1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You missed in History Class from works 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. Time to 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: Blaine and Chocolate Boarding, and today's story starts with a 4 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: mystery that began to unravel in Labette County, Kansas, in 5 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: the spring of eighteen seventy three. Colonel ed Yorke was 6 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: searching for his brother, Dr William Yorke, who had vanished 7 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: without a trace in early March of that year. So 8 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 1: when he went missing, according to an article by David 9 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: McCormick in Wild West, the doctor had been looking into 10 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: another disappearance, that of a man named George Lnker and 11 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: his young daughter. Dr Yorke had apparently sold Lonker a 12 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: wagon and a team that had later turned up inexplicably deserted. 13 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: Neither longer nor his daughter were anywhere to be found 14 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: near this team and wagon. So it was while he 15 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: was on his way back from i ding this team 16 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: and wagon in Fort Scott, can This that Dr York disappeared. 17 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: Colonel ed York did have a little bit to go 18 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,119 Speaker 1: off of, though. While he was looking for his brother, 19 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: people had supposedly spotted Dr Yorke on his way home 20 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: riding along this road. The Hostage Mission Road, and it 21 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: was somewhere along that road, which connected Fort Scott with Independence, Kansas, 22 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 1: that his trail ended, and somewhere, in fact, right around 23 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: the home slash Inn that was run by a family 24 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: called Benders, and interestingly several others. Anywhere from ten to 25 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: twenty people had mysteriously disappeared in this general vicinity near 26 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: the township of Cherry Vale during the years spanning from 27 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy one to eighteen seventy three, and in many cases, 28 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: family members and other interested parties had traced the missing 29 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: person's progress from town to town, and then, as with 30 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: the case of York, their trails just vanished right around 31 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: this spot. So it was clear that something was going 32 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,040 Speaker 1: on here in northwest Labette County and residents of the 33 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: area we're pretty freaked out about it, understand as you 34 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: would be. So in this episode we're going to find 35 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,639 Speaker 1: out what was the deal with all of these missing people, 36 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: why were they disappearing, and what did that family that 37 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,239 Speaker 1: we mentioned, the Benders, have to do with it all. 38 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: So to answer these questions, we're going to have to 39 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: rewind a little bit to about eighteen seventy when the 40 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: Vendor family first showed up in this area. The exact 41 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: circumstances of their arrival are somewhat up for debate, as 42 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: a few points in this story are according to Mike 43 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: Mayo's book American Murder, they arrived in Cherry Vale and 44 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: the company of a small cult of spiritualists, and if 45 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: you remember from our episode on The Fox Sisters last year, 46 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: spiritualists basically believe that people who have physically died continue 47 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: to exist in kind of a spirit world, and that 48 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 1: they can continue to communicate with us in the material world, 49 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: usually through special people called mediums. So the rest of 50 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:58,359 Speaker 1: the spiritualist cult moved on, but the Benders stayed where 51 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: they were. The area held some attraction at this time 52 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: for lots of people, white settlers at least, who wanted 53 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: to put down roots. The O Sage Indians who had 54 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 1: once lived in the area had been relocated to Indian 55 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: Territory in present day Oklahoma after the Civil War, and 56 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: home stutterers were granted parcels of land, So when the 57 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: vendors arrived, they claimed about a hundred and sixty acres 58 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: of land right around the Sage Mission Road also known 59 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: as the Sage Trail, which connected as we mentioned, Fort 60 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: Scott to independence and was about five miles from cherry Vale, 61 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: which was the nearest town. So they built a small 62 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: house there, basically a cabin, right near the road, which 63 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: was very well traveled, and understandably they got into the 64 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: business of tourism. I guess you would say. They divided 65 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: their home into two separate areas by hanging a piece 66 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: of canvas as a partition, and on one side of 67 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: that partition the family lived. On the other side, which 68 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: was the front of the house, they ran an in 69 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:02,119 Speaker 1: slash grocery store, and it unclear whether their establishment had 70 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: a specific name, but they did put a fine outside 71 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: that the grocery, So if you were traveling along with 72 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: heavily traveled trail, you would know the Benders was a 73 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: place where you could refuel and maybe even spend the night. 74 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: There were four members of the Bender family, Paul, who 75 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 1: was also John Sr. Ma, John Jr. And Kate, and 76 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 1: they were said to be German immigrants. So we need 77 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: to tell you a little bit about all these characters 78 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 1: because it's sort of essential to getting an idea of 79 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: what's going on in the story and their interesting characters 80 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: and character study. So John Bender Senior was about sixty 81 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 1: years old, and by all accounts, he was a pretty surly, 82 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: unpleasant guy. Mob Bender was said to be somewhere in 83 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: the same age range as Paul, but there's still some 84 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: debate over the exact number. Generally people think she was 85 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: between fifty and sixty years old. She was also heavy 86 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: set and bad natured and unfriendly. But maybe she was 87 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: unfriendly because nobody really knew her name. I mean, that's 88 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: one of the things. That she was just mom. That 89 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,040 Speaker 1: was one of the interesting things about the stories that 90 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: there's never a name in any of the sources listed 91 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: for her. She's just a mom. So John Junior, however, 92 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: we do know his name, sort of at least. He 93 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: was about twenty five years old, and he came off 94 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: somewhat nicer than both Mom and Pop. But he apparently 95 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:23,799 Speaker 1: had a nervous giggle that went along with just about 96 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: everything that came out of his mouth, So this made 97 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: people believe that he was somewhat simple minded and probably 98 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 1: adds to the creepy reputation around town too. Um. In general, 99 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: these three vendors made neighbors and anyone in the general 100 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: community who encountered them not really want to come around 101 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: and visit too much, not go get your growthries at 102 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 1: the vendor's place. But Kate was a different story. She 103 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: was a couple of years younger than John Jr. And 104 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: by most accounts, she was very attractive. She was an 105 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,919 Speaker 1: auburn haired beauty, and she was also outgoing and talkative. 106 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: So she also had a five career that was separate 107 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 1: from her family's grocery store. In business, she margreted herself 108 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: as a healer and a spiritualist and called herself professor 109 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: Miss Kate Bender, and she would travel around to different 110 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:16,720 Speaker 1: towns leading public seances and healings and spiritual performances, all 111 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: according to Mayo's book, and she was quite a hit. 112 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: She was. She also offered private sciences back at the 113 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: Bender home so people could come there and visit her too, 114 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: and that if he didn't go for groceries, maybe you 115 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: would go first. Yeah, maybe you don't want groceries, but 116 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 1: if you've seen her act and you think she's pretty cool, 117 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: maybe you want to come get a private session from 118 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 1: Kate at her house. So it was an odd family, 119 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 1: even if you took it at face value as we've 120 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: described it here. But it's also worth noting that a 121 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: lot of people believed that they weren't even all related 122 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: to each other. There were different sources give us sort 123 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: of different scenarios on this, but some say that John 124 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 1: Junior and Kate were actually a couple rather than brother 125 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 1: and sister. Others say that they were half brother and sister, 126 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: and that John was actually Ma's son from a previous marriage, 127 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 1: and that his last name wasn't Bender at all, but 128 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: it was actually GiB Heart. Still other sources say that 129 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: all four of these people might have been completely unrelated 130 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: and not mom and Pop at all. Nope, not a bit, 131 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: Maybe just a clan that came together. Regardless, the foursom 132 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: lived as a family in these early years of the 133 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 1: eighteen seventies, and in general, people who lived relatively nearby 134 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: and knew them, or at least knew of them, really 135 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: didn't want anything to do with them at all, because, 136 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: as we mentioned, they weren't very friendly. They weren't for 137 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: the most part, dinner and asked how they were actually related. No, 138 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: they weren't going to hang out and get to know 139 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: their past, and so the Benders in their place just 140 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: generally creeped a lot of people out too. I mean 141 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: I think that probably their personalities had something to do 142 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: with it, but people also mentioned just kind of having 143 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: a bad feeling well, So because of that area of 144 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: feeling about their business, they really had to rely on 145 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: people who were just traveling along the stage trail, people 146 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: who didn't know their reputation, and and they were pretty 147 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: far from any big town, and even Cherry Vale wasn't 148 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: exactly close. So according to Wayne Lee's book Deadly Days 149 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: in Kansas, they really did attract a lot of visitors 150 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: this way, and people who lived in the area though, 151 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 1: probably didn't have much of an idea about what was 152 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: going on with the business. So despite this this bustling 153 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: business of visitors and travelers, people who lived in the 154 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: area probably didn't have much of an idea about what 155 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: was going on with the business, how it was running. 156 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: Lee related just a few instances in which people might 157 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: have gotten an inkling that weird stuff was going on 158 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: at the Bender place, but no real strong suspicion. Yeah. 159 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: As an example, Lee brings up a woman who was 160 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 1: kind of thought of as the local crazy lady, and 161 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:47,199 Speaker 1: her name was Hessler. She was a spiritualism devotee and 162 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 1: for that reason pretty drawn to Kate Bender, as you 163 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: might imagine. According to Lee, one night, Hessler went over 164 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 1: to the Bender's place wanting a seance, but Kate just 165 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: wasn't in the mood to do one. But still, Hessler 166 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: said things went okay until about sundown, when the family 167 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: started all of a sudden acting very odd. They started 168 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: drawing pictures of men on the walls and threw knives 169 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: at those pictures. Then Kate told Hessler that the spirits 170 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: were moving her to kill. She went towards Hessler with 171 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: this weird, scary look on her face and said that 172 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: the spirits were moving her to quote, kill you, kill 173 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 1: you now, at which point Hessler ran home as fast 174 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: as she could. She just got out of there. So 175 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: on the face, that seems like it would be a 176 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 1: huge morning sign and a threat to murder or something, 177 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: and it would have been caused for concern when Hessler 178 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: related this story to other people, especially since at this 179 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: point people were already aware of some unexplained disappearances in 180 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: the area. But since we already noted that Hessler was 181 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 1: considered a local eccentric, people just wrote it off. She 182 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: must have imagined this or something weird went down between 183 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 1: two sets of weird people. Another story, though, involved a 184 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 1: priest who was traveling along the A Stage Trail and 185 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 1: stopping in at the Benders on a stormy night. He 186 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: also ended up finding an excuse to high tail it 187 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: out of the Bender's place, out of their house, but 188 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,320 Speaker 1: his reasons for doing so had more to do with 189 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 1: just a general bad feeling about the situation. He's one 190 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: of those people we talked about in the H. H. 191 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: Holmes episode, or rather the opposite of those people. Yeah, 192 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 1: follow your gut, right, he followed it. So even though 193 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: people who were living around this area were generally alarmed 194 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: about the people who were vanishing around there between eighteen 195 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: seventy one and eighteen seventy three, there wasn't really any 196 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 1: particular suspicion thrown on the Benders at this time. Basically 197 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,319 Speaker 1: everyone in the O Sage township was under suspicion cozy 198 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 1: little town right until Dr York's case came up, the 199 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: one that we mentioned in the intro. He disappeared somewhere 200 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: along the O. Sage Trail on March nine, eighteen seventy three, 201 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: and his brother ed and his subsequent search in late 202 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: March early April of that year, trace Dr York's movements 203 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,959 Speaker 1: along the road, and according to McCormick's article, met several 204 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: people along the way who said that they had seen 205 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: his brother. They had seen the doctor on his trip 206 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: back toward his own home. At least one person recalled 207 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: that Dr York had said that he planned to stop 208 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: at the benders In on the way home too. So 209 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: one thing to note here, it's kind of up for 210 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 1: debate why Dr Yorke would have stopped at the vendors 211 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: in because he did live relatively nearby. McCormick suggests a 212 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 1: couple possibilities. One was that he was just hungry wanted 213 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 1: to stop at that grocery store. But the other possibility, 214 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: and McCormick thinks that this is the more likely one, 215 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: maybe while looking into the longer disappearance, he started to 216 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 1: get suspicious of the Benders. Maybe he even confronted them 217 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 1: about those suspicions, and that's why he was there. At 218 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: any rate, Ed York decided to stop in at the 219 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: benders and inquire about his brother. Makes sense, right, so 220 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 1: the last place that was going to go. Accounts differ 221 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: though on what exact lucky they told him when he 222 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 1: got there, but Kate is said to have been really 223 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: friendly in general and offered to contact the spirit world 224 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: to try to help him figure out what happened to 225 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: his brother. Nice off for there, But some sources also 226 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 1: say that the Benders, perhaps specifically John Junr, suggested that 227 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 1: Dr Yorke might have been attacked on the road by 228 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,599 Speaker 1: Indians or outlaws, like maybe even Jesse James. There he 229 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: is again. Ultimately, it seems that they denied any possibility 230 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: that Dr Yorke had come to their end for any 231 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: length of time. You know, he didn't stay there, He 232 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: didn't have a meal there, although he suggests that Kate 233 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,839 Speaker 1: told Ed York that his brother had watered his horse 234 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: there and moved on. So we did. We did see him, 235 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 1: but he didn't stick around, and that's probably why you know, 236 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: we've been mentioned to you. But he wasn't here for 237 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 1: for any length of time. So Ed didn't make that 238 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: much progress at the Benders, but news of his search 239 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: and his this latest disappearance seemed to be the final 240 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,120 Speaker 1: straw for the surrounding a stage community who was wondering 241 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: who is the murderer among us? And as we mentioned, 242 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 1: pretty much everyone in the township was under suspicion at 243 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: this point, and not only were they scared, not only 244 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: were they concerned, they probably didn't like people from other 245 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: areas looking at them like possible suspects. So finally, the 246 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 1: locals decided to gather for a meeting at the Harmony 247 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: Grove Schoolhouse, and according to Mayo, there were about seventy 248 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 1: five people in attendance, including the Bender men John Senior, 249 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:30,559 Speaker 1: Don Jr. And during the meeting, the group as a 250 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,959 Speaker 1: whole decided to search every single farm and structure in 251 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,559 Speaker 1: the community to just squash any possible rumor. So if 252 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: there is a murderer, we'll find him. If it's not 253 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 1: our community, we can finally tell all these people stopping by, 254 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:48,080 Speaker 1: it's not one of us. Looks elsewhere, just make sure 255 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: that the culprit wasn't any one of them. And depending 256 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,560 Speaker 1: on what source you look at, anywhere from a couple 257 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: of days to a couple of weeks after this decision, 258 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 1: the entire Bender family just up and vanished, and according 259 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: to McCormick's article, a neighbor passed by the farm noticed 260 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 1: they were gone, but they had just really disappeared into 261 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: the wind. They left all their livestock. They're unattended, without 262 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: food and water, and in pretty bad shape that they 263 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 1: hadn't made any preparations. They're just gone. And the poor 264 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: treatment of those animals really riled up a lot of locals. 265 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: But some suspected that something even more serious was going 266 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: on here. Why has nobody seen them since we have 267 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: this meeting. Why did they just suddenly up and leave? 268 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: So O s Age Township trustee Leroy Dick went to 269 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: check out the situation. He went over to their place 270 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: and on May five, seventy three, he broke into the 271 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 1: Bender cabin, broke the lock off their door, and went 272 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 1: into the cellar. While in there, he noticed that there 273 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: was this terrible smell, basically the odor of death. A 274 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: weird trap door also that led to the kitchen, and 275 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 1: the seller had some bloodstains around it. So Dick came 276 00:14:56,920 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: back the next day with a full on search party. 277 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 1: I think it is initially about fifty people or so, 278 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: and then it grew and they had shovels and plows 279 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: and stuff and tow and they didn't find any bodies 280 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: in the house. I think they tried to check under 281 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: the cellar floor, but they did find a couple of 282 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: other weird things, like three sledge hammers and an eight 283 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 1: day clock that concealed a knife. And Ed York, who 284 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: had been searching for his brother, is said to have 285 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 1: found a pair of eyeglasses in the house that matched 286 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 1: his brother's glasses. So after the search of the house 287 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: didn't turn up anything except these sledge hammers and these 288 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: other items, they started to search the rest of the 289 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: property and came up empty until Ed noticed the mounded 290 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: dirt in the orchard and they realized that this must 291 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: be graves and the first one that they dug up 292 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 1: revealed the body of Dr York, Ed's brother, and the 293 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 1: body was decomposing badly, but he could still make out 294 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: the faith once they cleaned it off. The exact number 295 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: of the bodies found in the property varies depending on 296 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 1: what source you look at, but it's generally said to 297 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: be anywhere from nine to twelve different people. And the 298 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 1: people that Dr Yorke had been searching for, which was longer, 299 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: and his daughter they were buried in the spot also. 300 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: But the most horrifying part, at least to me, was 301 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: that this little girl, who was said to be five 302 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: to eight years old. They thought that she had been 303 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: buried alive because she didn't have wounds that she didn't 304 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 1: have the same wounds that the other victims had had, 305 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 1: and she appeared to have been crushed under the weight 306 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 1: of her dad's dead body, so she was just kind 307 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: of thrown in there and the body was sort of 308 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 1: thrown on top of her, and that was the way 309 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: that she passed away. Some other unidentified this dismembered body 310 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: parts were found in the area, as well as the 311 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: other bodies of several men, and they were believed to 312 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 1: be victims of the same killers. And of course those 313 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: suspected killers were the Benders, because their bodies weren't found 314 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: on the property anywhere, and they had obviously left in 315 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: such a hurry. So it's unclear how many people they 316 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: killed there in that two year span, but some estimates 317 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: range over money. So most of the victims who were found, 318 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,399 Speaker 1: besides the little girl de Lana mentioned, appeared to have 319 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 1: been killed in the very same way, and that's probably 320 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:12,239 Speaker 1: why most sources do agree that the Benders had this 321 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,880 Speaker 1: same murderous strategy. And as with a lot of other 322 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: serial killer stories that we've looked at or discussed in 323 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: the past, the motivation here appears to have been money, 324 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,440 Speaker 1: but according to Lee, the Benders in general were very 325 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 1: careful to target non locals, and some sources even suggest 326 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: that's why they placed their cabin where it was in 327 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: the first place, because they knew that they have a 328 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: lot of travelers passing through stopping in at their inn, 329 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:42,440 Speaker 1: and because there wasn't really another option too. Most sources 330 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,639 Speaker 1: also credit Kate Bender as the brains behind the operation. 331 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: She chatted the travelers, maybe flirt with them, and trying 332 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 1: to determine who was well healed enough to be worth killing. 333 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 1: We mentioned that curtain that divided the room in their cabin. 334 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 1: The prisoner would typically be seated with his back to 335 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: it at the table in the kitchen. Ma would cook 336 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,479 Speaker 1: up some food while Kate did the talking kind of 337 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:10,639 Speaker 1: entertain their guests. Leaning back against the curtain as a 338 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: guest often would would create sort of an outline of 339 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: the visitor's head, and this was the perfect target, apparently 340 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 1: for paw Bender to hit the person with a sledgehammer, 341 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:24,199 Speaker 1: which is how the initial blow and probably often the 342 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: fatal blow, was dealt. From there, they would steal the 343 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: traveler's money, partially strip them down, and especially if it 344 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,879 Speaker 1: were day lad outside or if they were suspecting that 345 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 1: another traveler might be showing up soon. They would dump 346 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,679 Speaker 1: the victim into the cellar very quickly through that trapdoor 347 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: in the kitchen that we had mentioned. The final step 348 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: of these trademark kills was splitting the victim's throat, which 349 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:49,920 Speaker 1: was an act that Lee and other sources say it 350 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,400 Speaker 1: was typically performed by Kate, although I'm not really sure 351 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:54,159 Speaker 1: how they know that. I have to be honest, you know, 352 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:56,360 Speaker 1: how they knew it was Kate. Yeah, I'm not sure 353 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:57,919 Speaker 1: how they know that for sure, but a lot of 354 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,720 Speaker 1: sources say that it probably was her that did the 355 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: throat slitting. In the night though when no one was around, 356 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 1: they would take the bodies out and bury them in 357 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:09,239 Speaker 1: the orchard. And some tend to question whether or not 358 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: money was always the motivator for them, because, according to McCormick, 359 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: some estimates put the money they made off of the 360 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,080 Speaker 1: victims at about five thousand dollars, but some of their 361 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 1: victims didn't seem to have much more than pocket change 362 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: on them when they were killed. And I mean there's 363 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: always a chance that they didn't know. Maybe they killed 364 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: them and then found out, Oh, this guy really doesn't 365 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: have any money, but they're killed today for five dollars, 366 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 1: So that's true. But McCormick also suggests that this could 367 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:36,959 Speaker 1: have simply have been bloodlust, so that might have been 368 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 1: part of it, and we should mention that part of 369 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: the reason that York situation was different. I mean, they 370 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: had been caught at all. They kind of stuck to 371 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 1: this we're only attacking lonely travelers thing, but they didn't realize, 372 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 1: or at least some set sources suggest that they didn't 373 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:59,159 Speaker 1: realize that York was from nearby, and the family follow 374 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: up and ya out what happened, and his brother turned 375 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: out to be very tenacious and searching for him, and 376 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:08,719 Speaker 1: they probably weren't expecting that. So after the bodies were found, 377 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 1: there was this kind of madness that commenced in which 378 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:14,679 Speaker 1: everybody was pointing fingers trying to found somebody who was 379 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,639 Speaker 1: around to blame because the Benders, of course, we're just 380 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: out of town. McCormick actually compares it to the Salem 381 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: witch trials, and a neighbor of the Benders named Brockman, 382 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: who was also German, was suspected of knowing something about 383 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: their activities or their whereabouts. He was hanged and revived 384 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: several times as people tried to get info out of him, 385 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 1: apparently though he had nothing to tell after this torture treatment. Yeah, 386 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:42,879 Speaker 1: it's kind of terrible. They would just they strung him 387 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,159 Speaker 1: up and they would just hang him every time they 388 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 1: were trying to get information out of them, and then 389 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:48,960 Speaker 1: sort of let him down. He would be unconscious a 390 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:53,360 Speaker 1: couple of times. Um, really brutal. But the house, interestingly 391 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 1: was also basically looted after this. The story was all 392 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: over the papers, and thousands of people reportedly came to 393 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 1: take what McCormick calls quote maccab souvenirs from the property. Yeah, 394 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 1: to each his own in the souvenir department, I guess. 395 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 1: But he notes that on June seventy three, a Kansas 396 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:16,959 Speaker 1: paper called The Headlight ran a report that said, quote, 397 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: the whole of the house, accepting the heavy framing timbers 398 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 1: on the Bender farm, and even the few trees have 399 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:25,879 Speaker 1: been carried away by the relic hunters. And then the 400 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: newspaper later addressed the family's escape by saying, quote, the 401 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:32,640 Speaker 1: murders themselves are probably in the middle of China. By 402 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: this time, and we'll never be heard from. Well, that's 403 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:38,399 Speaker 1: the real mystery of this story because to this day, 404 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 1: no one knows what happened to the benders. Their wagon 405 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: was found abandoned, they were sited getting on a train. 406 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,119 Speaker 1: Some people say that they split up. Mom and Paul 407 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:51,439 Speaker 1: went one way, Kate and John Jr. Went another. For 408 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: years afterwards, as you could imagine, there were sighting, there 409 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 1: were arrests, even a promising one in Michigan in eighteen 410 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:02,680 Speaker 1: eighty nine, but nothing ever stuck, nothing was ever proven. 411 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:06,400 Speaker 1: Nobody knew what had happened to the vendors. There's even 412 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: a legend that they were all murdered by a vigilante 413 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,640 Speaker 1: group from the o s Age Township area who killed them, 414 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: took their money, and never spoke of it again, basically 415 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 1: like they had gone out right after they discovered the bodies, 416 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 1: managed to find him kill them, and just sort of 417 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 1: kept it to themselves. But there's no proof of this either. 418 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 1: So the whole thing, like you said, is still a mystery. 419 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:32,159 Speaker 1: But present day Cherry Vale Museum still displays some of 420 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: the memorabilia that was found, some of the stuff that 421 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: didn't get taken away. Um, yeah, I think from that 422 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:42,439 Speaker 1: initial search, some of the things were preserved, so you 423 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: can still kind of go and check this out, and 424 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,439 Speaker 1: that they have the three I think they have the 425 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 1: sledge hammers, and maybe the eight day clock and the knife. Yeah, 426 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: the three sledge hammers. Well, I guess if you do 427 00:22:55,440 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: that much of brisk business, it is um. It's interesting though, 428 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: even with three sledge hammers, their approach was so succinct. 429 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,439 Speaker 1: It's so well defined in a way compared to some 430 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: of the other serial killers we've covered, Like we covered 431 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: the H. H. Holmes story and on the roof or 432 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:18,919 Speaker 1: gass them in special rooms. He was very elaborate in 433 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:22,920 Speaker 1: his strategies. Holmes was, and I think they had a formula. Yeah, 434 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:27,159 Speaker 1: so having three sledgehammers maybe isn't so complex when it 435 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,360 Speaker 1: comes to this sort of thing. But it's also interesting 436 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: to see the similarities between those stories and just how 437 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: people react in these situations, you know, having a bad feeling, 438 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 1: feeling a place's eerie. And we finally got one though, 439 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:44,360 Speaker 1: who acted on his bad feeling. We did, I mean, 440 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:46,399 Speaker 1: there was one in the home story to at least 441 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 1: there was the relative of one of the wives who 442 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:52,080 Speaker 1: sort of got out of a bad situation and ended 443 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:54,400 Speaker 1: up not a victims didn't want to take the roof tour. 444 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: Occasionally people do follow their instinct, which is a good thing. 445 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:02,639 Speaker 1: But people love these gruesome stories, Sarah. They do. We 446 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 1: are always getting suggestions from you guys for serial killers 447 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,879 Speaker 1: and and other murderers, and we even got a book 448 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 1: from one of you. We did. We got the Saga 449 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: of the Bloody Benders, uh, and it is a graphic 450 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 1: novel by Rick Geary based on the Bloody Benders story. 451 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,719 Speaker 1: And we got that a while back actually from listener Steve. 452 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 1: And I have to apologize to Steve that we've only 453 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: done the story now because I think he probably sent 454 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,160 Speaker 1: it after we did Bell Gunnis or one of the 455 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 1: other serial killers, and we try to put a little 456 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,400 Speaker 1: gap between them. As much as you guys love these 457 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,439 Speaker 1: scary stories, sometimes we have two space amount. There's a 458 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 1: long incubation period for certain podcast topics to lists that 459 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:44,679 Speaker 1: have been building for years and years now. Very true. 460 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 1: But if you have any other suggestions for us, of course, 461 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: we're always open to any kind of story, no matter 462 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,120 Speaker 1: how creepy or macaw that might be, and you can 463 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 1: write us those suggestions at History Podcast at Discovery dot com. 464 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,640 Speaker 1: We're also on Facebook, and we're on Twitter and industry 465 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:02,640 Speaker 1: and if you want to learn a little bit more 466 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,480 Speaker 1: about people like the vendors, we do have an article 467 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,399 Speaker 1: called how serial Killers Work. You can search for that 468 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: on our homepage at www. Dot how stuff works dot 469 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:19,680 Speaker 1: com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 470 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 1: Is it how stuff works dot com.