• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Man who bought unused storage unit discovered entire murdered family inside

Home> News> US News

Published 19:20 20 Mar 2024 GMT

Man who bought unused storage unit discovered entire murdered family inside

Instead of finding something valuable, a horrifying discovery was made

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

A man who was hoping to find some valuables in a random storage unit was, instead, left with the bodies of a murdered family.

Back in 1992, George Gennai purchased the storage unit near Seattle, US, with the intention of finding some hidden gems.

Expecting to find a heap of unwanted belongings, Gennai wondered why the paid-for unit had been untouched for 12 years.

Advert

Eventually deciding to take a look, he clipped open the lock and raised the doors to start digging.

A man who was hoping to find some valuables in a random storage unit was, instead, left with the bodies of a murdered family.
Pexels

After getting inside, he noticed some heavy plastic covering the contents of the unit.

Along with a three-feet thick layer of old clothes, Gennai started whiffing up an awful smell.

After reading the headline, you can guess how this ends.

Advert

While continuously looking for clues, the poor man soon discovered a large bin bag - containing a human skull.

Obviously, he alerted the police straight away.

Eventually, the medical team were able to identify the bodies of 36-year-old Barbara Bender and her two sons, who had been missing for 12 years.

Bender, along with 15-year-old Mark and eight-year-old Brian, had been killed by blows to the head.

Police also found a hatchet with blood and hair on it inside the locker.

Advert

Barbara had filed for divorce from her husband the day before she disappeared and was last seen loading up a van.

The police investigation immediately turned to her husband Mark.

The medical team were able to identify the bodies as a woman and her two sons.
Pexels

He was the person who had rented the locker, though it only came to light after his second wife stopped paying for it.

Mark was arrested and eventually confessed to the murders, receiving three life sentences for the three counts of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to at least 80 years.

Advert

Speaking about the gory scene that he discovered, Gennai said: "I was in Vietnam, I've seen this before."

The news of Barbara’s discovery - while tragic - did offer some comfort to her mother, who had spent 12 years not knowing what happened to her or whether she was alive or dead.

She had thought that maybe her daughter had entered a witness protection programme and was unable to contact them, until her body was discovered.

Bette Jones said: "I've been waiting for word from her so long.

"But at least this is better than not knowing what happened to her."

Advert

Barbara’s cousin, Mangen, added: "Now at least they can be buried and rest in peace.”

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images

Topics: US News, Crime

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
3 hours ago
4 hours ago
  • 2 hours ago

    New footage shows moment only survivor of Air India crash walks away from burning wreckage

    British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh is the only survivor of the 242 on board

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Navy accidentally discovers 500-year-old ship at bottom of Mediterranean Sea

    It's the deepest wreck found in French waters to date

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Key information second black box from Air India crash will reveal as investigators find it

    Investigations are ongoing after the plane crashed into a medical college in Ahmedabad last week

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    ‘Hero’ Air India pilot ‘saved dozens of lives’ with last minute decision moments before crash with 242 people on board

    All but one on board the flight died as others were killed on the ground

    News
  • Man who murdered girlfriend spared prison after serving one year due to bad prison diet
  • Inside death row chamber with chilling reason behind red flashing light
  • Prisoner who 'died' and was brought back to life argued his life sentence had technically finished
  • Family of man who lost his wife on wedding day thank public for support as he plans funeral