FREE TEASER: Murder House on the Prairie
Summary
This episode explores the true story of the Bloody Benders, a serial killer family who terrorized the American frontier in the 1870s. It details how Laura Ingalls Wilder’s daughter Rose suggested incorporating the Benders’ crimes into her mother’s manuscripts to boost sales, though the idea was ultimately rejected. The narrative focuses on the disappearances of George Longcore and Dr. William York, whose investigations into the murders led to their own vanishing acts.
Topics discussed
Podcast intro and subscription appeal
Laura Ingalls Wilder's financial ruin in the Great Depression
Rose Wilder's suggestion to add murder to the books
The Bloody Benders: A family of serial killers
Historical context and the Ingalls connection
George Longcore: A widower on the Kansas prairie
George's friendship with Dr. William York
George's disappearance and the abandoned wagon
Dr. York investigates and goes missing
The search for York and the pattern of disappearances
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