• 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> True Crime

Published 16:20 14 Jan 2023 GMT

Man who bought unused storage unit discovered entire murdered family inside

George Gennai hoped to find something valuable in the storage unit, but discovered three bodies instead

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

A man who bought a storage unit in the USA once discovered that instead of some stuff that he could flog, he found the bodies of a murdered family.

George Gennai bought the unit near Seattle in 1992 hoping to find something interesting and potentially valuable.

Sure, that’s always a possibility, but it’s probably more likely that you’ll just end up with a load of old tat that someone didn’t want in their house.

Advert

You would probably expect that you would not find several corpses, though.

Or anything related to a murder - as this bloke did.

Gennai was fascinated as to why the storage unit had been untouched for 12 years, whilst still being paid for.

In the end, he clipped open the lock and raised the doors and started digging for treasure.

You never know what you might find in a storage unit.
Jamie Pham/Alamy Stock Photo

Advert

Once inside, he started to get rid of some heavy plastic that was covering everything, before starting to get through a three-feet thick layer of old clothes.

It was at that point he started to notice a foul smell.

Disgusted, he kept on going, eventually discovering a bin bag that contained a human skull.

Obviously, he immediately alerted the police.

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.

Advert

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.

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.

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

Advert

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.

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

Once George Gennai got the door open, he made a grisly discovery.
Jeff East/Alamy Stock Photo

The news of Barbara’s discovery – whilst 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.

Advert

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."

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

Featured Image Credit: Jamie Pham / Alamy Stock Photo/Marko Beric / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: US News, True Crime, Crime, Weird

Tom Wood
Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

X

@TPWagwim

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Son of man who shot his brother’s karate instructor live on TV shares important detail 40 years later
  • Chilling mystery of family who vanished in mountains without belongings after claims their home was haunted
  • Teenager out on hike sent mysterious photo of 'shadow man' to family and was never seen again
  • Family of British man who survived Air India crash breaks silence

Choose your content:

a month ago
2 months ago
  • a month ago

    Family respond to killer's comments in Netflix doc about twisted true story of man found dead after marrying children’s nanny

    The haunting Netflix documentary dropped earlier this week

    News
  • a month ago

    Daughter of a cannibalistic murderer opens up about what childhood was really like with the notorious killer

    Her father is Isakin Drabbad, who in 2010 murdered his girlfriend and ate part of her body

    News
  • a month ago

    How man who shot his son's karate instructor dead on live TV ended up walking free

    The late Gary Plauché, 68, did not serve any time behind bars despite the killing being caught on camera

    News
  • 2 months ago

    Menendez brothers' family member speaks out for first time in 35 years explaining why they should be released from prison

    Their 85-year-old aunt wants them released

    News