Captivating Podcast Unraveling the Mysterious Death in a Jungle Paradise to Premiere on October 9 with Two Episodes

NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES - September 25, 2025 - Following the international success of the historical true crime podcast The Butterfly King, Exactly Right Media—home to the global hit show My Favorite Murder—is partnering with iHeartPodcasts and Blanchard House on a new limited series, Hell in Heaven, premiering October 9, 2025. Listeners can hear the official podcast trailer now, HERE.

John Bender, a young Wall Street genius lands in the Costa Rican jungle with a vast fortune and visions of paradise - but ends up in hell. He and his wife, Ann Bender, build a spectacular circular mansion deep in the rainforest - a sanctuary for themselves and for endangered wildlife. But sinister forces soon have the couple fearing for their lives. They transform their paradise home into a fortress surrounded by armed guards. And when a single gunshot leaves one of them dead, a baffling mystery ensues. 

Over eight compelling episodes, host and award-winning journalist Becky Milligan will take listeners deep into the heart of the jungle, uncovering a tale of luxury, tragedy and relentless murder trials in this unmissable story of wealth, isolation and obsession. 

"With the Blanchard House team, we have brought yet another unbelievable true crime case to life. This series captivates the listener and elevates the genre,” says Karen Kilgariff, CEO of Exactly Right Media. “And our partnership with iHeartPodcasts is what makes the whole project possible.” 

“This is a story of a couple who started out with dreams of a new life in the jungle and a vast fortune, and the awful events that transpired. It’s a fascinating mystery that demands attention, and it was a pleasure to bring it to audiences with Exactly Right and iHeart.” commented Rosie Pye, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Blanchard House.

“We are excited to debut this new co-produced podcast with Exactly Right Media and to work with Blanchard House to help bring the project to life,” said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts. “This bizarre true crime podcast will captivate listeners, transporting them deep into the jungle through amazing audio storytelling as they try to unravel what actually happened inside this paradise fortress.”

“Hell in Heaven,” co-produced by Exactly Right Media and iHeartPodcasts in collaboration with Blanchard House, tells an extraordinary true story featuring exclusive interviews with John Bender’s parents and an arresting original score – set against actual startling sounds recorded from inside the Costa Rican jungle.

“Hell in Heaven” is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will be available to listeners on the iHeartRadio app and all major podcast platforms with new episodes released weekly beginning October 9, 2025. For more information visit HERE. 

Editor’s Note:

Include the podcast audio player directly into your article or website using the below embed code.

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Download the “Hell in Heaven” cover art, HERE.

ABOUT EXACTLY RIGHT MEDIA

The Exactly Right podcast network provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. Created by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, hosts of the hit podcast “My Favorite Murder,” the Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics and voices, serving the highly engaged listenership of “My Favorite Murder” and beyond.