Elvira Bender

Serial Killer

The Crimes of the Bloody Benders

Background

In the early 1870s, the Bender family—John Bender Sr., his wife Elvira, their son John Jr., and daughter Kate—settled in Labette County, Kansas. They established a small inn and general store along the Great Osage Trail, a popular route for westward-bound travelers. While offering meals and lodging, the Benders harbored a sinister secret: they lured guests into their home to rob and murder them.

Modus Operandi

The Benders' cabin was divided into two sections by a canvas curtain. Visitors were seated at a place of honor, with their backs to the partition. While Kate engaged the guest in conversation, one of the male Benders would strike the victim's skull from behind the curtain with a hammer. Elvira or Kate would then slit the person's throat to ensure death. The body was dropped through a trapdoor into the cellar until it could be buried at night in the family's orchard or garden.

Known Victims

The following individuals are among those believed to have fallen victim to the Bender family: - **Mr. Jones**: Disappeared in 1871; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. - **Unidentified Man #1**: Disappeared in 1872; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. - **Unidentified Man #2**: Disappeared in 1872; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. - **Henry McKenzie**: Disappeared in 1872; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. - **Ben Brown**: Disappeared in 1872; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. - **W.F. McCrotty**: Disappeared in 1872; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. - **George Loncher**: Disappeared in 1873; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. - **Unidentified Girl**: Disappeared in 1873; found with signs of suffocation or being buried alive. - **Johnny Boyle**: Disappeared in 1873; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. - **Dr. William York**: Disappeared in 1873; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. - **John Greary**: Date of disappearance unknown; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. - **Unidentified Female**: Date of disappearance unknown; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. - **Unidentified Man #3**: Date of disappearance unknown; found with a crushed skull and slit throat. Dismembered parts of several other victims were also discovered in the Benders' apple orchard. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (14)

Joe Sowers , Date of Death: 1869

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

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