In the 1970s, a series of murders began in the United States, and a person named Ted Bundy was arrested as a suspect. This extremely kind and handsome man made goosebumps as he spoke, because he coined the term serial killer for the murders he committed. Ted Bundy’s desire to kill, which has been the subject of documentaries, movies and books, started in his childhood.
What Ted Bundy did for some of the people they’ve been through is considered something we’ll tolerate, but there’s no excuse for killing people. However, it is a very interesting situation, especially in terms of social psychology, how such an extraordinary character becomes a serial killer who will kill dozens of people without blinking. Let’s take a closer look at who Ted Bundy is and see the chilling events he signed.
Who is Ted Bundy? A child whose father is unknown:
Ted Bundy was born Theodore Robert Cowell on November 14, 1946. His mother, Eleanor Louise Cowell, was born at Elizabeth Lund Single Mothers’ Home, and the baby’s father was listed as ‘Unknown’. It is unknown who Ted’s father is, although some of his exes are mentioned.
Ted was cared for by his grandparents so that he wouldn’t grow up without a family. He knew them as his parents and his real mother as his older sister. He hated his mother to death for admitting too late that she was his real mother. He was identified with his grandfather, but this man was also known in the town as a real maniac. Arranging knives around her while her grandmother slept was one of Ted’s first suspicious moves.
He moved to Washington in 1950, taking his mother, Ted, with him. There, Johnny Culpepper met and married a man named Bundy, and Ted’s name became Ted Bundy. Ted had four half-brothers. His stepfather was nice to him, but Ted was a misfit. He was drinking alcohol and x-raying the houses in the neighborhood. He had been arrested twice on suspicion of theft, but as per state law, those criminal records were cleared when he turned 18.
Ted Bundy’s college years started well:
In 1965, Ted Bundy went to Washington University to study Chinese. He had some romantic relationships here. Volunteered in Nelson Rockefeller’s presidential campaign, attended the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami. He met Elizabeth Kloepfer in 1969 and their relationship lasted for many years.
When we came to the 1970s, Ted Bundy decided to study psychology. He became an honor student at the University of Washington and was admired by his professors. During this period, he volunteered in the election campaign of Governor Daniel J. Evans, graduated from the school and went to the University of Utah to study law with the recommendation letters of his teachers. At this very moment, news of missing young women began to appear in the news one after another.
Ted Bundy begins his murders that will lead him to be called a serial killer:
Although Ted Bundy confessed to many murders, we learn some of it from his biographer, Ann Rule. Bundy first tried to kidnap a woman in 1969 but failed. That same year, he killed two women while visiting his family in Philadelphia. He committed another murder in 1972. He killed a hitchhiker in 1973.
He committed his first recorded murder in 1974 when he was 27 years old. His victim was 18-year-old Karen Sparks. In the first half of the same year, news of the disappearance of a female student was heard every month. After 19-year-old Donna Gail Manson, two young Central Washington students talked about a brown Volkswagen Beetle. On May 6, news of Kathleen Parks’ disappearance spread.
On the first day of June, 22-year-old Brenda Carol Ball was seen talking to a brown-haired man just before she disappeared. 10 days later, Georgann Hawkins disappeared. In July, there was talk of a suspicious man who introduced himself as Ted. When we arrived in September, body parts of some of the missing women were found. The number of body parts found increased in the following months.
The number of missing women was increasing day by day:
Ted Bundy, who had dropped out during this time, was re-admitted to law school and moved to Salt Lake City, leaving Kloepfer behind but not leaving. This time, news of missing women began to be heard here. On September 2, a hitchhiker was killed. On October 2, 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox disappeared, on October 18 the chief of police disappeared and his body was found days later.
On November 8, Carol DaRonch escaped at the last minute from a man who identified himself as a cop. That same evening, 17-year-old Debra Jean Kent disappeared. In 1975, as the disappearances continued, Ted Bundy was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Meanwhile, the police finally got suspicious of Bundy and arrested him.
He was able to escape from the maximum security prison by digging a tunnel:
Ted Bundy was arrested but released because the evidence was insufficient. Examining Kloepfer’s home he was with, the cops found some suspicious items, but they weren’t exactly enough. Even if dozens of detectives believed Ted Bundy was guilty, they didn’t have enough evidence. He was eventually found guilty in the DaRonch kidnapping case in 1976 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was transferred to Aspen in 1977.
Ted Bundy was allowed to go to the library because he was his own lawyer. During his trial on June 7, 1977, he went to the library and escaped from the second floor window. He was caught 6 days later and this time it was decided to always be in chains.
Meanwhile, his case was gradually turning in his favour. But he had another escape plan. He escaped from the maximum security prison where he was held on December 30, 1977 by digging a tunnel. This escape lasted longer and bloody. He went to a girls’ hostel in Florida and attacked young women. He sexually abused and killed two girls aged 12 and 14. He was finally caught on February 15.
How was serial killer Ted Bundy executed?
Confessions came after Ted Bundy had nowhere to run anymore. Strangely enough, he had become the most talked-about person in the movies during this time. Relying on Special Agent William Hagmaier of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, Bundy confessed to the murders, but says he started them after 1974, only hinting at the earlier.
Ted Bundy was knowledgeable in the law, so he manipulated the court and caused the death sentence to be constantly delayed. Finally, it was decided that this perverted murderer who had murdered and raped more than 30 women would be executed. On January 24, 1989, at 7.06 am, his body was given 2,000 volts of electricity. The time of death was announced as 7.16. The car carrying his body was applauded and fireworks were thrown to celebrate.
Ted Bundy documentary, movies, books:
- Movies;
- The Deliberate Stranger
- Ted Bundy
- The Stranger Beside Me
- The Riverman
- Bundy: An American Icon
- The Capture of the Green River Killer
- Bundy And The Green River Killer
- Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
- American Boogeyman
- No Man of God
- Books;
- The Stranger Beside Me
- Bundy: The Intentional Stranger
- Ghost Prince
- The Only Living Witness
- The Riverman: Ted Bundy and I Hunt for the Green River Killer
- Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer
- Defending the Devil: My Story as Ted Bundy’s Last Lawyer
- Serial killers
- Documentaries;
- Ted Bundy: Demon in Disguise
- Ted Bundy: An American Monster
- Ted Bundy: What Happened
- Expressions of a Murderer: Ted Bundy, Netflix documentary series
- Ted Bundy: Holding on to a Murderer, Amazon Prime Video documentary series
We talked about his chilling story by answering the question of who is Ted Bundy, one of the most cold-blooded serial killers in history. Bundy’s murder style is not deliberately mentioned throughout the article. You can share your thoughts on the subject in the comments.
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