Theodore Robert Bundy, born Theodore Robert Cowell, was an American serial killer, rapist, and necrophiliac. He killed at least 20 women in the 1970s and was executed in 1989. Bundy confessed to 36 killings of young women across several states in the 1970s, but experts believe that the final tally may be closer to 100 or more. The exact number of women Bundy killed will never be known. His killings usually followed a gruesome pattern: He often raped his victims before beating them to death.
Bundy exhibited serial killer traits in his childhood and teen years. His mother’s younger sister Julia recalled awakening from a nap to find herself surrounded by knives from the kitchen, and three-year-old Ted standing by the bed, smiling. Bundy's childhood neighbor Sandi Holt described him as a bully, saying, "He liked to terrify people... He liked to be in charge. He liked to inflict pain and suffering and fear."
Bundy first started his killings when he was in Washington state around 1974. He would lure his victims by pretending to be injured and needing help. In the fall of 1974, he moved to Utah where women began disappearing as well. A year later he was pulled over and police found burglar tools in his car. In 1975, Bundy was arrested in the kidnapping of Carol DaRonch, one of the few women to escape his clutches. He was convicted and received a one-to-15-year jail sentence.
Bundy escaped from prison twice in 1977. The first time, he was indicted on murder charges for the death of a young Colorado woman and decided to act as his own lawyer in the case. During a trip to the courthouse library, he jumped out a window and made his first escape. He was captured eight days later.
In December, Bundy escaped from custody again. He climbed out of a hole he made in the ceiling of his cell, having dropped more than 30 pounds in a week to fit through the small opening. Authorities did not discover that Bundy was missing for 15 hours, giving the serial killer a big head start on the police.
After Bundy's second escape from prison, he eventually made his way to Tallahassee, Florida. On the night of January 14, 1978, Bundy broke into the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University. He attacked four of the young female residents, killing two of them. On February 9, Bundy kidnapped and murdered a 12-year-old girl named Kimberly Leach.
These crimes marked the end of his murderous rampage, as he was soon pulled over by the police that February. The most damning evidence connecting Bundy to the two Chi Omega murders at FSU were bite marks on one of the bodies, which were a definitive match to Bundy.
“I don’t feel guilty for anything. I feel sorry for people who feel guilt.”
—Ted Bundy
Bundy’s good looks, charm and intelligence made him something of a celebrity during his trial. Bundy fought for his life but was convicted and spent nine years on death row appealing his death sentence. Bundy appealed, trying to take his case as high as the U.S. Supreme Court, but he was turned down. He also offered information on some unsolved murders to avoid Florida's electric chair, but he could not delay justice forever and was executed in 1989.
Bundy’s last meal was steak, eggs, hashbrowns, and coffee. He was executed around 7 a.m. at the Florida State Prison in an electric chair sometimes known as "Old Sparky." Outside the prison, crowds cheered and even set off fireworks after Bundy's execution. Ted Bundy’s last words were... check out my Twitter tomorrow, October 13, at one to find out. @macabremurders7
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