Hell's Half Acre

  • Author: Susan Jonusas
  • Narrator: Lee Osorio
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
  • Duration: 9:15:41
preview

Synopsis

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.

Chapters

  • 001 HellsHalfAcre IntroCredits REV

    Duration: 18s
  • 002 HellsHalfAcre Dedication

    Duration: 28s
  • 003 HellsHalfAcre Epigraph

    Duration: 14s
  • 004 HellsHalfAcre Introduction

    Duration: 17min
  • 005 HellsHalfAcre LabetteCountyKansas

    Duration: 08min
  • 006 HellsHalfAcre Part1 TheTheatreOfANationsStruggle

    Duration: 19min
  • 007 HellsHalfAcre TheBendersComeToKansas

    Duration: 18min
  • 008 HellsHalfAcre AnAmbitionsTownJustFourWeeksOld

    Duration: 17min
  • 009 HellshalfAcre MattersSpiritualAndTemporal

    Duration: 18min
  • 010 HellsHalfAcre TheFirstOfMany

    Duration: 07min
  • 011 HellsHalfAcre AnInvitation

    Duration: 12min
  • 012 HellsHalfAcre NotMuchLawInTheLand

    Duration: 14min
  • 013 HellsHalfAcre Part2 ANNurseryOfMoralMonstrosities

    Duration: 11min
  • 014 HellsHalfAcre BySomePersonsUnknown

    Duration: 09min
  • 015 HellsHalfAcre AManAndALittleGirl

    Duration: 08min
  • 016 HellsHalfAcre DeedsOfBlood

    Duration: 05min
  • 017 HellsHalfAcre AManOfResolutionAndNerve

    Duration: 23min
  • 018 HellsHalfAcre NoTravellerIsSave

    Duration: 16min
  • 019 HellsHalfAcre AnAnxiousHeart

    Duration: 07min
  • 020 HellsHalfAcre AMatchToAPowderMill

    Duration: 08min
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