Legends of the Old West – [ENCORE] FRONTIER TRAGEDY Ep. 5 | Bloody Benders, Part 1

Date: February 4, 2026
Host: Chris Wimmer (Black Barrel Media)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the chilling story of the Bloody Benders, a notorious family of serial killers who lived in southern Kansas during the 1870s. Chris Wimmer reconstructs their grim legacy, blending historical narrative with period context, and sets the stage for a two-part investigation into their crimes and the questions that remain unsolved to this day.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Recollection and the Bender Legend

• Laura Ingalls Wilder recalled an event involving her family and the search for the Benders, recounting how her “Pa” joined a posse to catch them. However, the facts don’t fully match:
  • The Ingalls left Kansas in 1871, two years before the Bender crimes were discovered in 1873.
  • Wilder may have “transposed some of the truth into her own story to sell more books."
    • “Laura Ingalls Wilder’s memory was faulty, or she transposed some of the truth into her own story to sell more books.” (01:58)

Kansas: A Land of Opportunity and Violence

• The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) and Homestead Act (1862) opened Kansas to white settlement, following years of violence (“Bleeding Kansas”) over slavery and westward expansion.
• The Benders were early settlers moving in 1870, establishing an inn and grocery—their stopover point became infamous for murder.

Arrival and Beginnings of the Benders

• The Bender family’s arrival is described with unsettling detail. Their wagon looks strange; locals are suspicious of John Gephard (John Jr.) and John Bender (Pa Bender), perceiving Gephard as possibly "simple or half-witted."
  • "Ern and Brockman thought the men were as peculiar as their wagon." (04:34)
• They secure two adjoining pieces of land, build a small structure with a cellar (hinted to be for nefarious, not domestic, use).

The Locked-Door Dynamic: Who Were the Benders?

• The family comprised Pa Bender (elder male, said little), Ma Bender (scowling, surly older woman), John Gephard (awkward young man, possibly son or relative) and Kate (charismatic, attractive, spiritualist persona). But their actual relationships remain ambiguous.
• The canvas-divided cabin serves multiple functions—shop, inn, and home.

Early Signs of Trouble: The First Victims

• Edward Ern’s fiancée and her mother stay at the Benders’ and are robbed of valuables, confirming suspicions that things are not as they seem.
• Kate and the Benders contrive a distracting walk, after which the valuables are gone. Kate and John Gephard offer dubious explanations ("must have been horse thieves").
  • "John Gephard suddenly appeared and said it must have been horse thieves who stole the box…He prodded them to pile their belongings into his wagon. …He simply dumped them at the homestead of a stranger with no explanation.” (16:50)
• Local authorities are powerless due to lack of evidence, marking the Benders as suspicious but not criminal—yet.

Bizarre Behavior, Spiritualism, and Growing Danger

• Kate advertises herself as a spiritualist and healer; she gains notoriety for her charisma and supposed powers.
• Several attempted victims survive strange seance rituals at the Bender cabin:
  • Julia Hessler is lured with supposed treatment but flees when she perceives imminent danger during a candlelit seance.
    • "Julia was nauseated by the foul smell in the cabin, but she didn’t want to offend Kate, so she tried to ignore it..." (24:28)
    • “When Kate made a move toward Julia, Julia dashed out of the cabin. As she ran across the dark prairie, a gunshot missed her. …She saw a lamp coming toward her in the darkness and she heard John Gebhard laughing.” (25:31)
  • Another woman, branded “eccentric” by townsfolk, claims the spirits (as channeled by Kate) commanded Kate to kill her—she escapes, leaving valuables behind, but no one believes her.

The Disappearances Stack Up

• Frequent disappearances of travelers—sometimes with large sums of money—are dismissed as typical of prairie dangers at the time. Bodies occasionally surface, often with evidence of blunt force trauma, but local law is slow to connect the dots.
  • "Leroy figured missing people like these young men were none of his business. And if horse thieves were responsible … they had probably moved on already." (31:58)
• High-profile victims include George Longcourt and his infant daughter, last seen leaving for Iowa—never arriving. When William York, their concerned neighbor, begins to investigate, events spiral toward the Benders’ downfall.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Wilder’s legendary anecdote:
  "Laura Ingalls Wilder’s memory was faulty, or she transposed some of the truth into her own story to sell more books." (01:58)
• On the Bender family’s strangeness:
  "Both Ern and Brockman felt an immediate distrust of the strange travelers. At least that’s what they told people later." (05:21)
• First glimpse of Bender duplicity:
  "Kate made a good show of searching with them. But the metal box was gone." (18:39)
• Terror at the seance:
  “When Kate made a move toward Julia, Julia dashed out of the cabin. As she ran across the dark prairie, a gunshot missed her…” (25:31)
• On dismissing disappearances:
  "People disappeared all the time on the prairie. Some died of natural causes…and simply moved on to greener pastures." (31:43)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:18 – 04:30: Laura Ingalls Wilder’s retelling; historical inaccuracies and family background
• 04:31 – 07:50: The Benders’ arrival, first impressions, land claim
• 11:07 – 16:50: Completion of cabin, family structure, first sign of Bender criminal behavior—robbery of Ern’s relatives
• 21:00 – 29:00: Kate’s spiritualist claims; escaped would-be victims and suspicious community reactions
• 30:16 – 33:20: Disappearances escalate—context of prairie life, lawman’s indifference
• 33:21 – End: Introduction of George Longcourt’s case; William York’s ensuing investigation—a turning point

Tone & Style

Chris Wimmer narrates in a measured, suspenseful tone, blending historical fact with atmospheric storytelling. Quotes and witness stories retain period language, punctuating the narrative with unnerving and sometimes darkly ironic detail.

Conclusion & Lead-In to Next Episode

The episode concludes with the disappearance of George Longcourt and his daughter and William York’s resolve to investigate. Their cases will finally bring the Bender crimes into daylight, leading to the infamous discovery at the Bender property.

"When George’s neighbor William York became suspicious and went looking for answers, his search set off a chain reaction that led a posse to the Bender cabin and to the discovery of the gruesome crimes that still resonate today." (34:54)

Next Time…

The investigation shifts into overdrive. The law—and the community—finally confront what’s been hiding in plain sight at the Bender homestead.

Research and writing by Julia Bricklin. Hosted and produced by Chris Wimmer.