Theadore
Robert Bundy
Ted
Bundy is one of America's most famous serial killers. He is
believed to have killed over 36 women, maybe as many as 100 or
more. The method behind his "madness" is still being
studied even today, 8 long years after his electrocution. The
following is a brief outline of his life and crimes:
For most of his life, the woman he believed to be his sister was actually his mother. She gave birth to him as a young woman and her parents thought that is would be best for Ted if his grandmother acted as him mother. Ted was extremely close to his grandfather, and when he was still quite young, his sister/mother moved him to Tacoma WA, across the country from his grandparents, which tore him away from his grandfather. Some experts allege that Ted's grandfather physically abused him, but there is no direct evidence for that.
Ted was a predator, he preyed on young women like they were animals and he was the game hunter. He stalked some of his victims for weeks, like Linda Healey, his first known victim. Ted was in her psychology classes at the University of Washington, and had a mutual friend in Linda's cousin. Other victims he picked out immediately and killed. Like Denise Naslund and Janice Ott, who both disappeared from Lake Sammamish the same hot July day. Ted used his typical ploy with both girls. He wore a fake cast, and pretended that he needed help putting his sail boat back onto his VW bug. He tried the same ploy with many girls that day. The lucky ones were either busy or suspicious. Denise and Janice were not so lucky. When he got them to his car, he usually made some excuse for them to get in and then hit them over the head with a tire iron. It was several years before either of their bodies were discovered. His victims, most in their early twenties, looked enough alike they could have all been sisters. Shiny brown hair parted down the middle, they were all young and full of promise. Until they met up with Ted Bundy . . .
Ted was a master criminal. He studied police procedures meticulously. He had a degree in psychology from the Univerisity of Washington and eventually went on to law school in Salt Lake City. He was a student of the law and even defended himself on more than one occasion in court. If not for his fatal habit, he might have made a "killer" lawyer.
Ted was a sexual sadist. He enjoyed inflicting pain on his victims. Many, if not most sexual serial killers are sexual sadists. They want to take power over their victims, consume them. They do not see them as humans, but as objects, there for the taking. They feel the need to dominate their victims and many get a sexual high from inflicting excruiating pain and suffering on their victims. For many serial killers, this is the only way that the can get any kind of sexual satisfaction.
Ted was a classic psychopath. He felt little, if any, remorse for his victims. He was charming and very sociable, but could turn deadly at any instant. Not only did he feel little remorse for his victims, he felt that it was OK to kill, didn't think twice about it. He also was very self-centered, in that everything he did was for his own gain, his own profit. He satisfied his sexual appetite by killing innocent people. Not only did he kill people, he committed petty theft, stole cars, TV sets, bicycles, anything he could get his hands on.
His mother was 22 when he was born. Ted was born in a home for unwed mothers. When his mother moved back in with her parents, she took up the role as his sister, while his grandmother became his mother.
Ted witnessed violent behavior from his grandfather. Did this behavior imprint into his psyche, or was he just born the way he was?
He grew up in Tacoma, WA with his mother. There, he was deemed as an intelligent, but very socially awkward boy.
Ted stopped developing emotionally when he was in high school, a sign of developing anti-social behavior.
His mother had remarried Johnny Bundy. Ted eventually found out that this was not his father at the age that he was forming his sexual identity. This can also lead to anti-social behavior.
His family was very secretive. They appeared to be a healthy Christian family, but in reality held many secrets. Ted learned to value appearances from this upbringing, which had an impact on his development.
He was very interested in detective novels and magazines. This is the root of his fantasy life (angry men, frightened women). Fantasy became an integral part of his life. Ted claimed later that it was this "pornography" which led to his murderess ways.
In 1974, women began disappearing from Seattle and surrounding areas. First there was Linda Healy from the University of Washington. Next came Donna Mason, then Susan Rancourt, Kathy Parks from Oregon, Georgeann Hawkins, Brenda Ball, Janice Ott, and Denise Naslund. There were no witnesses, no bodies. The killer was very skilled and could disappear without a trace. The only evidence that the police had to go on in the "ted" murders was a report about a man with an arm in a sling driving a VW bug.
Out of college, before he went to law school, Bundy worked for the Republican party. He was well-liked and talented.
However, he drank heavily during this time. He also developed a fake personality. Many people felt that there was something wrong with with, something missing. Ted had a hollowness about him. This could be attibuted to his lack of emotional development. He pretended to be something he was not -- an appearance.
At this time, he had been dating a girl pretty seriously, named Stephanie. She broke things off with him and he was devastated. This could have been the trigger that set him off.
After he moved to Salt Lake City to attend law school, the killing continued (Nancy Wilcox, Melissa Smith, Laura Aime, Debbi Kent, Sue Curtis, Nancy Baird, and Debbie Smith ). He even ventured over to Colorado and killed at least 5 women there (Karen Campbell, Julie Cunningham, Melanie Cooley, Shelly Robertson, and Denise Oliverson). Bundy claimed that he wanted to posses a lifeless human being.
In 1975 while in SLC, he was pulled over to running a stop sign. The police officer noticed a "burglery kit" in his car and arrested him on site. Earlier, a young woman, Carol DaRonch had narrowly escaped an attack by someone who resembled Bundy. After his arrest, DaRonch picked him out of a lineup. He was subsequently tried and convicted of attempted kidnapping and senteced to 1 to 15 years in Utah prison.
Colorado police had a strong suspicion that Bundy was there man. He was extradicted to Colorado, where he was to be put on trial for the murder of Karen Campbell. In Colorado, he escaped into the mountains, and was caught. After his capture, he asked for a change of venue to Colorado Springs. He escaped again, this time to Tallahassee Florida.
In Tallahassee, he believed that he had conquered his urge to kill. He set up an apartment and stole all of his basic necessities. He was allright for a while, then his urges overcame him.
He broke into the Chi Omega sororiety house late one night, and bludegeoned to death two girls -- Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy. A few days later, he kidnapped 12-year old Kimberly Leach. He was finally arrested in July of 1976 and charged with 3 murders in Florida.
Ted took control of his own case, but to no avail. He was found guilty of the Chi-O murders and sentenced to death. He was then tried for the Kim LEach murder and found guilty. He was senteced to die in the electric chair in Florida. In court, he married Carol Boone, who would eventually bare him a child.
In the days before his pending execution, he finally admitted to being the killer of over 30 women in 6 states. He requested a stay of execution to reveal the details of all of his murders, but it was not granted. He spoke with Robert Keppel of the Seattle Police department the night before the execution. Bundy's confessions can be read about in The Riverman: Ted Bundy and I Search for the Green River Killer.
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