Ted Bundy

Author: Jennifer Lewis

He was charming, good looking, and charismatic. But underneath his seemingly good-natured personality was an evil, sadistic monster. This man; who plagued areas all across the United States. And who had killed over 30 victims. Outsmarted police, close friends and family, and the general public for years. This man was none other than one of the country's most horrific killers: Ted Bundy. 

Ted Bundy was born in Burlington, Vermont on November 24th, 1946. He lived his childhood years believing his parents to be Samuel and Eleanor Cowell. However, he later learned in life that his sister Louise was in fact his biological mother. Samuel and Eleanor were actually his maternal grandparents with no information on who or where his real father was. 

It is unclear how Ted uncovered the family secret, but former friend and true crime writer Ann Rule believed he found his birth certificate after having his own suspicions about his upbringing. 

An incredibly bright student, Ted was studying Chinese when he met and fell in love with another fellow student, Stephanie Brooks. Unfortunately, Stephanie did not return the love, fearing Ted was unambitious and lazy. Many psychologists have pinpointed his breakup with Stephanie as the turning point in his development from violent fantasy to reality. 

Devastated by the breakup, Ted became more goal oriented; taking a job as a delegate for Nelson Rockefeller on his 1968 presidential campaign. Enrolling in undergraduate school for law, and volunteering at a Suicide Prevention Hotline, where he meets and befriends author Ann Rule, who becomes an intricate part in tell Ted's story years later. 

Ted also began a relationship with Elizabeth Kloepfer, a young mother who like Ann Rule and other friends of Ted, never suspected he was the ruthless killer he eventually becomes. 

At least... not at first.

Elizabeth began to piece together some bizarre situations that eventually led her to a place to a tip on Ted to the local police station. He had unexplainable items in the house and in his car such as medical equipment and crutches which were odd objects for a law student to own. 

In addition, Ted drove the exact car witnesses reported as the suspected killer's vehicle: the infamous Volkswagen Beetle. 

Although there is no real consensus on when Ted murdered his first victim, as his stories have changed through the years. Karen Sparks was the first known victim who was attacked shortly after he terminated his engagement to Stephanie. Ted broke into her basement apartment on January 4th, 1947, where he bludgeoned and sexually assaulted her with a metal rod. Miraculously, she lived, despite her extensive injuries. 

A month later, Ted abducted Lynda Ann Healy, an undergrad who was last seen leaving for work. 

Throughout the year of 1974, women were disappearing in the Seattle area at a rate of about one per month. This concerned detectives gravely as many of the women were never seen or heard from again. They had very little understanding as to who was behind the kidnappings. The only connection they formed amongst the victims were the striking resemblance they all had to each other. They were all young and attractive, with long hair parted down the middle.

On June 11th, Georgeann Hawkins was last seen talking to a man with a leg cast and crutches, struggling to carry his briefcase. The man was described as a young, handsome brunette, driving a tan Volkswagen Beetle. Although police scoured through the alley way in which she was last seen, there was no evidence or explanation as to what happened to her. 

Most of the attacks happened  at night, mostly in secluded, residential areas. However, on July 14th, Ted made his way to Lake Sammamish State Park in Washington. He approached a young woman to ask for help moving his sailboat, however when she got to his car and realized there was no boat, she left. The same luck would not be granted for Janice Ann Ott and Denis Marie Naslund; two young women who were reportedly seen talking with Ted before vanishing. 

Witnesses at the park all told investigators the same story: a man named Ted was approaching women for help retrieving his boat. They now had a detailed description of his appearance. 

His car. 

Now, they knew his name. 

... and started in Utah. 

On November 8th, Ted approached Carol DaRonch in the parking lot of a shopping center where he posed as a detective. 

He told Carol he witnessed an attempted theft of her car and asked her to accompany him to the police station to file a report. She obliged and took off with Ted. In her accounts, Ted became increasingly agitated and aggressive during their ride. He attempted to handcuff Carol, but botched the attempt to restrain her, cuffing only one hand. Remarkably, Carol fought back and was able to remove herself from the car and escape.

An angry Ted drove off and murdered 17 year old Debra Jean Kent instead that night, who was taken from her high school parking lot. 

Police ended up finding the key to Carol's handcuffs where Debra was last seen, linking Ted to an attempted kidnapping and a murder on the same night More disappearances took place within the next year. However, that would all end on August 16th, 1975, when Ted gets pulled over by highway patrol. The officers noticed a ski mask, rope, and handcuffs; all items initially assumed to be used to burglarize nearby homes. 

Ted was arrested and after his car was impounded for evidence linking him to the attempted kidnapping of Carol DaRonch. And her choosing him in a lineup, Ted was formally charged with aggravated kidnapping and attempted criminal assault. 

His trial took place in February of 1976, where Carol herself testified against the imprisoned Bundy. A judge found him guilty and convicted him of 1-15 years in prison, though a much severe sentencing awaited him in Colorado. Ted was linked to a murder in Aspen and was transferred to their state prison in 1977. As Ted awaited trial, he strategized a plan to fire his legal staff and represent himself.

This allowed him to have full access to the prison library and work on his case for long hours through the day. What Ted was really working on was his plan to escape. On June 7th, 1977, Ted jumped from the second story floor of the Garfield County jail in Colorado. On foot, he made way to a deserted log cabin where he broke in for food and shelter. 

After stealing a car six days later, he was pulled over for a minor traffic violation but was ultimately caught when officers realized who the driver was.

Famished and injured, Ted was taken back to prison, but this wouldn't be his last escape. On December 3o0th, Ted devised another plan to break out of prison, only this time, he would be more successful. He sawed a hole through his cell, creating a crawlspace that led directly to the apartment of the warden. As no one was in the apartment at the time, Ted broke in, stole his clothes and walked out the front door. By this the time anyone noticed he wasn't in his cell, Ted was already halfway across the country.

Although he was off to start a new life, Ted would unfortunately continue to take the lives of innocent women, this time in the state of Florida. On the night of January 15th, 1978, one week after he arrived in Tallahassee, Ted broke into the Florida State University Chi Omega Sorority House. He attacked four sleeping women, killing Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy. 

Ted abducted from school grounds. After and extensive search, Kimberly's remains were found weeks later. 

An increasingly paranoid feeling began to take over Ted as he feared police were tracking his every move. On February 15th, that feeling proved to be true. Ted was arrested after being pulled over for driving a stolen vehicle. After a scuffle took place between Ted and the arresting officer, he was finally subdued and taken back into custody where he would pay ultimate price for his heinous crimes.

Despite the many lives lost held against Ted, he was only initially tried for the attacks at the Chi Omega House and the death of Kimberly Diane Leach. Ted opted to defend himself again, but after an incriminating amount of evidence against him, he was convicted of the murders and sentenced to death.

During his trial, Ted infamously got married to Carole Ann Boone, a life-long friend who stayed by his side during his years of imprisonment. Together, the two even had a daughter while he was on death row.

In addition to the bizarre marriage, Ted conducted a variety of "confessions", some of which were captured on tape, where he details his crimes and the reasoning behind them. He even divulged the gruesome things he would do to the bodies postmortem including necrophilia and even dressing them up in makeup and taking photographs of them. On the eve of his death, he confessed to 30 murders, though the true total remains unknown. 

Ted Bundy met his fate on January 24th, 1989, after being on death row for more than a decade. Although it doesn't bring back the number of women who lost their lives at the hands of this monster, it brings a small amount of closure to the families who have to live without them. 

Ted famously described himself as "the most cold-hearted son of a bitch you'll every meet." At least he got one thing right. 

Article Source: Murderminute.com/Ted-Bundy