Ted Bundy has been described as the most notorious serial killer of young women in the 1980’s and has woken up the fear in most families that serial killers do exist, and can be found in any community. Most people who contemplate the personality of a serial killer are stunned by the grace and manipulation that Ted Bundy portrayed leading his victims to death. It has been revealed in documentation and research— that Ted Bundy suffered abuse as a child from near-by relatives such as an Uncle and his parents. Does abuse lead to the beginnings of a serial killer’s mind? Why did Ted Bundy choose women over men? The reasoning behind Ted Bundy’s killings can be considered in the realm of anti-social personality disorder but still remains a mystery.

The Life of Known Serial Killer Ted Bundy

Why did Ted Bundy kill women? Why did he choose this double life that so-called hated and predisposed nature of destroying lives? The phenomenon stood as I remembered as most women in their teenage years were under strict curfew to stay inside of their homes. Parents of these young women feared the unknown secondary to the known killings of women by Ted Bundy. It was hush, hush throughout most small towns. Maybe not talking about it would keep him away? All I knew was as a young woman I was not allowed to sit on the front steps of my house after dark and to not walk alone anywhere in the small town I lived in for the fear that Ted Bundy could be around any corner waiting for a vulnerable moment. Ted Bundy the serial killer of woman was on the loose!

Ted’s Childhood into High School

It is believed that Ted Bundy’s childhood contributed to the essence of the innate want to the nature of his killings. According to author J Gilks, he was born to, Eleanor Cowell at the Elizabeth Lund Home for Unwed Mothers in Burlington, Vt. Nov. 24, 1946. She concocts a story about the father being a war veteran, but the family doesn’t believe it. Some suspicion has fallen on her father, Samuel, but Bundy’s father has not been revealed. Secondary to possible stigmas Ted’s grandparents’ gave ted his last name “Colwell” and adopted him secondary to the concerns of the violent and abusive behaviors of his father” (Gilks, 2007). According to J. Gilks, for the first few years of his life lived with maternal grandparents and mother. After a move to Washington Ted’s mother met Johnny Culpepper Bundy and married him. Ted’s last name then changed to Bundy. Ted spent most of time babysitting and remained detached from his stepfather emotionally. In high school ted became introverted and felt he “hit a wall”, secondary to not understanding the socialization aspect of life itself. He didn’t understand friendships and why people wanted friends. During high school Ted became a thief and shop lifter. He also became interested in images of sex and the interrelationship of violence. (Gilks, 2007).

There is a question of the beginning of Ted’s killings at the time he was in the beginning stages of high school. “Many Bundy experts, including Rule and former King County detective Robert D. Keppel, believe Bundy may have started killing as far back as his early teens: an 8-year-old girl from Tacoma, Ann Marie Burr, vanished from her home three miles from Bundy’s house one summer night in 1961, when Bundy was 14 years-old” (Gilks,2007).

Odd Behavior, College Life and the Beginning of Killings

Bundy graduates from high school in 1965 with a scholarship to the University of Puget Sound. He transfers to University of Washington in Seattle after two semesters. He works on the suicide hotline and meets Ann Rule who later would write a book about him, “The Stranger Beside Me”. His girlfriend leaves him sighting lack of ambition and immaturity as her reasons.

In reference to odd behavior regarding relationships ted expresses and clamed he got engaged just to prove to himself he could have her. This is in regard to a relationship Ted had regarding a woman he had been seeing in college at that time.

College students which are young women begin disappearing in Washington State. Bundy’s first victim, in January 1974, survives the attack. His second dies. Women, especially young co-eds disappear from the Seattle area at about one per month. His first victim is 18 and survives after the attack, but suffers brain damage. A variety of young women disappear in Pacific Northwest in 1974.

Possible Earlier killings

Bundy admits to trying to kidnap a woman in 1969, but several including Rule, think he killed earlier.

Confirmed Killings

Bundy admits to about 30 murders before his is executed, but there may have been more. His confirmed murders during his first spree include: Lynda Ann Healy, Donna Gail Manson, Susan Rancourt, Kathy Parks, Brenda Ball, Georgeann Hawkins, Janice Ott and Denise Naslund. Police have witness and a description at this point.

Second Wave of Killings

In the fall of 1974, Bundy begins courses at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Young women start disappearing at this time. By October 1974, Bundy started killing again, beginning with Nancy Wilcox and the police chief’s daughter. Bundy is arrested in August 1975, but manages to escape. He is recaptured, but escapes again.

Final Killings

Ted Bundy’s final reported killings are in the state of Florida where he kills in January 1978. He kills two women, Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman, attacks three more. He later raped and killed 12-year-old Kimberly Leach.

Capture of Ted Bundy

Ted Bundy is arrested on August 16, 1975, in Salt Lake City in where as he failed to stop for a policeman.

First Trial

Ted’s first trial began with Bundy is convicted for kidnapping of Carol DaRonch March 1, 1976. He is sentenced to 15 years.

Escape from Custody

Bundy was extradited to Colorado to stand trial for the murder of Caryn Campbell. During a recess, he escaped from the courthouse and was free for six days.

Trial

June 1979, 1980

“The opening of the Chi Omega murder trial sparked immense public interest and a media frenzy” (Bell, 2008).

Conviction

Bundy is convicted of the murders July 23, 1979. He is sentenced to death (Bell, 2008). But he faces more trials for other murders

Confessions

After exhausting the appeals process, Bundy began to confess to murders. He never gave a clear picture of exactly how many women he killed, but did finally admit to some.

Execution

“Finally on January 24, 1989, at approximately 7 a.m. in the morning Ted’s memory of his atrocities would be burned away forever by the electric chair’s unforgiving currents” (Bell, 2008).

Behavioral Study

Ted Bundy’s Motivations

Bundy appears to have been a sociopath, defined by Dictionary.com as “a person, as a psychopathic personality, whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.” He also was a psychopath, defined by trutv.com: “The hallmark of the psychopath is the inability to recognize others as worthy of compassion. Victims are dehumanized, flattened into worthless objects in the murderer’s mind.” Bundy himself said: “I’m the most cold-blooded sonofabitch you’ll ever meet. I just liked to kill, I wanted to kill” (Scott, 2008).

Unknown Victims

Despite last-minute confessions, Bundy’s true number of victims may never be known. Some of those who followed the case, including writers and law enforcement officials have “probables,” but no one is quite certain.

Conclusions of Psychologists

“Psychologists believe that many serial killers take a “souvenir” with them after they murder, and the hands were Bundy’s “Souvenir.” Psychologists also say that in carrying around the hands, Bundy felt very powerful because he was taking the risk of being caught” (Ted Bundy: The Man Next Door , 2008).

Criminology Analysis

Criminological aspects of Ted Bundy

“Eysenck posited three major dimensions of personality: Extraversion/Introversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism. Eysenck was careful to note that in all three of these dimensions, it is a continuum we are dealing with and that the majority of people will not be at the extremes, but somewhere in the middle. Eysenck also noted that all three factors tend to decline with age”( Psychological Explanations for Criminality/Criminal Behavior)

“People with high levels of psychoticism are characterized by aggression, coldness, egocentricity, an impersonal attitude, impulsivity, antisocial behaviour, lack of empathy, creativity, and a tough-minded attitude”( Psychological Explanations for Criminality/Criminal Behavior)

“Antisocial-personality Disorder – This is also known as psychopathy or sociopathy and is typified by a striking lack of moral or ethical development. They are extremely skilled manipulators of others and usually appear to be very charming, aggressive, and carefree upon first meeting someone, and many have very high IQs. They convince themselves they are superior to those they victimize and have extremely underdeveloped consciences that lead them to experience little to no remorse, guilt, or anxiety over their actions. They appear to be incapable of experiencing any truly deep emotions. Many serial killers, Ted Bundy for example, are thought to have antisocial-personality disorder” (Psychological Explanations for Criminality/Criminal Behavior,).

Social responsibility Theory would imply that Ted Bundy did not serve the community in a positive way. He chose to kill people and to maintain an anti-social attitude. He chose a destiny of falsehood which encased serial murders.

The Biological Theory wouldn’t apply. Ted a handsome young man did not assume the oddness of prominent features thought of in criminals.

Beccaria would have wanted Ted Bundy to receive life imprisonment for his actions. He did not believe in the death penalty though many would disagree that Ted Bundy should not have been put to death.

Locke would have attributed the abuse and lack of a male parent in Ted Bundy’s life— to the character of anti-social attributes— as he felt that outside influences from situations influenced a person’s character.

Final Conclusion

In Ted’s bitter sweet aftermath of the final capture and conviction of his killings of young women the public can finally sigh and breathe just a little easier. Throughout tthe time of his chaotic killing sprees— the public responded within a panicked view of society— in its dilemma to protect itself from such a serialized killer. Is it the same today or re there so many more serial killers on the loose— that the public scatters itself in a dilemma of not knowing who is next to such victimization as such— Ted Bundy had expressed in his taking of so many lives from our communities.