What Happened to the Bloody Benders?

Class & Event Types:

Evenings & Weekends, History & Culture

Age Group:

Adults, Ages 18+, Ages 21+, Ages 55+
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Program Description

Event Details

Just a few years after the end of the Civil War, a series of gruesome murders rocked the Kansas frontier. The perpetrators were a family who became known as the "Bloody Benders." Despite multiple attempts to bring them to justice, the Benders disappeared into the fog of history, their fates unknown. Some say a trail of train tickets led them to St. Louis.

In this program, part of the recurring True Crimes and Curiosities series, we will explore the historical context of the murders and how the Benders were able to avoid detection for so long as well as explore theories about what happened to the Benders after they fled.

Period Engraving of Bender Family and their Homestead

 

Disclaimer(s)

Accommodations

If you need accommodations for this class, please contact the Library as soon as you are able.