Though we’ve seen a number of gruesome serial killers in the last few decades, history shows of stories of far worse murders and far worse murderers. These are killers that have been forgotten, mainly because they occurred long before the term serial killer, or mass murderer was coined. Such is the case with the Bender family of Kansas.
The Bender family was literally the boys (and girls) next door. Neighbors thought they were a little quiet, but generally good people. They arrived in early 1872, and set about leading a happy life. Some did notice that their son seemed a little lethargic, but just assumed he was slow. The couple spoke very rarely, and their son spoke even less.
Locals simply assumed they had moved west for a fresh start. They had no idea just how right they were.
Settling in Neosho County, Kansas the family built a small house that served as a general store and inn. Travelers could stop in for a short break, or stay overnight if needed. The Bender’s lived in the back of the shop, while the front was reserved for the weary travelers.
The one bright and shining light in this strange and quiet little family was a daughter Kate. Kate was not only beautiful and popular, but claimed to be a psychic as well. She held a few public readings, and locals began noticing that males often dominated her audience. These males often traveled a far distance just to see Kate. Some hoped to see her again, while others hoped to begin a relationship with the beauty.
Visitors began noticing strange sounds and odd noises coming from the back of the building. While it disturbed some travelers, most managed to laugh the sounds away. Guests had no idea what was actually going on in that part of the building.
The Bender’s actually placed a large canvas curtain to separate the two sides of the building. Whenever anyone came into the shop for a brief rest, or one of Kate’s famous readings, the family an eye on those who looked wealthier. Those guests would be placed against the canvas curtain.
At some point during the night, one of the male family members would attack the person from behind the curtain, usually with a large hammer or blunt object. The body was pulled behind the curtain, and removed of all valuables. They also placed a cellar below the house where they could store the bodies. Once the building was empty, one of the Bender’s would carry the body off and bury it on the property.
Before long the Bender family was making quite a profit with their ruse. Kate often encouraged people to come in for a private reading, before pulling the same stunt. At the same time her brother would stop random people on the road and push them to stay at the inn. Their ruse came to an end in 1873.
A man stopped by the inn to see Kate yet again, and sent word to his brother of his plans. After the man seemingly disappeared, his brother showed up looking for him. The family promised him that the man never appeared, and he seemed to believe them until he discovered one of his brother’s most prized possessions under his bed. This gold locket contained images of his sister-in-law and niece, and was something that his brother would never leave behind.
While attempting to inform authorities of his findings, he discovered the two male Bender’s burying a body in the backyard. He and the authorities returned the next day to discover that the entire Bender family had packed up and left the night before.
Upon searching the property they uncovered a blood-drenched basement, and dozens of bodies buried around the property. While the man’s missing brother was found in one of the newer graves, there were also graves dating back months and in some cases, the graves dated back to the moment when the Bender family first arrived in town. Though locals searched high and low, and word spread across the state, no one saw the Bender’s again.
Following their escape, stories surfaced that a group of men found the Bender family. The story says that Kate was buried alive, while the other family members were shot. The group then burned the bodies to make certain that no one ever found them.
One popular side note to this story involves two women who were arrested in Detroit, Michigan. Someone in the area identified them as Kate and her mother. Over a decade had passed since the family disappeared into the night, and no one could quite be certain if these two women were in fact the missing Bender’s. After some time, the case was dismissed.
There are also ghost stories relating to the Bender family. Locals and curiosity seekers destroyed the house within a few short years by removing as much as possible. Every time someone stopped by the house, they took a piece home as a souvenir. Locals began claiming that the site where the house once stood was haunted by the men who lost their lives there.
Some claimed to hear the sounds of men crying or moaning in pain. In the early years there were also reports of ghostly male apparitions wandering around the property. Others claim that Kate Bender herself haunts the area, doomed to spend eternity atoning for her sins.
The Bender family may have been the first instance of true mass murderers, and possibly the first family of mass murderers in the US. While the house is now gone, history it seems, will never forget.
