Hell's Half Acre
The Untold Story of the Benders, a Serial Killer Family on the American Frontier
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Narrated by:
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Lee Osorio
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By:
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Susan Jonusas
About this listen
One of NPR's "Books We Love"
New York Times Book Review's "The Best True Crime of 2022"
"Rich in historical perspective and graced by novelistic touches, grips the reader from first to last.”—Wall Street Journal
A suspense filled tale of murder on the American frontier—shedding new light on a family of serial killers in Kansas, whose horrifying crimes gripped the attention of a nation still reeling from war.
In 1873 the people of Labette County, Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried by a trailside cabin beneath an orchard of young apple trees were the remains of countless bodies. Below the cabin itself was a cellar stained with blood. The Benders, the family of four who once resided on the property were nowhere to be found. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for decades, sparking an epic manhunt for the Benders.
The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders—one among the thousands relocating farther west in search of land and opportunity after the Civil War—were capable of operating "a human slaughter pen" appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree and whether justice ever caught up to them is a mystery that remains unsolved to this day. Set against the backdrop of postbellum America, Hell’s Half-Acre explores the environment capable of allowing such horrors to take place. Drawing on extensive original archival material, Susan Jonusas introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, many of whom have been previously missing from the story. Among them are the families of the victims, the hapless detectives who lost the trail, and the fugitives that helped the murderers escape.
Hell’s Half-Acre is a journey into the turbulent heart of nineteenth century America, a place where modernity stalks across the landscape, violently displacing existing populations and building new ones. It is a world where folklore can quickly become fact and an entire family of criminals can slip through a community’s fingers, only to reappear in the most unexpected of places.
©2022 Susan Jonusas (P)2022 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
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it's Nearly perfect
- By Kerry on 09-16-20
By: Malcolm X, and others
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Mythology: Mega Collection
- Classic Stories from the Greek, Celtic, Norse, Japanese, Hindu, Chinese, Mesopotamian and Egyptian Mythology
- By: Scott Lewis
- Narrated by: Madison Niederhauser, Oliver Hunt
- Length: 31 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Do you know how many wives Zeus had? Or how the famous Trojan War was caused by one beautiful lady? Or how Thor got his hammer? Give your imagination a real treat. This Mega Mythology Collection of eight audiobooks is for you....
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An interesting set of introductions.
- By Kevin Potter on 05-30-19
By: Scott Lewis
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Helter Skelter
- The True Story of the Manson Murders
- By: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.
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Everything I remembered about the case was wrong..
- By karen on 06-22-12
By: Vincent Bugliosi, and others
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Fingerprints of the Gods
- The Quest Continues
- By: Graham Hancock
- Narrated by: Graham Hancock
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Fingerprints of the Gods is the revolutionary rewrite of history that has persuaded millions of listeners throughout the world to change their preconceptions about the history behind modern society. An intellectual detective story, this unique history audiobook directs probing questions at orthodox history, presenting disturbing new evidence that historians have tried - but failed - to explain.
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Classic in Historical Mysteries
- By Kelly on 09-05-19
By: Graham Hancock
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The Secret History of Christmas
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Original Recording
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Christmas is the single biggest annual event on the planet, a time for merry-making, over-indulgence, peace, goodwill, and the occasional family row. It’s as comfortable and familiar as a pair of old shoes and yet still glittery and exciting. But what do you really know about it? It’s stuffed full of traditions and rituals that most of us have been observing all our lives without having the slightest idea of where they come from.
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Fascinating and Entertaining
- By Laura Carrington on 11-23-22
By: Bill Bryson
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World War 2 in the Pacific Collection: Across Wake Island, Bataan, Guadalcanal, Corregidor, and Iwo Jima
- Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific, The Saga of Pappy Gunn, On Valor's Side, The Coastwatchers, They Call it Pacific, Joe Foss Flying Marine, South from Corregidor, The Story of Wake Island, & Mission Beyond Darkness
- By: Robert Lackie, General George C. Kenney, T. Grady Gallant, and others
- Narrated by: Museum Audiobooks Cast
- Length: 66 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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This is a nine-book bundle on the Pacific War, the theatre of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and Oceania. The Pacific War saw the Allies pitted against Japan, aided by Thailand and its Axis allies, Germany and Italy. Fighting included some of the largest naval battles in history, and the war culminated in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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Good collection, great bargain well worth a credit
- By R. Denton on 08-13-21
By: Robert Lackie, and others
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Black Elk Speaks
- Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, The Premier Edition
- By: John G. Neihardt
- Narrated by: Robin Neihardt
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Widely hailed as a spiritual classic, this inspirational and unfailingly powerful story reveals the life and visions of the Lakota healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863–1950) and the tragic history of his Sioux people during the epic closing decades of the Old West. In 1930, the aging Black Elk met a kindred spirit, the famed poet, writer, and critic John G. Neihardt (1881–1973) on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
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Tale of tears
- By William Sanders on 01-25-15
By: John G. Neihardt
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Quite possibly The the best Ann Rule book
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Another necessary work by Schector
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Very well written and narrated!!
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Another necessary work by Schector
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This story is bananas lol
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How did Charles Manson inspire his "family" to launch a campaign of murder? What twisted ideology lay behind horrific events like the Waco Siege, Aum Shinrikyo's poison-gas attack on the Tokyo metro, and the mass suicides and murders of Jonestown? Why did the suicidal adherents of Heaven's Gate believe doomsday was at hand? How did the idealistic commune of Rajneeshpuram collapse into shocking controversies, involving biological terrorism and attempted murder? The shocking truth about some of the most disturbing criminal cults that have ever existed are discussed in this audiobook.
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Hard to listen
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In The Last of His Kind, renowned adventure writer David Roberts gives readers a spellbinding history of mountain climbing in the twentieth century as told through the biography of Brad Washburn, legendary mountaineering pioneer and photographer. Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air, has praised David Roberts, saying, “Nobody alive writes better about mountaineering” - and nowhere is that truth more evident than in this breathtaking account of the life and exploits of America’s greatest mountain climber.
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It was a cool, quiet evening at Calumet Farm, where the most valuable racehorses—including the prolific stallion Alydar—had settled into their stalls for the evening. Alton Stone, filling in for the regular night watchman, completed his rounds at the barn. Although nothing seemed out of the ordinary, an inexplicable hunch led Stone to check on Alydar. What he found—a grievously injured horse with no discernable cause—jump-started one of the biggest mysteries to ever hit the horse racing world.
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Lindsey always knew she wanted to be a detective. Her inspiration came after reading about the murders committed by Ted Bundy, who grew up in her hometown of Tacoma, Washington. Also seared into her memory was the 1986 murder of a young girl who'd been out for a bike ride when she went missing. The teen was later found murdered, but the case was never solved. The senseless killing of an innocent young girl would leave a black cloud over Tacoma for three decades.
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LOVED IT!! So impressed🥰
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In the tornado that was downtown New York in the 1980s, John Lurie stood at the vortex. After founding the band The Lounge Lizards with his brother, Evan, in 1979, Lurie quickly became a centrifugal figure in the world of outsider artists, cutting-edge filmmakers, and cultural rebels. Now Lurie vibrantly brings to life the whole wash of 1980s New York as he developed his artistic soul over the course of the decade and came into orbit with all the prominent artists of that time and place.
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I used to like him.
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In her memoir All That Remains, internationally renowned forensic anthropologist and human anatomist Dame Sue Black recounted her life lived eye to eye with the Grim Reaper. During the course of it, she offered a primer on the basics of identifying human remains, plenty of insights into the fascinating processes of death, and a sober, compassionate understanding of its inescapable presence in our existence. Now in this book, Black builds on that memoir, taking us on a guided tour of the human skeleton and explaining how each person's life history is revealed in their bones.
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A very human story by a very believable human
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Villains of All Nations
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Villains of All Nations explores the "Golden Age" of Atlantic piracy (1716-1726) and the infamous generation whose images underlie our modern, romanticized view of pirates.
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The details
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By: Marcus Rediker
What listeners say about Hell's Half Acre
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Erin and Michael
- 12-31-22
A lot local history, not a lot about the Benders
I was hoping this story would focus more on the Benders- possibly dive in their history before their crimes and more about what happened to them, but whether by lack of research or lack of its existence, it just isn’t there. A bit disappointing.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Kevin
- 10-06-23
I want a Time Machine..
I want a Time Machine to go back and see where the family actually ended up! A great comprehensive story that does elaborate a bit much at times. However! I couldn’t pull myself away from this book until it was finished…thank you for the dedication to this topic!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Andi
- 10-02-24
Flashes Out a Well Known Frontier Story
While I had some basic knowledge of the story of the "Bloody Benders" this book flashes out the other parties involved. You can tell that the author did a lot of hard work to get the details into the investigation accurate. This case has no real closier and in a way neither does this book which is allows the reader to fill in the blanks for the most plausible ending to whatever happened to the Benders.
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- Andrea
- 03-15-22
Fascinating book for true crime lovers
If you enjoyed THE MAN FROM THE TRAIN, then this book, with crimes that occurred in 19th Century Kansas, will be right up your alley.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Rebecca Hill
- 06-14-22
Murder Most Foul.. Enduring Through Time
The history of the Bender's has been the talk of lore, myth, and loose facts for more than 100 years. The crimes that were uncovered on the Bender farm not only sparked a massive manhunt, but it showed a darker side to humanity, that anyone could be taken advantage of on the prairie.
In Hell's Half-Acre, Susan Jonusas takes us through the story of the family, the crimes that were committed, and the search that went on for decades for the family that became known as the first serial killer family in America.
Kate Bender was the most well-known of the family, but it was because was the more outgoing, the one who was the more likeable of the family in and around the community, but her easy going ways did not still the rumors that began to swirl about her before the crimes were uncovered. It was her spiritualism side that began the darker rumors, sparking stories and fear among some who had gone through séances in her home, or were being hounded to allow her to conduct a séance to reach a newly departed family member. There were stories of people feeling afraid in the cabin, and more than one fled from the cabin after feeling that something was not right. Fleeing might have just saved their lives.
As the crimes were uncovered, the horror spilled throughout the community. It was not uncommon for people to head west and disappear, but the large number of those who were disappearing around the small area in Kansas started to cause consternation. As more and more bodies were uncovered, anger grew, and a party went off in search of the Bender's. Unfortunately, they had a head start, and were able to disappear into the outlaw gang territories, evading justice.
As I read through this book, it was hard for me to put down. I absolutely LOVED it. There are sections that were harder to read, but the story of the Bender's has been one that has captivated readers time and time again. With their escape, evasion of justice, and the sheer number of crimes (not to mention one was a child), anger and fascination with the family has endured.
For true crime lovers, this is a must read, can't stop reading, oh I have a book hangover volume. Take my word for it - get a copy now.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 12-29-23
Bender. Family for life
Enjoyed it very much. Definitely would recommend to the true crime nut. Gonna try to hit the museum next time
Out that way.
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- Casey Martin
- 10-23-23
Leaves one wanting
I was excited to listen to this one but ended up disappointed. I wish there was more detail on the Benders and what they did instead of how the politics of the time shaped what happened and the outcome.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Elizabeth Brague
- 06-11-22
Excellent
A wonderfully written piece about a macabre and horrible bit of prairie history. It's a must read/listen.
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- vakdevi
- 10-19-22
Meanders a bit
This was new to me and as such quite an amazing tale. Did not like the outcome and wonder if I would have read it had I realized how unsatisfying it would be. The narrator got a bit too lethargical along the way though overall he was good.
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- edie kennard
- 03-17-24
interesting stuff
was a very interesting book. the bender family gives you a real house of 1,000 corpses vibe. the author really writes it in a way that it builds a picture in your mind.
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