Mysterious Death in Paradise: What Happened to John Bender?
John and Ann Bender seemed to have it made, living in luxury in Costa Rica. But both Benders also struggled with depression. John was searching for a safe place and a reason to feel happy, but locals didn't fully accept them. When John turned up dead in the couple's home, questions abounded, and Ann fell under suspicion.
At Home in Paradise
In 2001, John and Ann moved to Costa Rica to chase their dream of a luxurious life. Their home, called Boracayan, stood tall in the heart of the rainforest. Describing it as "over the top" doesn't quite capture its essence. Boracayan is a massive four-story house, nearly 50,000 square feet, filled with shining granite and designed without traditional walls or windows. But behind its beauty lies a tragic story.
John and Ann shared many interests, from their love of nature to their passion for adventure. However, they faced a tough challenge together: both struggled with depression. Ann's battle was especially difficult, as she dealt with bipolar mood disorder, which made her emotions swing from high to low. This struggle added a heavy weight to their lives, even as they tried to enjoy their shared passions.
Success at an Early Age
John Bender was a standout in high school, excelling in math and science. He went on to study physics at the University of Pennsylvania, where he became known for his knack for beating the odds at local casinos and making money. By 25, John had already made around $80 million, and he was running a half-billion-dollar hedge fund by his early 30s. John wasn't just talented; he was a financial powerhouse. But John never really felt like he fit in with the Wall Street crowd. By then, he and Ann were married, and they planned their escape from the rat race. They decided to use their wealth to create a refuge for wildlife. In the lush rainforest of Costa Rica, they discovered the perfect spot: 5,000 beautiful acres that they named Boracayan, after a native plant. It was the beginning of a new adventure, where they could help animals and find their own peace in nature.
The Unraveling of a Perfect Life
Although the construction of their dream home brought jobs to the local area, the Benders' project, a grand display of opulence, didn't win them many friends. Then, in April 2001, things took a terrifying turn. According to Ann, armed men in an unmarked car forced them to the side of a mountain road. The men claimed to be police officers, but they weren't wearing uniforms. It turned out that this dramatic scene was just Costa Rican authorities trying to serve John with papers related to a lawsuit from his Wall Street days. But John spent six long hours in detention before he learned the truth, and the experience left him completely shaken. After that, the couple bought guns, hired security guards, and turned their refuge into a virtual fortress. They lived in constant fear.
The Fateful Night
By the following year, they had become prisoners in their own paradise. The beautiful nature that once drew them in was now overshadowed by their irrational despair. Ann said John became convinced that every problem — her illness and even the death of their beloved pet bird — was his fault.
The tension built until Jan. 7. 2010, when everything changed for the couple. Ann said she awoke and saw John holding their 9mm pistol. She tried to get the gun away from John, but the gun slipped and went off, she said.
But when first responders arrived two hours later, their investigation of the scene only resulted in more questions. And later, more investigators would encounter the same confusion over the bullet's path: It entered John's head just below the right ear and ended up behind his left eye. If he had been trying to shoot himself, why did he fire the gun at such an odd angle?
Suspicion Builds
Ann was in poor physical and mental shape at the time. Within hours of John's death, she was rushed to the hospital, extremely thin (weighing 84 pounds) and covered in sores. Ann remained in the hospital for seven months. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Carlos Lizano, told "48 Hours" that when Ann was admitted to the hospital, she was "in and out" of touch with reality, and he didn't believe she was physically capable of holding a fork, much less killing her husband.
Despite Ann's poor condition, as the investigation continued into the next year, authorities' suspicion of her mounted. Nineteen months after John Bender's death, Ann was officially charged with murder.
Ann was convinced this was all part of a plan by Juan Alvarez, who John had hired to manage the Benders' massive fortune. She believed he was trying to hide the fact that he had siphoned money from the $70 million Bender trust. Authorities raided his office and seized 135 boxes of documents. The court eventually removed Alvarez as trustee, marking a significant turn in Ann's fight for justice.
Trial After Trial After Trial
Ultimately, Ann was tried twice for the murder of her husband and was convicted once. However, that conviction was later overturned on appeal. But Ann soon learned she was still not in the clear. Prosecutors decided to try her for a third time. After a grueling, three-week trial, and almost 10 years after John's death, Ann was found not guilty. This time, Ann returned to the U.S. as soon as she could — with no plans to ever return. Months later, in a shocking decision, a Costa Rican court said it will try Ann for a fourth time. Her lawyers immediately filed an appeal.
Legal experts doubt prosecutors could actually bring Ann to trial again. Trials in absentia aren't allowed in Costa Rica, and while there is an extradition treaty, the U.S. would not likely extradite Ann after three trials. Ann has finally moved on from her once-idyllic paradise. Her past there is as haunting as the abandoned, overgrown jungle compound she left behind.
References: The Death of John Bender: Accident, Suicide or Murder? | Did Wall Street Millionaire Kill Himself Or Was It Murder? | Mysterious Death Of: John Bender
