Ted Bundy
By Kim LaShomb
Criminal Psychology
Theodore Robert Cowell, aka “Ted Bundy” is one of the most well known serial killers in United States history. His reign of terror went on from 1974- 1978 when he was arrested and charged with numerous crimes. These crimes include first degree murder, kidnapping, rape, sodomy, unlawful sex with corpses, resisting arrest, and the list goes on from there. It was said that he had over 300 victims, but he would confess to only 30 of the homicides that he committed. Bundy was eventually executed in 1989. Before his death, Ann Rule wrote a biography on him, and described Bundy as “a sadistic sociopath who took pleasure from another human’s pain and the control he had over his victims, to the point of death, and even after” (Rule, 1989). Bundy described himself as the most cold-hearted son of a b**** you’ll ever meet, and his lawyer stated “Ted was the very definition of heartless evil” (XXXXXXX). Bundy was born to Louise Cowell in the Elizabeth Lund Home for Unwed Mothers in Vermont. He never knew his biological father, nor had any dealings with him. When Ted and his mother were released from the hospital, she decided to move back home and reside with her parents. Bundy’s grandparents took over much of his care, and became his parental figures, while his mother took a more sisterly role to him. This was done to protect him from being considered odd, or becoming a social outcast
I am going to tell you about the life of Theodore Robert Bundy, better known as Ted Bundy. I will explain why he started to commit these murders, and the stories of the few victims that survived. You will read how he committed these murders, and what he did with the victims. You will learn about how he got away with escaping prison twice. Ted Bundy was sentenced to death after confessing to thirty-six murders. He started committing these murders when he was around eighteen years old. He continued these murders until he was twenty-four years old. In one of his last interviews he explains why he blames himself and pornography for his killings.
As stated before, Bundy had killed over 30 women. This vast number of killings would qualify him to be considered a “serial killer”. Although serial killers are not common among society, the act of killing another person intentionally, or homicide, is fairly common. Homicide is a crime that usually always shocks the public when they hear of it because it is not
Theodore Robert Bundy (Cowell) was born on November 24, 1946, in Burlington, Vermont and is known as one of the most notorious serial killers in American history. Bundy was responsible for the murders of more than thirty females which he would lure using his charm and charisma while pretending to be injured and needing help. Once he would successfully lure the Bundy would then take them to more remote locations overpower assault to rape and then kill the victims. Bundy was the son of Eleanor Louise Cowell who was unmarried when she gave birth him, which humiliated her religious parents. Due to this, her parents thought it would be best if they just acted like Ted was there son and Elinoire was his older sister in order to avoid being ridiculed
Ted Bundy was a notorious American serial killer known to be active between 1973 and 1978. Before his execution in 1989, Bundy confessed to over 30 murders, although the actual number is estimated from 26 to 35 or more. His modus operandi was to lure and bludgeon young women, and then strangle them to death. Bundy confessed to acts of rape, mutilation and necrophilia with his victims. He escaped twice from county jails prior to his final apprehension in 1978, and was executed by electric chair in 1989 in Florida.
The actual count of how many people he murdered remains a mystery. (Montaldo) While some Bundy experts, including former King County detective Robert D. Keppel, believe Ted may have started killing in his early to mid-teens a twelve-year-old neighbor vanished from her house when Bundy was fourteen the earliest verified murders began in 1974, when he was 27. Shortly after midnight on 4 January 1974, Bundy entered the house of Joni Lenz, an 18-year-old student at the University of Washington and bludgeoned her with a crowbar while she slept. Bundy also removed a bed rod from Lenz’s bed and used it to sexually assault her.
Theodore Bundy was an infamous American serial killer who preyed upon numerous young women during the 1970s and possibly earlier. He was associated with at least 30 counts of homicide and suspected of an estimated one hundred or more. Beyond homicide, he also made it apparent that he was capable of other sinister crimes such as rape, kidnapping, and necrophilia. His most frequent method of killing was an attack with a blunt weapon to the head. However, he did not merely kill his victims; evidence concludes that each were also sexually assaulted and sodomized. It is reported that he even revisited his crime scenes to further engage in sexual acts with the decomposing corpses. Moreover, at least 12 of his victims had been decapitated .
“Ask a psychopath what love is and he’ll go on and on, but he has never felt it himself…If you catch him lying, he’ll just shift gears and go on as though nothing had happened” (Goleman). Ted Bundy was one of the most famous psychopaths in the history of the country (Nordheimer). People say he was the perfect killer- handsome, intelligent, witty, and charming (Boynton 25). Bundy was the complete opposite of what people thought a serial killer looked like, so his victims did not fear him (“Ted Bundy”). Robert Keppel, an expert on serial killers, stated, “He taught us that a serial killer can appear to be absolutely normal, the guy next door (“Serial Killers and Mass Murderers”). At one point he was working for a suicide hotline; a friend
Looking into Bundy's life, many of the facts and images from his early life stand in stark contrast to the vicious killings he engaged in. The young many Bundy was well behaved and "grew up an attractive teen" that was "generally liked and who performed well in school," according to Charles Montaldo writing in About.com. When he enrolled in the University of Puget Sound, he did very well in his schoolwork but he was embarrassed that he had so little money and the students around him were far wealthier, so he transferred to the University of Washington
Ted Bundy was an American born rapist, a necrophile; a serial killer and a kidnapper who assaulted and murdered several young women during the 1970’s. The criminal kept on denying the charges for more than ten years and later confessed of having committed the thirty homicide crimes in seven different states before his execution (Rule, 2009). Bundy’s handsome and charismatic appearance made it possible for him to easily win the confidence of young women who were always his targets. He broke into the dwellings of his victims at night and bludgeoned them as they slept. He also approached young women in public places where he impersonated as an authority figure or feigned injury on his victim before empowering and assaulting at a
Ted Bundy is known to be the worst serial killer in U.S. History. In the 1970's, Ted raped and murdered women in at least five different states. Bundy eventually confessed to thirty murders, although the actual total remains unknown. Theodore Robert Bundy was born on November 24th, 1946 in Burlington, Vermont to Eleanor Louise Cowell, a 22 year old single woman. Ted's mom never told him much about his father other than that he was in the armed forces and that they never were really together. Bundy had a difficult childhood and was pretty much an wanted by his mother. After being left in foster care for two months, Eleanor decided to have her parents raise Ted and make him and everyone believe that they were his adopted parents and
Throughout history, criminal investigators have encountered different forms of serial killers. One of the many famous serial killers in the twentieth century was Theodore Robert Bundy (Ted Bundy). Ted Bundy was responsible for the Chi Omega killings and many more. When people think of serial killers, they visualize some dirty, crazy, looking individual that would stand out from everybody else. In Ted's case this was different. Ted Bundy was a very smart individual who had attended college at various colleges, studying law and finally receiving his degree in psychology from the University of Washington. He had volunteered for the Republican Party in California for a Governor campaign. His family and friends considered Bundy as
“ He even shockingly displayed their decapitated heads in his apartment and slept with their corpses until putrefaction made it unbearable” ( “Ted Bundy”). Bundy was stopped by a highway patrol officer and upon searching his vehicle he found burglary tools which led to his arrest. “ He was arrested for possession of these tools and the police began to link him to much more sinister crimes”( “Ted Bundy Biography”,2018). After this incident he was under surveillance by police where they finally arrested him in the kidnapping case of Carol DaRonch. “He was convicted and received a one-to-15 year jail sentence” (“Ted Bundy Biography",2018).
Ted Bundy with birth name of Theodore Robert Cowell was born in Elizbath Lund home on 24th of November 1946. But his father was unknown, it was belived that he is son of some one else from his mother family.
Described as “THE execution” (Lyons & Trei, 1989, p. Ia) serial killer and rapist Ted Bundy was put to death by the State of Florida at 7.16 A.M. January 24, 1989. During his life he had been convicted of the 1978 rape and murder of a 12 year old, Kimberly Leach in Lack City; and the death of Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman, sorority sisters at Florida State University. Just two days before his execution Bundy also admitted to killing a number of other females of various ages in Washington, Colorado, Utah, Oregon and Florida although he was never tried or convicted for those (Rule, 1989, p. 479-480). In total it is estimated that he killed between 25 and 30 women (Rule, 1989).
He has a very sickening individual that committed very horrid acts. He murdered women to feel in control but by killing these young women he rid them of having a chance to live their lives. This essay talked about Ted Bundy’s early childhood, his victims and capture, and his