The Millionaires Who Went Mad in Their Jungle Fortress

What It Was Like · 2026-03-07

51:14

When American millionaire John Bender moved to Costa Rica with his wife Ann, they set out to build a dream life in the jungle. Instead, their relationship spiralled into madness. When Bender died from a gunshot wound in 2010, the question remained: was it suicide or murder? Journalist Carol Vaughn takes us inside one of Costa Rica’s strangest cases.

Check out Carol's book on the case: Crazy Jungle Love: Murder, Madness, Money & Monkeys

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What It Was Like

Conversations with people who have lived through extreme events. Some stories are dark and twisted, others are light and funny. In all cases, we get an intimate portrait of 'what it was like' to be there.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Hosted by Julian Morgans

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No. of episodes: 70

Latest episode: 2026-04-04

Society & Culture Documentary

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