Bloody Benders to be focus of presentation in Independence
Jul. 13—INDEPENDENCE, Kan. — A special presentation on the mystery of the Bloody Benders will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Jim Halsey Memorial Hall auditorium, 410 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Independence.
The Bender family settled on 160 acres in Labette County in Southeast Kansas in the early 1870s, operating an inn for travelers along the Osage Trail from 1871 to 1873. They killed and robbed guests and buried their bodies on their property before fleeing the area.
The property was purchased in 2020 by Bob Miller, who has been supporting a research project to uncover the story of the Bender family.
"The tale has been spinning for a century and a half," he said in a statement. "There have been so many theories, stories, books, movies, et cetera, about what the Benders did, who and how many victims there really were, and even what eventually happened to the Benders after they fled the area but were never apprehended. I want to see if we can add to the story."
A team of University of Kansas student researchers and their lead investigator are working at the property with a variety of geophysical methods, including ground-penetrating radar, magnetics and electrical technologies. The goal is to image the subsurface and identify points of interest for future excavation.
The team reported earlier this week that it had already found broken bits of pottery and old square nails on the property, leading to optimism that the exact coordinates of the Bender cabin, outbuildings and victims' burial sites eventually could be pinpointed.
Miller said the investigation also could help determine:
—The exact location of the Osage Trail, which can potentially be mapped by the study of soil compaction, indicating heavy foot, horse or wagon travel.
—Diets, diseases or other medical conditions experienced by the people of the time, which could be discerned by studying any DNA evidence recoverable from deep within the soil.
Guest speakers at Friday's presentation are:
—Blair Schneider, principal forensic investigator with the Kansas Geological Survey who will share the team's early findings.
—Miller, who will speak about his motivation for purchasing the Bender property and his plans for the site.
—Max McCoy, a former Joplin Globe journalist and executive director of Western Writers of America who has published works related to Bender history.
The event is free and open to the public. A performance of popular 1800s songs will begin at 6 p.m. and will feature pianist Sarah Scovel Stone.
