Summit Gist

The Bloody Benders Were a family of serial killers who lived and operated in Labette County, Kansas from 1871 to 1873. The family consisted of John Bender; his wife, Elvira Bender; son, John, Jr.; and daughter, Kate. The family would sit guests at the head of a table in front of a larger curtain. Once settled a family member would emerge from behind the curtain and kill the unsuspecting guest with a hammer. The body would then drop through a trap door to the basement....  It is believed they murdered at least 12 travellers. In October 1870, five families of spiritualists homesteaded in and around the township of Osage in northwestern Labette County, approximately 7 mi (11 km) northeast of where Cherryvale was established seven months later. One of the families was John Bender Sr. and John Bender Jr., who registered 160 acres (65 ha) of land located adjacent to the Great Osage Trail, which was then the only open road for traveling farther west. After a cabin, a barn with a corral, a...