SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: Who Committed the 1912 Villisca Ax Murders?
The hosts recount the 1912 Villisca axe murders in Iowa, describing the Moore family and Stillinger girls, the killer's methodical actions inside the house, and the chaotic discovery that destroyed much of the crime scene evidence. They examine early suspects including state senator Frank F. Jones and traveling preacher George Kelly, then lay out the modern theory that the crime was likely part of a series of connected Midwestern axe murders committed by an unidentified serial killer using the railroad. The episode closes with a listener email about how their earlier hookworm episode helped a listener's cousin finally receive an accurate medical diagnosis.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Tale of the Bloody Benders
Hosts Josh and Chuck recount the story of the "Bloody Benders," a 19th-century family of serial killers who operated a small inn and store along the Osage Trail in southeastern Kansas. They describe how the Benders lured travelers into their crude roadhouse, murdered and robbed them, how the crimes were eventually discovered after the disappearance of a doctor and his neighbor, and how the family escaped and was never definitively found. The episode also explores Kansas's violent frontier context, later investigations into the Benders' true identities, theories about their fate, and the case's legacy in books, media, and local lore.