I love true crime stories and have found a podcast called Timesuck (NSFW, language) that covers some of the craziest stories. Recently they have researched the story of the Bloody Benders. They were a family not far from where I grew up who supposedly killed a BUNCH of people near Cherryvale, Ks. I've been told you can dig up the dirt at "Bender Mountain" and find blood that is still stained from human blood.
Anyway, if this is your sort of thing or know the area, give this a listen. It's about 2 hours long but entertaining and full of information. Again, adult language is present and may not be suitable for all.
May have to listen to that.?ÿ There are as many theories on what happened to the Benders as on what happened to Jimmy Hoffa.?ÿ About a year ago several large tracts of land were sold at auction including one which is where tradition says the Benders lived and their victims died.?ÿ That brought much attention to the legends.
He mentions the selling of that land near the end of the podcast. He also tells how the Benders just kind of fell off the earth. It's really quite interesting. Who knew Cherryvale was so "popular".?ÿ
The site is probably as close to Parsons as it is to Cherryvale as it is just a few miles west of Dennis and north about a mile from Hwy 400.?ÿ The trail they set up next to was one that came from mid-Missouri to Fort Scott, thence southwesterly via Osage Mission (St. Paul), Ladore and Cherryvale on it's way to Independence.?ÿ Father Ponziglione from the mission at what is now St. Paul was one of the survivors of their blood lust as he felt a wave of evil come over him while in their presence and immediately mounted up and left.?ÿ Many of the Catholic Churches radiating to the west, south and southwest of St. Paul for many miles were founded through the efforts of Father Ponziglione.?ÿ Anyone familiar with the early Loretto Mission in Kentucky might find the powerful connection it had on the founding of the mission at St. Paul in 1847 to serve the Osage Tribe.?ÿ Two earlier Protestant missions nearby had opened the door but both failed within a few years.
The supposed endings to the so-called Bender family are numerous and shoot off in all directions of the compass.?ÿ There were several deathbed confessions claiming to have been present when various members were captured and disposed of promptly.?ÿ Of course, no two confessions agreed.?ÿ One story claimed their wagon and team were found in Thayer where they boarded a northbound train to KC before switching to multiple train routes in varying directions.?ÿ Michigan and Illinois have been named as places where one or more appeared.?ÿ Of course, they weren't a family at all.?ÿ More of a collection of bad people who were effective at working together.
