Hell in Heaven: A Mysterious Death in Paradise

It’s midnight in the jungle. The Benders are alone. A single shot rings out. One person is dead. As police arrive on the scene, they initially conclude it’s a suicide. But suspicion grows and the scene raises questions. But soon, the suspect is out of reach of detectives.

Before Costa Rica, there was Wall Street. John Bender has a mind built for numbers - and makes a vast fortune betting against the crowd. Friends describe him as brilliant, a little arrogant - and haunted. John’s academic parents are relieved when he decides to escape the world of high finance and build a different kind of empire in the trees - but it will prove to be a decision with dark consequences.

On a routine excursion, the Benders are ambushed. Guns are drawn. Is it a robbery, or something far more sinister? The couple are certain they’re about to be kidnapped. In the aftermath, they ramp up security at their jungle compound, hiring a former police chief to protect them. Fearing for their safety, the couple retreat further and further from the outside world.

A jungle compound. A midnight emergency call. The mystery begins. At the centre of it all: John and Ann Bender. Young, brilliant and impossibly rich, they set out to build a vast mansion and wildlife sanctuary in the Costa Rican rainforest. But something is off. Not everything in paradise is what it seems.

Hell in Heaven is a production of Exactly Right Media and iHeart Podcasts, produced by Blanchard House.

From Blanchard House

Hosted, Written and Produced by: Becky Milligan

Co-Writer and Producer: Poppy Damon

Original Music: Daniel Lloyd Evans, Louis Nanke-Mannell and Toby Matimong

Sound Recordist, and Head of Sound and Music: Daniel Lloyd-Evans

Lead Sound Designer: Volkan Kiziltug

Managing Producer: Amica Sciortino Nowlan

Creative Director: Rosie Pye

Executive Producer and Head of Content: Laurence Grissell

From Exactly Right

Artwork: Vanessa Lilak

Executive Producers: Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark and Danielle Kramer

Consulting Producer: Lily Ladewig

Associate Producer: Jay Elias

From iHeart Podcasts

Executive Producers: Katrina Norvell, Anna Stumpf and Nikki Ettore

Dark forces gather as the Benders’ presence grows more controversial. The couple’s jungle fortress stands apart from everything around it - lavish, secretive and utterly out of place. Neighbours speculate. Resentments stir. Mystics speak of a curse. Behind the gates, the atmosphere shifts as the couple’s physical and mental health start to decline.