Hell's half-acre : the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier / Susan Jonusas.
"In 1873 the people of Labette County in Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried on a homestead seven miles south of the town of Cherryvale, in a bloodied cellar and under frost-covered soil, were countless bodies in varying states of decay. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for over two decades, and the land on which the crimes took place became known as 'Hells Half-Acre.' When it emerged that a family of four known as the Benders had been accused of the slayings, the case was catapulted to infamy. The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders--one among thousands who were relocating further west looking for land and opportunity after the Civil War--were capable of operating 'a humanslaughter pen' appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree, and what became of them when they fled from the law is a mystery that has remains unsolved to this day--not that there aren't some convincing theories. Part gothic western, part literary whodunnit, and part immersive study of postbellum America, Hell's Half-Acre sheds new light on one of the most notorious cases in our nation's history while holding a torch to a society under the strain of rapid change and moral disarray. Susan Jonasus draws on extensive original archival material, and introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, including the despairing families of the victims as well as the fugitives that helped the murderers escape. Hell's Half-Acre is not simply a book about a mass murder. It is a journey into the turbulent heart of nineteenth century America, a place where modernity stalks across the landscape, violently displacing existing populations and wearily building new ones. It is a world where folklore can quickly become fact, and an entire family of criminals can slip right through a community's fingers, only to reappear at the most unexpected of times"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781984879837
- ISBN: 1984879839
- Physical Description: xxii, 345 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Publisher: [New York] : Viking, [2022]
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 287-332) and index. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Bender family. Serial murderers > Kansas > Labette County > History > 19th century. Frontier and pioneer life. |
Genre: | True crime stories. |
Available copies
- 29 of 31 copies available at Missouri Evergreen.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Rolla Public. (Show)
Holds
- 1 current hold with 31 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rolla Public Library | NF 364.1523 JON (Text) | 38256101823270 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Barry Lawrence - Cassville Library | 364.152 JON (Text) | 37884103318287 | Adult Non-Fiction | Available | - |
Barry Lawrence - Monett Library | 364.152 JON (Text) | 37884103318279 | Adult Non-Fiction | Available | - |
Barry Lawrence - Mt. Vernon Library | 364.152 JON (Text) | 37884103318295 | Adult Non-Fiction | Available | - |
Camden County Library District - Osage Beach | 364.152 Jonusas (Text) | 31320003852626 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Camden County Library District - Stoutland | 364.152 Jonusas (Text) | 31320003854432 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Camden County Library District - Sunrise Beach | 364.152 Jonusas (Text) | 31320003847360 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Carthage Public Library | 364.1523 J73h (Text) | 34MO2001814349 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Caruthersville Public Library | 364.1523 JON (Text) | 38417100625278 | Non-Fiction | Available | - |
Cass County Library-Harrisonville | 364.1523 JON 2022 (Text) | 0002205391291 | Adult Non-Fiction | Available | - |