‘Hell In Heaven’ Brings Costa Rican Paradise-Turned-Crime Mystery To Life.

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.” It is a true series combined with some international adventure.

The new series tells the story of John Bender, a young Wall Street genius who 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 designed as a sanctuary for themselves and for endangered wildlife. But soon the couple feared for their lives, and they transformed 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 episodes, host and journalist Becky Milligan takes 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.

“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,” says Rosie Pye, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Blanchard House. “It’s a fascinating mystery that demands attention.”

The podcast features exclusive interviews with John Bender’s parents and an original musical score, which is set against actual startling sounds recorded from inside the Costa Rican jungle.

“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.”

“Hell in Heaven” is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will be available to listeners on all major podcast platforms with new episodes released weekly beginning Oct. 9.

“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.”