University research team set to return to “Bloody Bender” site in Southeast Kansas
INDEPENDENCE, KANSAS – After scratching the surface last summer in the reopened investigation into
the 150-year-old Bloody Bender saga in Southeast Kansas, two University of Kansas professors and a team of student researchers are planning a return trip this spring to dig a little deeper.
Bob Miller, owner of the Labette County acreage where the infamous Bender family robbed, murdered and buried multiple travelers in the 1870s, has been working with archeology experts from the university for the past two years in an attempt to solve some of the mystery still surrounding the story.
Historical accounts document the murderous spree of the Bender family who operated a small inn and supply store in their cabin along the Osage Trail between Parsons and Cherryvale, Kansas, from 1871 to 1873. The family reportedly preyed upon travelers who stopped by their inn for a meal or a place to spend the night, robbing them of any valuables, murdering them in gruesome fashion with hammers, slitting their throats and burying them on the property. Once the murderous activity was discovered, the family had already fled the area, and their final fate remains shrouded in mystery. The bodies of at least eight victims were recovered on the family’s property, some of whom were never officially identified, and it is uncertain whether more bodies are still buried there.
“The story isn’t over,” said Miller. “I believe there is so much yet to learn, and when you dig in, it’s really fascinating. This is a mission to discover what the ground has been hiding for the past century and
a half.”
Last summer, Dr. Blair Schneider, principal forensic investigator with the Kansas Geological Survey and
a KU adjunct professor, led a contingent of KU archeology and anthropology students to SEK for a two-
week field school to conduct a preliminary geophysical study using ground penetrating radar and other
technologies to image the subsurface where the Bender family’s cabin, outbuildings and even victims’
graves are thought to have been located.
The field school included a walking surface survey, which yielded hundreds of artifacts of interest – including broken pottery and antiquated bits of metal and glass – and the subsurface imaging revealed some promising areas for future excavation. Last summer’s initial research also inspired the team to expand its search area this year.
Dr. Schneider will return to SEK this month with colleague Dr. Lauren Norman, assistant teaching professor in the KU Department of Anthropology. The two will make an initial visit to the Bender site in mid- May to map out the new search grid and will be joined by Kansas archeologist Chris Hord, who will lend metal detecting and other expertise to the project.
Following the site preparation, a new contingent of students will arrive for a field school to run May 20-28, during which excavation will get underway under the direction of Dr. Norman. During the one- week stint, the students also will be joined in the field by experts in various research disciplines to provide additional hands-on education.
A lifelong SEK resident, Miller has been fascinated with the Bender story for decades. Miller bought the property in 2020 to unravel some of the Bender mystery and to dig into the history. He hopes to find answers to some of the still open questions about the Bloody Benders.
“The tale has been spinning for 150 years,” he said. “There have been so many theories, stories, books, movies, etcetera, 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.
“More than anything, I’d love to bring some closure to the story in terms of the victims. Throughout all the accounts of the Bender story, much attention has been focused on the Benders themselves; they have been somewhat glamorized. I would like to shine a light on the victims, their families and tell their stories as well.”
More information on the community event and the Bender property research project can be found by following Kansas Bloody Benders on Facebook.