The Lady Killer

By Emily Eade

Where could a person start when talking about one of the most infamous serial killers of all time? Maybe start with an informative approach… or maybe skip everything and just get to the intriguing points. This is the story of Ted Bundy, 33 years after his execution. 

Ted Bundy is one of the most prolific serial killers of all time. Ask anyone, they would know who he is and what he’s known for. Bundy was the face of many horrific acts of violence that happened throughout the 70s. The acts of violence caused many female college students to be scared for their lives. 

Let’s start from the beginning… 

Ted Bundy was born on November 24, 1946, in Burlington, Vermont by his unwed mother. From the beginning of his life, Ted Bundy was the unwanted child, known as his mother's “secret shame.” To hide her ‘mistake’ her parents adopted Bundy, raised him as their own, and told the killer that his mother was his sister. Throughout his childhood, he showed unusual interests in knives and the macabre. As Bundy grew up, a darker side of his personality came out by having no thought about peering into random people's windows and taking their personal property. 

The famous killer was known to be a sociopath that eventually created an extroverted, intelligent, kind, and charming persona where he could get under the skin of people and easily manipulate them. This came in handy with his degree of interest, psychology, which he studied at the University of Washington. 

In 1974, Bundy’s murderous tendencies started to show. Around this time, many young women in the Seattle area and the nearby Oregon area went missing. Each victim had something in common, the victims were young, long-haired women. Stories circulated about the victims being last seen in the company of a young, dark-haired man who came to be known as Ted Bundy. He often used his charm, wits, and pretending to be injured and asking for help to lure his victims into his car. The victims' kindness ultimately created fatal endings. 

In the fall of 1974, Ted Bundy took interest in law and began going to law school in Utah. Once Bundy moved to Utah, the killings started in Utah but stopped in Washington and Oregon. This is when he became a major suspect. In the following year, Bundy was connected to much more sinister crimes after being pulled over by the police, and what was found changed everything. In the search of Bundy's car, the police found many burglary tools such as a crowbar, face mask, rope, and handcuffs. 

In the time from his first arrest, his first sentence, and his execution, Bundy had a child - his daughter; got married to Carole Ann Boone; escaped prison not only once but twice; acted as his own lawyer in court, and many more strange and unusual things. Bundy admitted to killing at least 36 victims, but is thought to have killed at least 100 women overall. 

It’s been 33 years since his execution and his popularity has grown substantially. Being the face of many true crime shows, movies, podcasts, and books, our fascination over the infamous killer is not close to over. Who was the man who would kill women for dominance and sexual pleasure? Why was the act of murder was his most satisfying and final expression of power and control over his victims?