In the 1970s and maybe earlier, American serial murderer Theodore Robert Bundy abducted, raped, and killed a number of young women and girls. He finally admitted to 30 killings he carried out in seven states between 1974 and 1978 after more than ten years of denials.
At least 13 women had been killed and two had been attacked by Ted Bundy by the time he arrived in Florida in January 1978 from four separate states.
Before being finally apprehended in February 1978, one of America’s most notorious serial murderers would go on to savagely assault two further women in addition to killing three more women in total. Before being apprehended, Bundy repeatedly escaped from police custody and eventually ended up in Florida. How did Ted Bundy get caught?
Who Was Ted Bundy?
Eleanor Louise Cowell (1924–2012, better known by her middle name) gave birth to Theodore Robert Cowell on November 24, 1946, at the Elizabeth Lund Home for Unwed Mothers in Burlington, Vermont.
As a result of his reputation for charisma and good looks, Bundy was able to gain the trust of both his victims and society at large.
Typically, he would approach his victims in public settings, pretending to have a physical impediment like an injury or to be an authority figure, before striking them until they were unconscious and transporting them to additional sites where they would be raped and strangled.
First Detention of Ted Bundy
Police tried to pull Bundy over for a traffic infraction in August 1975. When he attempted to flee by turning off his car’s lights and blowing through stop signs at a high rate of speed, he raised suspicion.
Police discovered handcuffs, an ice pick, a crowbar, pantyhose with eye holes cut out, and other dubious stuff when they searched his Volkswagen after he was finally detained. They also saw that his car was missing the front seat on the passenger side. On the basis of burglary suspicions, the police detained Ted Bundy.
Police compared what they discovered in Bundy‘s automobile to what Carol DaRonch claimed to have seen in her assailant’s vehicle. The handcuffs that had been fastened around one of her wrists were of the same brand as those that Bundy possessed.
The police believed they had enough information to accuse Bundy of trying to kidnap someone after DaRonch chose him out of a lineup.
Bundy Flees Two Times
In February 1976, Bundy was found guilty of attempting to kidnap DaRonch and given a 15-year jail sentence after forfeiting his right to a jury trial. Police were at this time looking into connections between Bundy and the deaths in Colorado.
His credit card transactions show that he was nearby the scene of multiple female disappearances in the early part of 1975. Caryn Campbell’s murder was charged against Bundy in October 1976.
From the Utah prison, Bundy was transported to Colorado for the trial. He was able to appear in court without leg irons thanks to acting as his own attorney. He was also able to freely travel from the courtroom to the law library inside the courthouse.
As his own attorney, Bundy stated in an interview that he was “more certain than ever” of his innocence. He fled by jumping out of the law library window in June 1977 during a pre-trial hearing. After a week, he was apprehended.
After making his way to Tallahassee, Florida, where he rented an apartment close to Florida State University under the guise of Chris Hagen, Bundy broke free from prison on December 30, 1977. Bundy was accustomed to and delighted in the college experience.
With the use of stolen credit cards, he was able to pay for food and get by at nearby campus pubs. He entered lecture halls to hear the speakers when he was bored. The beast inside Bundy would eventually come out again; it was only a matter of time.
Bundy’s Re-arrest
Bundy killed again on February 9, 1978. He kidnapped and mutilated 12-year-old Kimberly Leach. Bundy was arrested for driving a stolen car a week after Kimberly disappeared.
Eyewitnesses at the dorm and Kimberly‘s school identified Bundy. Physical evidence tied him to the three killings, including a mould of the sorority house victim’s bite marks. Bundy, believing he could beat a guilty conviction, turned down a plea bargain in exchange for three 25-year terms.
Ted Bundy’s Death
Bundy‘s murder trial began in Florida on June 25, 1979. Bundy sometimes served as his own counsel during the televised trial. Bundy was convicted of both murders and handed two electric chair sentences.
Bundy was tried for murdering Kimberly Leach on January 7, 1980. This time, he hired lawyers. Insanity was the only defense imaginable given the state’s proof.
Bundy’s demeanor changed from the prior trial. His friendly aspect was often replaced by a terrifying gaze, and he had bursts of fury. Bundy received a third death sentence.
Bundy stunned everyone by bringing Carol Boone as a character witness and marrying her in court. Bundy’s innocence convinced Boone. She gave Bundy a cherished daughter. After realizing Bundy’s guilt, Boone divorced him.
Bundy’s last appeal was Jan. 17, 1989. Before being executed, Bundy told Dr. Bob Keppel about more than 50 women he had killed. He admitted storing some of his victims’ heads at home and engaged in necrophilia with several of them. In his farewell interview, he blamed pornography for his violent obsessions.
Many who knew Bundy thought he killed 100 women. In the death chamber, he scanned the 42 witnesses. He began mumbling in the electric chair. Bundy’s voice trembled as he told Jim and Fred to give his family and friends his love.
Theodore Bundy, one of history’s most renowned murders, died on January 24, 1989, as crowds screamed “Burn, Bundy, burn!”
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