logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
40m 48s

Serial Killer Family on the Frontier

History Hit
About this episode

Between 1871 and 1872, Labette County, Kansas became a source of mystery. Several people have gone missing on their journey west and a few bodies have been found. Is this the work of highway robbers? Or could it be the peculiar family who live beside the Great Osage Trail?


Don is joined for this episode for Susan Jonasus, author of 'Hell's Half-Acre : The Untold Story of the Benders, America's First Serial Killer Family'.


Email us at ahh@historyhit.com if you have any areas of history that you would love Don to explore.


For more History Hit content, follow our newsletters here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jan 22
Origins of the First Amendment
The First Amendment of the US Constitution is just forty-five words long, but its impact has drastically shaped American life. For much of American history, the First Amendment was narrow, unevenly applied and frequently ignored, especially for those challenging the status quo. T ... Show More
44m 43s
Jan 19
America's Greatest General
Eisenhower, Washington, Greene, Grant. There have been thousands of Generals in the United States' Armed Forces. Picking out the best of the crop would be impossible, right?In this episode, Don is joined once again by Major Jonathan Bratten of the National Guard to sift through s ... Show More
46m 59s
Jan 15
The Truth about the Two-Term Limit
The two-term limit, the idea that the President of the United States may not seek a third term, has a long history. Originating from a decision made by George Washington, it quickly became an established political norm in America. Since then however it has transformed from a poli ... Show More
38m 23s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
America's Serial Killer Family
<p>When the Bender family disappeared from Labette county, Kansas, in 1873, they left a dozen bodies buried in the garden of their home.</p><br><p>But who were they? Who were their victims? And why did people take bricks from their well as souvenirs?</p><br><p>Today Betwixt the S ... Show More
40m 20s
May 2022
Little Slaughterhouse on the Prairie: The Serial Killer Family Who Terrorized 1870s Kansas
Lone-wolf serial killers like Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy live in infamy – it’s a familiar archetype in true crime. But a family of serial killers is much less common, and the killing spree committed by the Benders in 19th century Kansas is likely the most famo ... Show More
29m 47s
Jun 2022
HS2: Digging up the 'Dark Ages'
<p>An extraordinary discovery has been unearthed by archaeologists working alongside the HS2 rail project. The find, made at an undisclosed location near Wendover in the Chilterns, consists of a 5th-6th century burial site that has been described as one of the most important post ... Show More
1h 5m
Dec 2023
Bonus Patreon Upcycle - The Bloody Benders: America’s First Serial Killer Family
When countless lone travellers began to vanish without a trace along the Great Osage Trail in the early 1870s, the people of Labette County, Kansas, were gripped with fear.Soon enough, the county’s residents realised that all the victims had one thing in common: they’d all visite ... Show More
57m 13s
Sep 2023
The Nazi Massacre at Rumbula
<p>What would it be like to discover that your grandfather was a Nazi? For decades, generations of Germans have been grappling with the legacies of relatives who were part of the Third Reich. These legacies inspire feelings of tremendous guilt but also present an opportunity to a ... Show More
39m 10s
May 2023
The Rise & Fall of the de la Pole Family
<p>The de la Pole dynasty played a central role in the Wars of the Roses. Theirs is a fascinating story of the rises and falls that plagued families - and the disputes within them - as they tried to chart the stormy waters of a civil war.&nbsp;</p><br><p>In this edition of <em>Go ... Show More
26m 27s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami