Six weeks after the draft, Bender unexpectedly died at age 22 before gaining the opportunity to play an NFL game. He was found dead in the home of sports agent Terry Bolar in Marietta, Georgia,[5][6][7][8] northwest of Atlanta. Bender was visiting Bolar, an associate of Eugene Parker, Bender's agent. He had signed a five-year, $3.45 million contract a few weeks earlier,[6] and was in Georgia to train for an upcoming Raiders' mini-camp.[5]
The Cobb County medical examiner's office confirmed on June 10 that a seizure disorder was the cause of death. Bender had been previously diagnosed with epilepsy, known by Washington State and the Raiders, but not publicized; his Cougar teammates were not aware of it.[5][6] He was buried in California at Singing Hills Memorial Park in El Cajon.
