Kate Bender

Kate Bender was considered to be an attractive woman in the community surrounding her Labette County home. She had vivid hazel eyes and deep auburn hair.

She lived with her parents and brother while helping them run an isolated grocery and road house. Somewhat an alien in the midst of the other family members, she was the only one to culture social skills. She also had an alleged gift for second sight and spiritualism and distributed advertising circulars throughout the county proclaiming her abilities.

Her enduring fame, however, would come from other skills, namely that of murderer, for Kate was the leading member of the "Bloody Benders." The small Bender home was divided into two rooms by a canvas cloth. There was a table, stove and grocery stores in front and beds in the back along with the pit-like cellar covered by a trap door.

The house was located on a main road and travelers would often stop for food and rest. Many never left. While seated on the bench near the temporary wall their heads made perfect outline in the canvas. It was a simple matter to murder the victim with a sledge hammer kept on hand for just that purpose. The bodies were then tossed into the cellar until they could be removed. When suspicions were aroused in 1873 the Benders fled. Eleven bodies were found, with crushed skulls, in the Bender garden. No one has ever been able to prove what happened to Kate and her family, even though a nationwide manhunt turned up suspects for many years after.