Elvira Bender

Serial Killer

Elvira Bender: Matriarch of the Bloody Benders

Elvira Bender and the Bloody Bender Family

Elvira Bender, commonly called "Ma Bender" and sometimes identified in historical accounts as Kate Bender Sr., was the older woman associated with the notorious Bender family of Labette County, Kansas. The group, remembered as the "Bloody Benders," consisted of Elvira, John Bender Sr., John Bender Jr., and the younger Kate Bender. During the early 1870s, the family operated a small roadside store and lodging place along a heavily traveled route through southeastern Kansas. After the family suddenly disappeared in 1873, investigators discovered human remains buried around their property, establishing the Bender homestead as the scene of one of the most infamous series of murders in the American frontier era. Although Elvira has long been described as one of the Bender killers, no member of the family was ever brought to trial. Consequently, investigators were never able to determine precisely which person delivered the fatal injuries in each murder. Accounts written after the discovery generally portray the four Benders as working together, with different family members helping lure travelers into vulnerable positions, attack them, rob them, conceal their bodies, and maintain the appearance of an ordinary roadside business.

The Bender Homestead

The Benders settled in Osage Township in northwestern Labette County, several miles northeast of what became Cherryvale, Kansas. Their property stood beside an important road used by travelers moving between settlements such as Independence, Osage Mission, and Fort Scott. The location was ideal for a small general store and stopping place because travelers often needed meals, supplies, shelter, and water for themselves and their animals. The Bender cabin was divided into two sections by a large canvas curtain. The front portion functioned as a public area where groceries and supplies were sold and meals were served. The rear section was the family's private living area. A dining table was positioned close to the curtain, an arrangement that later became an important part of investigators' reconstruction of the murders. Travelers stopping for food were reportedly encouraged to sit in a particular place at the table with their backs toward the canvas partition. This placed the person's head close to the curtain and allowed someone concealed on the other side to approach without being seen. Investigators and surviving travelers later concluded that this arrangement was deliberately designed to place selected guests in a defenseless position. ...

Confirmed Victims: (13)

Mr. Jones , Date of Death: 1871

The Bloody Benders: America's First Family of Serial Killers