Kate Bender

Kate Bender was the mysterious and alluring daughter of the infamous Bender family, a group of serial killers who operated a remote inn and general store in Labette County, Kansas, during the early 1870s. Often described as attractive and charismatic, Kate played a key role in luring victims with her charm and claims of spiritual healing. She was known to advertise herself as a medium and healer, offering séances and spiritual readings to draw in unsuspecting travelers.

According to some contemporary newspaper accounts, neighbors described Kate as strange, intense, and charismatically manipulative. Her striking beauty, paired with her spiritualism, gave rise to whispered superstitions — especially after the brutal murders were revealed. Some claimed she used hypnosis or occult rituals to lure men.

While the true extent of her involvement remains shrouded in legend, Kate is widely believed to have been complicit in the family’s gruesome crimes, helping seduce male victims and possibly delivering fatal blows. Her intelligence and calculated demeanor made her an especially chilling figure in the annals of American crime.

After the Benders’ crimes were uncovered in 1873, the family vanished without a trace, sparking a nationwide manhunt. Though many claimed to have seen or captured Kate over the years, she was never brought to justice, and her ultimate fate remains unknown, cementing her place as one of the most enduring enigmas in true crime history.