EXCLUSIVE: The bewildering story of John Bender, a young Wall Street genius whose dream over life a mansion sanctuary in the Costa Rican jungle turned sour, is set to launch as a podcast.
My Favourite Murder maker Exactly Right Media, iHeartPodcasts and Blanchard House are teaming to make Hell in Heaven, an eight-part limited series that drops on October 9 with two episodes. The show is the first to come from a multi-project deal Exactly Right struck with Blanchard House in July, as we reported at the time.
The story follows Bender, a wealthy American investor who landed in the Costa Rican jungle with his wife, Ann Bender, and a vast fortune. Deep in the rainforest, they built a spectacular circular mansion as a sanctuary for themselves and endangered wildlife, but sinister forces had them fearing for their lives. Their paradise home transformed into a fortress surrounded by armed guards, but one of them still ended up murdered by gunshot, leading to a baffling mystery.
Journalist Becky Milligan hosts the story, uncovering a tale of luxury, tragedy and relentless murder trials. The series will feature exclusive interviews with John Bender’s parents and an original score, set against sounds recorded from inside the Costa Rican jungle. Here’s the trailer.
“This is a story of a couple who started out with dreams of a new life in the jungle and a vast fortune, and the awful events that transpired,” said Rosie Pye, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Blanchard House.
“With the Blanchard House team, we have brought yet another unbelievable true crime case to life, added “Karen Kilgariff, CEO of Exactly Right. “This series captivates the listener and elevates the genre, and our partnership with iHeartPodcasts is what makes the whole project possible.”
Exactly Right is co-producing with iHeartPodcasts in collaboration with Blanchard House.
“This bizarre true crime podcast will captivate listeners, transporting them deep into the jungle through amazing audio storytelling as they try to unravel what actually happened inside this paradise fortress,” said said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts.
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