"The Bloody Benders" of Labette County, Kansas

What a Creep
Season 29, Episode 9
“The Bloody Benders”

The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who operated a small inn and general store in Labette County, Kansas, during the early 1870s. They are considered one of America’s first known serial killer families.

The Benders lived along a remote stretch of the Osage Trail (later part of the Santa Fe Trail), where they ran a waystation for travelers. Guests who stayed at the Bender property were sometimes never seen again.

Sources for this episode 

• People 
• Library of Congress Blog 
• Humanities Kansas
• KCTC TV
• A&E 
• Kansas Alumni Group
• KWCH-TV
• The Wild West Extravaganza YouTube
• Hell Comes to Play by Lee Ralph 
• Hell’s Half Acre by Susan Janusas
•  Kansas History 
• Kansas Reflector 
• Legends of the West podcast 
• Wikipedia 

Trigger Warnings: Murder and incest

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