that the “family” would become serial killers was not likely, because many thought the family was kind hearted except for Ma Bender • They were a well respected family trying to make an honest living

14. Killer Profile • They were all killers who killed for the thrill and “joy” that it carried with each kill • There were no specific motives for each of the killings other than for the sheer “enjoyment” that they believed in • The Bender’s have been long dead • Since they disappeared from Kansas, Ma and Kate were never discovered • John Sr. was found dead up near Michigan which gave clues that Kate and Ma killed him • John Jr. was found dead along the Mexico border and showed signs of a stroke or apoplexy

15. Work Cited • http://www.leatherockhotel.com/BloodyBenders.htm • http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-benders.html • http://www.prairieghosts.com/bender.html • http://www.skyways.org/history/bender2.html • http://murderbygasslight.blogspot.com/2010/11/bloody-benders.html • http://www.truewestmagazine.com/jcontent/entertainment/entertainment/in-the-works/4419-the-bloody-benders • http://americanserialkillers.com/articles/the-bloody-benders/