Overview of Rewind with Karen & Georgia — Episode 94: “Go Get Your Thing”
This episode of Rewind with Karen & Georgia looks back at an early My Favorite Murder installment and revisits two notorious true-crime stories: the Bloody Benders and the Morehouse murders. Along the way, Karen and Georgia mix in updates, corrections, personal tangents, pop-culture recommendations, and commentary on how their views on true crime and gender dynamics have evolved.
What the Episode Covers
Format of the Rewind
- Karen and Georgia revisit a past episode from 2017, adding:
- case updates
- corrections corner notes
- reflections on what they remember now
- “good things” recommendations at the end
Tone and Side Conversations
- The episode includes a lot of their signature banter:
- touring and podcasting burnout
- celebrity encounters
- live-show life
- serial-killer-themed games
- food debates, including the line: “Monte Cristo is a private sandwich.”
Case 1: The Bloody Benders
Who They Were
- The Bloody Benders were a possible serial-killing family/gang in 1870s Kansas.
- They ran an inn/store along the Osage Trail, where travelers stopped for supplies and lodging.
- The suspected setup:
- guests were seated with their backs to a canvas divider
- one of the men would strike the victim from behind
- Kate/Elvira would slit the victim’s throat
- bodies were dropped through a trapdoor into a cellar
How They Were Exposed
- Several travelers disappeared after staying there.
- Concern grew after a local doctor and other missing-person cases connected back to the inn.
- Investigators eventually found:
- a cellar floor covered in congealed blood
- multiple bodies buried in the orchard
- evidence suggesting at least a dozen victims, possibly more than 20
Key Takeaways
- The Benders exploited the isolation and anonymity of frontier travel.
- Their success depended on appearing like a normal, trustworthy family.
- The case remains infamous because:
- they were never officially caught
- their identities and relationships may have been fabricated
- the historical record is still murky
Case 2: The Morehouse Murders
The Crime
- This case involves David and Catherine Burney, a murderous couple from Perth, Australia.
- In 1986, a 17-year-old girl escaped their captivity and reported:
- kidnapping at knife point
- rape
- being held at their home on Morehouse Street
- Police initially doubted her, but a rookie constable took her seriously and helped build the case.
The Couple’s Background
- Both David and Catherine had deeply troubled childhoods.
- Their relationship began when they were teenagers and evolved into a mutually reinforcing criminal partnership.
- They shared violent sexual fantasies and planned murders together.
Victims and Modus Operandi
- They lured women into their car, often offering rides.
- Victims were taken back to the house, raped, and later murdered.
- The couple kept notes on how to get away with murder and even researched disposal tactics.
- One victim survived long enough to escape, leaving behind key evidence that helped police identify them.
Why This Case Stands Out
- Karen and Georgia emphasize how disturbing it is that:
- the couple appeared ordinary
- people were less suspicious because there was both a man and a woman involved
- Catherine was fully complicit, not merely coerced
- The episode highlights how dangerous assumptions about “normal” couples can be.
Updates and Corrections
Bloody Benders Update
- The Benders’ land was sold in 2020 to Bob Miller, who wanted to preserve and investigate it.
- KU anthropology students and faculty began working the site in 2023.
- By 2024, they had reportedly uncovered 1,200 artifacts.
- Miller hopes to someday open a museum about the Benders.
Morehouse Murders Update
- David Burney died in prison in 2005 by suicide.
- Catherine Burney was still being denied parole as of the mid-2010s.
- Her son has spoken publicly, under an alias, about the difficulty of growing up as the child of a notorious murderer.
Corrections Corner
- Karen corrects herself about Wind River:
- she had mistakenly referred to the writer-director as female
- the film was actually written and directed by Taylor Sheridan
“Good Things” of the Week
Recommendations
- Big Mouth — Karen loves the show and strongly recommends it as a funny, dark palate cleanser after the heavy murder discussion.
- Wind River — Georgia recommends it as a well-made and emotionally powerful murder mystery with an important message about missing Indigenous women.
Notable Themes
Gender and Safety
- Karen and Georgia spend a meaningful chunk of the episode discussing:
- how women are conditioned to think about danger constantly
- why “not all men” is a useless response
- how social norms often excuse bad male behavior
- The discussion is one of the episode’s strongest through-lines and connects directly to the kinds of crimes they cover.
The Myth of Normalcy
- Both cases reinforce the same unsettling idea:
- monsters can look ordinary
- a pleasant family image can hide extreme violence
- victims often trust the wrong people because they seem “normal”
Bottom Line
This rewind is both a true-crime recap and a reflection on how Karen and Georgia’s podcast has grown. The Bloody Benders story emphasizes frontier-era horror and unanswered questions, while the Morehouse murders show how a pair of seemingly ordinary people can become a terrifying criminal team. The episode also balances all that darkness with humor, friendship, and a couple of strong media recommendations.