“The Bloody Benders: America’s First Serial Killer Family” is a true crime deep dive from Crime Time Cafe into one of the darkest legends of the American frontier.

In the early 1870s, a family of four ran a remote roadside inn along the Osage Mission Trail in Labette County, Kansas. Travelers who stopped for a meal or a night’s rest were seated with their backs to a canvas curtain. While one family member distracted them, another struck from behind with a hammer, then the victims’ throats were cut and their bodies dropped through a trapdoor into the cellar.

At least eleven bodies were eventually found buried in the orchard and nearby prairie, yet the Benders vanished before they could be captured. What was left behind is a lasting legend of frontier violence and an unsolved disappearance.

Join us for the chilling story of America’s first known serial-killer family, and decide for yourself what became of them.

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“H.H. Holmes: The Con Man Behind the "Murder Castle"” is the latest true crime story on Crime Time Cafe.

Forget the trapdoors, gas chambers, and two hundred victims. H.H. Holmes was a slick, restless con artist who lied to almost everyone he met and cheated almost everyone he did business with.

Drawing on Adam Selzer's digging through court records and insurance files, we separate the man from the myth and follow the insurance scam that went horribly wrong. Crime Time Cafe explores true crime cases, investigations, and the history behind them. Follow the show for new episodes.

Press play and join the conversation. New listeners are welcome: start with this episode, then browse the back catalog for more.

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Sponsored by CampfireShoppe.com. Campfire Shoppe offers natural herbal supplements, soy candles, melts, and teas for calming down after heavy true crime listening.

In August 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were found dead in their Fall River home—a case that gripped the nation and remains unsolved. Their daughter Lizzie stood trial and was acquitted, yet the questions never faded. This podcast tells the story of what happened that morning and why the Borden case still fascinates more than a century later.

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I've written books about the Dakota, Ansonia, Friar Park, Tittenhurst Park, and more.