The mystery of Ann and John Bender in the Jungle of Costa Rica
| NEWS: Hell in Heaven Podcast published by Blanchard House available NOW on iHeart, Apple Podcasts and Spotify!! |  |
The true story of a Wall Street millionaire who moved to the wildest part of lush Costa Rica with his exotic wife and $600 million dollars - then wound up shot dead in his bedroom leaving his wife penniless and his fortune in devious hands...
Available in both English and Spanish
Purchase Crazy Jungle Love in English
Amazon Paperback
Amazon eBook
Compra Loco Amor En la Selva en Español
Amazon Libro de tapa blanda
Amazon eBook
About Carol Blair Vaughn
Carol Blair Vaughn was raised in Latin America. She is the daughter of Jack Hood Vaughn, a former US Ambassador, Director of the Peace Corps, and Assistant Secretary of State for Latin American Affairs. She holds a Master’s Degree in Performing Arts and retired from a career as a college professor of Dance and Theatre in Washington, DC.
She has written for Inside Costa Rica, El Residente and The Costa Rica Star. Carol has lived in the south of Costa Rica in the town of Quebradas, not far from Boracayán, for the last fourteen years. This is Carol’s first book, but she plans to write several more, all exploring the marvels and mysteries of her new home in Costa Rica.
Press
Book compiles the case of millionaire crime of an American that occurred in Pérez Zeledón
https://www.tvsur.co.cr/noticias/libro-recopila-el-caso-de-crimen-millonario-de-un-estadounidense-ocurrido-en-perez-zeledon/
Hell in Heaven Podcast
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/oct/08/hell-in-heaven-podcast-billionaire-couple-john-ann-bender
Deadline Article
https://deadline.com/2025/07/my-favorite-murder-network-teams-blanchard-house-on-podcasts-1236459217/
Real Screen Article
https://realscreen.com/2023/05/09/house-with-no-walls-team-on-multi-platforming-bizarre-true-crime-ip/
Other podcasts and articles
Superreal What It Was Like episode-
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-millionaires-who-went-mad-in-their-jungle-fortress/id1614354774?i=1000753738297
Crime Junkie episode
https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/mysterious-death-john-bender/
The Costa Rica Star Article
https://news.co.cr/crazy-jungle-love-what-costa-rican-government-agency-stole-16-million-dollars-of-ann-benders-jewels/82614/
More story
Links coming soon!
Hell in Heaven Reviews
Listened to this at work, all the way through. What a crazy story. I had never heard of Ann and John, well told. Agree with another review, this needs to be made into a documentary! Very interesting and I would love to actually see the house and areas described in the podcast. ~Katie 926 Jan 26
I found this podcast one day when I was sick in bed. So glad I did. I binged the whole thing. Why isn't this a Netflix documentary already?? Such a great story!! ~Aly Jan 26
I love this. I was completely hooked after just a few minutes. I binged all the available episodes in one day! I cannot wait for another episode to come out! ~ annamalora Oct 25
I deplored history lessons when growing up. As an older adult I've learned, it's all about the telling of the story; the storytelling! I adore this pod. Whether or it's the in-depth research, or the cheeky storyteller herself, this was a terrific gem. Cheers! ~St Genevieve Oct 25
I love true crime, especially when it's told thoughtfully with the victims and their families in mind. I've never heard of this story before and l'm totally enthralled by only the 3rd episode in!! ~brin detroiter Oct 25
Brilliant! I haven't even finished but so well done. The story telling, research and cliffhangers are like I'm watching a movie or reading the best book. ~amfm450 Oct 25