Hell's half-acre : the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier
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Published
New York : Viking, [2022].
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Bellevue - Adult Non-Fiction
364.15232 J81h
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Hermitage - Adult Non-Fiction
364.15232 J81h
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Published
New York : Viking, [2022].
Format
Book
Physical Desc
xxii, 345 pages : illustrations, maps ; 26 cm
Language
English

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages [327]-332) and index.
Description
"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 human slaughter 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.

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Jonusas, S. (2022). Hell's half-acre: the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier . Viking.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Jonusas, Susan. 2022. Hell's Half-acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, a Serial Killer Family On the American Frontier. Viking.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Jonusas, Susan. Hell's Half-acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, a Serial Killer Family On the American Frontier Viking, 2022.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Jonusas, Susan. Hell's Half-acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, a Serial Killer Family On the American Frontier Viking, 2022.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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