57: The Bloody Benders: Homicidal Homesteaders
As Westward expansion began in the US after the Civil War, homesteaders staked land claims across the plains. One family set up a crude store and Inn along the trail, taking advantage of the location where many a weary traveler would pass by. But many of those travelers began to disappear after stopping at the Bender's place. What searchers found on the property, dubbed "Hell's Half-Acre" by newspapers, was nothing they could have imagined. And history doesn't tell us why a whole family would kill innocent travelers, nor if they were ever captured for their crimes.
Narrator: Curtis Hildreth
Intro and Outro Music: Isaiah Hildreth
Sources:
Jonusas, Susan. Hell’s Half-Acre. Penguin Random House. 2022.
https://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/bender-family.htm
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015484/1873-05-15/ed-1/seq-2/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/58162259/?terms=Bender&match=1
http://murderpedia.com
hardtimesandtruecrimes.com buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC