1989: Ted Bundy, psycho killer

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It was 20 years today that Ted Bundy, the signature sexual psychopath in a golden age of serial killers,* rode the lightning in Florida’s Starke Prison.

Executed Today is pleased to mark the occasion with a conversation with Louisville crime writer Kevin M. Sullivan, author of a forthcoming2009 book on Ted Bundy … and a man who knows how the world looks from inside Bundy’s ski mask.

Ted Bundy is obviously one of the most iconic, written-about serial killers in history. Why a book about Ted Bundy? What’s the untold story that you set out to uncover?

The desire, or drive, if you will, to write an article about Ted Bundy and then create a 120,000 plus word book about the murders, was born out of my crossing paths with his infamous murder kit. Had Jerry Thompson [a key detective on the Bundy case -ed.] left Bundy’s stuff in Utah that May of 2005, well, it would have been an enjoyable meeting with the former detective, but I’m certain it would have all ended quietly there. Indeed, I doubt if I’d even considered writing an article for Snitch [a now-defunct crime magazine -ed.], much less a book about the killings. But it was having all that stuff in my hands, and in my home, and then being given one of the Glad bags from Ted’s VW that made it very real (or surreal) to me, and from this, a hunger to find out more about the crimes led me forward.


Ted Bundy’s gear, right where you want it — image courtesy of Kevin M. Sullivan. (Check the 1975 police photo for confirmation.)

Believe me, in a thousand years, I never would have expected such a thing to ever come my way. I can’t think of anything more odd or surreal.

ET: You mentioned that you think you’ve been able to answer some longstanding questions about Bundy’s career. Can you give us some hints? What don’t people know about Ted Bundy that they ought to know?

I must admit, when I first decided to write a book about the crimes, I wasn’t sure what I’d find, so the first thing I had to do was read every book ever written about Bundy, which took the better portion of three or four months.

From this I took a trip to Utah to again meet with Thompson and check out the sites pertaining to Bundy and the murders in that state. Next came the acquisition of case files from the various states and the tracking down of those detectives who participated in the hunt for the elusive killer.

Now, no one could have been more surprised than me to begin discovering what I was discovering about some of these murders. But as I kept hunting down the right people and the right documents, I was able to confirm these “finds” at every turn. And while I cannot reveal everything here, It’s all in the book in great detail. Indeed, you could say that my book is not a biography in the truest sense, but rather an in-depth look at Bundy and the murders from a vantage point that is quite unique. I wish I could delve further into these things now , but I must wait until it’s published.

The Bundy story has a magnetic villain and a host of victims … was there a hero? Was there a lesson?

The real heroes in this story are the detectives who worked day and night for years to bring Ted Bundy to justice. And if there’s a lesson to be learned from all of this, it is this: It doesn’t matter how handsome or articulate a person might be, or how nicely they smile at you, for behind it all, there could reside the most diabolical person you’ll ever meet! We need to remember this.

But how can you act on that lesson without living in a continual state of terror? Bundy strikes me as so far outside our normal experience, even the normal experience of criminality, that I’m inclined to wonder how much can be generalized from him.

Actually, (and I might say, thank God here!) people as “successful” as Ted Bundy don’t come our way very often. I mean, the guy was a rising star in the Republican Party in Washington, had influential friends, a law student, and certainly appeared to be going places in life. Some were even quite envious of his ascension in life. However, it was all a well-placed mask that he wore to cover his true feelings and intentions. On the outside he was perfect, but on the inside a monster. He just didn’t fit the mold we’re used to when we think of a terrible killer, does he?

Now, there are those among us — sociopaths — who can kill or do all manner of terrible things in life and maintain the nicest smile upon their faces, but again, just beneath the surface ticks the heart of a monster, or predator, or what ever you might want to call them. Having said that, I’m not a suspicious person by nature, and so I personally judge people by their outward appearance until shown otherwise. Still, it’s difficult (if not impossible) to see the “real” individual behind the person they present to us on a daily basis.

You worked with case detectives in researching your book. How did the Ted Bundy case affect the way law enforcement has subsequently investigated serial killers? If they had it to do over again, what’s the thing you think they’d have done differently?

They all agree that today, DNA would play a part of the investigation that wasn’t available then. However, in the early portion of the murders, Bundy made few if any mistakes, as he had done his homework so as to avoid detection. As such, even this wouldn’t be a panacea when it came to a very mobile killer like Bundy who understood the very real limitations sometimes surrounding homicide investigations.

I can’t help but ask about these detectives as human beings, too. Clearly they’re in a position to deal with the heart of darkness in the human soul day in and day out and still lead normal lives … is a Ted Bundy the kind of killer that haunts or scars investigators years later, or is this something most can set aside as all in a day’s work?

They are, first of all, very nice people. And you can’t be around them (either in person, or through numerous phone calls or emails) for very long before you understand how dedicated they are (or were) in their careers as police officers. They are honorable people, with a clear sense of duty, and without such people, we, as a society, would be in dire circumstances indeed.

Even before Bundy came along, these men were veteran investigators who had seen many bad things in life, so they carried a toughness which allowed them to deal with the situations they came up against in a professional manner. That said, I remember Jerry Thompson telling me how he looked at Ted one day and thought how much he reminded him of a monster, or a vampire of sorts. And my book contains a number of exchanges between the two men (including a chilling telephone call) which demonstrate why he felt this way

How about for you, as a writer — was there a frightening, creepy, traumatic moment in your research that really shook you? Was there an emotional toll for you?

Absolutely. But the degree of “shock”, if you will, depends (at least for me) on what I know as I first delve into each murder. In the Bundy cases I had a general knowledge of how Bundy killed, so there wasn’t a great deal that caught me by surprise, as it were. Even so, as a writer, you tend to get to know the victims very well through the case files, their family members or friends, and so on. Hence, I’ll continue to carry with me many of the details of their lives and deaths for the remainder of my life. And so, lasting changes are a part of what we do.

However, I did a story a few years back about a 16 year old girl who was horribly murdered here in Kentucky, and this case did cause me to wake up in the night in a cold sweat. Perhaps it was because I have a daughter that was, at the time, only a few years younger than this girl, and that some of what transpired did catch me off guard, so to speak, as I began uncovering just what had happened to this very nice kid.

Watch for Kevin M. Sullivan’s forthcoming The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History from McFarland in summer or fall of 2009.

* In fact, the term “serial killer” was coined in the 1970’s by FBI profiler Robert Ressler, as an improvement on the sometimes inaccurate category of “stranger killer”.

Additional Bundy resources from the enormous comment thread:

On this day..

Possibly related executions:

8,544 thoughts on “1989: Ted Bundy, psycho killer”

  1. Topelius–

    One more thing: I also remember hearing about all the missing women in Washington State during that period, after it became clear there that someone had to be abducting them. I can’t say I recall anything about the Utah murders until after Bundy was found out, so to speak.

  2. Hi Topelius–

    Good question. On February 2, 1978, I turned 23. Bundy was still on the rampage in Florida, and wouldn’t be captured until Feb.15 that same month. Now, I remember his two Colorado escapes, and it was after the first one that I came to understand that it was a former law student that was suspected in so many murders of young women, and I found that strange indeed. I also remember thinking how stupid the Colorado jailers must be for allowing him to escape TWICE!

    I didn’t watch a tremendous amount of the trials, but I did feel he was guilty from the start.

    Take care.

    Kevin

    BTW: 20 is a good age to be!

  3. I`m sorry if this has already been asked but, Kevin, what kind of memories do you have from the 70`s and 80`s about Ted and his case? For some reason I assume that you followed his Florida trial with great interest at the time. As it was covered vastly in news.

    About the age discussion earlier: I`m 20. So, what did I win?

  4. That link Richard provided in post 510 is quite good. It really goes into Ted’s behavior at presenting the mask to society, while hiding a truly ugly interior. His mother trained him to do that throughout his early life and he continued it until his death.

    The media image of Ted as a bright, young legal student capable of defending himself in a capital murder case is a false one. He wasn’t that at all. Most of his legal work was a disaster. He helped maneuver himself into the death house with his legal expertise. A law student? Sure, if flunking out of law school makes you a law student, Ted did just that.

    Bundy’s profile in the FBI file on him lists his occupations:

    BELLBOY
    BUSBOY
    COOK’S HELPER
    DISHWASHER
    HOTEL WORKER
    JANITOR
    LAW SCHOOL STUDENT
    LEGAL MESSENGER
    OFFICE WORKER
    PARKING ATTENDANT
    POLITICAL CAMPAIGN WORKER
    PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER
    SALESMAN
    SAW MILL WORKER
    SECURITY GUARD
    YACHT CLUB WORKER

    Shoplifter
    Car Thief
    Credit Card Swindler
    Savage murderer of young women should be added to the list.

    The latter occupation is the only thing he had any passion for, or was any good at.

  5. Hi George–

    Well, I think Bundy would be interested in reading my book –because it’s about him! I don’t know how he would feel personally towards me, but because I stick so closely to the murders, I think he would have been exceedingly pleased, AND FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS!

    You make a good point, George, when you speak of how society ascribes almost god-like powers to people like Theodore Bundy. I talk about this in the book, and how Bundy must have loved being viewed as such. But the truth is quite different. Bundy took advantage of the kindness of what I would call normal, everyday people. He would steal and lie to both men and women and he never missed a wink of sleep over it. Of course, he restricted murder to only women, but he had contempt for society as a whole, and lived his life accordingly.

    And yes, despite causing the deaths of millions, and practically destroying the world, diabolical Adolf died by his own hand. That is, society didn’t even get the satisfaction of killing him in a grand retributive act, and as such, it didn’t seem “fair”. And it wasn’ fair, but we must remember that many things in life aren’t fair.

    And it’s true: We normal individuals, living together in society, would prefer people like Ted Bundy to at some point feel sorry for what they have done (for we can’t really understand why they did these things in the first place!) when in fact, such a nature just isn’t in them. As such, we seek some form of satisfaction believing that if it’s difficult for them to face the Grim Reaper as they make their way to the room where they will die, and that by doing so they are being “paid back” for what they’ve done; but this usually doesn’t go our way either. Most of these folks go out without so much as a whimper. And Ted Bundy did much the same.

  6. hi guys-
    Kevin ,this may sound flippant,this question,but it is not.Im curious,what do you think Theodore would think think of your book?Even academically,he had the P.H.D in serial murder ,right?HA HA.He may just appreciate the lack of nonsense and sensationalism,in his blackest heart of hearts of course.
    also,the link that richard provided (comment 510)-very interesting-highly recommended.
    you know,there exists a strong tendency within society to first almost glamorize the criminal,also ascribing him with all sorts of god like powers along the way(in this case master of escape,master of disguise,brillant young attorney,etc)
    And one thing Ted was ,he was a showman.I think he rejected the plea deal that would have saved his life in small part because of his antagonism against law enforcement-he would have had to stand in a courtroom and admit guilt in front of Ken Katsaris and his buddies.
    But in large part,it would have deprived him of his “show trial” And he was the star of the show.Iwonder if he second guessed that decision toward the end of jan 89?
    Regardless,the recent depictions of Bundys behavior via the electric chair remind me of the Soviet version of HItlers suicide.It was politically expedient to report his death by cyanide only,or someone else shot him,as he didnt have the courage to do it himself.Hitler was not a physical coward,at least.But it makes people feel better to cut their adverseries down to size,especially after their dead and can be used for political purposes(stalins big joke)
    As he was walking to the chair Bundy was talking,smoking a cig,nodding to Blair,Patchen,Coleman,et al.Certainly doesnt seem like he had to be dragged there to me.That is unless you listen to Ann rule in the 5th edition of T.S.B.M.good god.
    thank you for your time and patience

  7. I will, Fiz. I think you’re convincing me! I’ll have to add a seat belt to my chair, though, ’cause I’m concerned I might just take off, LOL!

  8. Absolute sense! Thank you for your answer. Oh, do come on Facebook, Kevin! I think we have a fair bit of things in common!

  9. Hi Fiz–

    Well, when I finished the book at (and I jotted this down, and that’s the only reason I remember this) 5:21 AM on July 21, 2008, I felt a great joy at having completed it, but also a let-down, as my journey was now over. When I signed the contract with McFarland I was thrilled, but when I mailed the manuscript off to them, I felt like I was mailing one of my kids to them, LOL!

    And now, as I await the page proofs, I’m again quite happy, yet I feel I’m in a bit of a limbo, as I must still read through the proofs and and the page numbers to the index I’ve created and ship it back to them. So yes, I’m very, very, happy, but until I do this, I can’t “relax” so to speak. However, I anticipate the book will be well received, sell well, obtain good reviews (thanks Ted, for the first one!) and will be “out there” a long time. So yes, it’s a great feeling. I just kinda feel that I can’t “move on” til it hits the proverbial shelves!

    Does that make any sense?

  10. Kevin, we’re all waiting on your book and excited, as you know, but how do you feel? Excited, nervous, what else, if you don’t mind me asking? I don’t think I will ever write now and I’d love to know, second-hand, how it feels!

  11. Claire–

    Yeah, really bad about Michael Jackson.. The guy was a super performer and exceedingly talented. However, he had some serious problems, and when all is said and done, I doubt that his heart gave out on its own.

    Bundy, his death walk, and fear: Oh yes, Bundy was very afraid to die. And I’m sure what Coleman said about his weak knee problem is quite true (I too have heard this). I’ve also read where he’d be dealing with people at the end (detectives and whatnot), and suddenly he’d start feeling overwhelmed as the reality of the situation engulfed him. Then, in a matter of seconds, or minutes, he’d pull out of it again. And isn’t it funny that he never felt like it was a big deal when he murdered others, but when it was his time to die at the hands of another person, he didn’t like it at all!

    Confession tapes: Okay, here is what I know: When I contacted the Attorney General in Washington State, they referred me to Bob keppel, as he apparently was allowed to keep them as his personal property. However, Washington State has done the greatest thing for researchers and writers by gathering together and housing everything pertaining to the Bundy case in the King County Archives. They have so much material it’s unbelievable. BUT, they may not have the actual tapes, or even copies of the tapes, and I’m not sure of the transcripts. But no matter, as you can hear the tapes at various places on the web.

    Utah, however, has either destroyed much of what they had, or they simply can’t locate it. If it wouldn’t have been for Jerry Thompson giving me copies from his own files, certain things would have been extremely difficult (or impossible) to locate. You can find original Bundy trial papers (some signed by him) in the courthouse in Salt Lake City. However (and this surprised me) they destroyed the transcript of the DaRonch trial after 9 years, just as they would do with any court transcript after the 9th year has arrived. When I asked them if it ever made a difference if the trial was high-profile, they said no, it too would be destroyed. Apparently not much is left in the files of the Salt Lake County Sheriffs Office either; nor in the Bountiful Police Department, and the list goes on and on. I’m certain that somewhere in Utah, the trial transcript still exists, just as Jerry Thompson still retains his collection of reports. Yet, as a writer seeking information, it’s rather disappointing, to say the least. Thank God, the King County Archives has numerous files from the Utah cases!

    I’m sure the Fisher / Bundy confession was taped also, and those tapes probably still exist in several places, but I’m not certain just where off hand. Still, I received much from Mike, and you’ll be finding out what Ted said to him in my book.

    I have the Idaho transcripts, and the readers will be seeing these as well.

    And of course, the State Archives of Florida has tons of material, and they have been as diligent as Washington State in housing and preserving the Bundy info.

    I hope this helps!

  12. Hi KYGB

    The July 5th date is an estimate only. It could be a little later in the month, as I haven’t yet received the page proofs. When I do, I’m thinking it may take me up to 4 working days to read through it for any additional corrections which need to be made, and to add the page numbers to the index. Once I’m finished, I’ll overnight the package back to them, and it will probably be only days from publication. So we’re almost at the finish line!

    Kevin

  13. Just a note to say a word about Michael Jackson, a ledgend (even if he was a bit strange) but it certainly is strange to be missing a king of pop.

    I suppose after the first 3 warrants Kevin, he probably knew time was running out. I’d read that he was dragged but also on the Natural Porn Killer docu they have Jim Coleman and some other interviewe talking about the moment he entered the death chamber and they state he was being supported and that his knees buckled but he got his composure back. I have no doubt he physically wasn’t carried crying and screaming there but there must have been some hesitation. Even if it didn’t appear till he was in the room. I don’t doubt Mr Fisher and you Kevin but my opinion is he must a felt some nerves about whether he’d feel pain etc.

    I’d always read that he’d admitted to a murder on the way to the electric chair but thank you Kevin for clarifying who he’d murderd. I always thought it had been the hitchhiker in Idaho. Did Mike Fisher tape record the confessions like Keppel did? I imagine he did as it is standard police procedure but very curious because no mention of details on the CO and UT crimes have ever really come to light. Just a list of names.

    As soon as I pass my driving test I’m getting my book ordered. The DVLA and DSA just love me, money mad they are. It cost a bomb here in the UK to take your test now.

  14. Man, this forum moves along. Firstly, Kevin congrats on the release date. This is the book I’ve been looking for. I’ve long hoped for a work that “updated” (or released) some of the investigatory details out west. Mike Fisher and others did a lot that has never come to light. Thanks for doing the work and I will be buying a copy.

    I wanted to reply to Vidor in his post 557. As you surmised, most of Mello’s criticism of attorney Polly Nelson in is in the pages not found in Goggle Books excerpts of “Dead Wrong”. I’d direct you to pp 94, 95 to get the gist of Mello’s problems with Polly Nelson.

    Mello had concerns with Nelson’s inexperience, calling her “an inexperienced, incompetent lawyer” (ouch). He felt that she functioned more like Jim Coleman’s secretary than anything else. He had huge problems with her publishing her book (“Defending the Devil”) for her own personal gain. He also felt her calling Bundy “The Devil Incarnate”, among other negative terms was mean spirited and that it violated lawyer client privilege. He closes the paragraph stating Nelson’s shortcomings by saying ” …Bundy did receive high-quality representation, if not from Polly Nelson” (Double ouch).

    I’m glad both books got published, they are both pretty good.

  15. Yes. However, some sites may offer it for a bit less, and still others, for a bit more. So check around.

    KMS

  17. Strike “their” and add “there”, third line from the bottom, LOL!

  18. Hi Claire–

    Mike Fisher and I have spent much time on the phone together, and exchanging emails in the course of my writing this book. And one such email had to do with hearing Bundy’s confession at the end. He had already warned Ted that he wasn’t coming to Florida to hear his “bullshit” and that he needed to come clean on everything pertaining to what Mike needed. Well, Mike got what he needed from Bundy concerning the Campbell and Cunningham murders, but when he questioned him about Denise Oliverson (Fisher was asked by the Grand Junction, CO authorities to ask Bundy about her, as their guy who knew the case had retired) Ted refused to answer, but he told Mike before he left that he’d get back to him. Well, Fisher returned to Colorado, and after getting home, the warden of the prison called and said that as Bundy was walking down the hall towards the chair, he asked for a tape recorder, and said: “This is for the Colorado investigator…” and admitted killing Oliverson and what he did with the body. He also at that time confessed to, I believe, one other murder, but I can’t remember just now if it was the Curtis girl from Utah.

    Anyway, I said all of that because it’s interesting, and because I believe that story of Bundy having to be dragged to the chair is a myth. I too have heard of it, but I kind of doubt its authenticity. I think Bundy was very much resigned to his fate, as he knew it was over, and their wasn’t anything he could do about it.

    Take care

  19. It’s typing in a rush, we all have busy lives. The typing mistakes just folow us.

    I’ll take care Kevin. I think fathers will always have an innate protectiveness of their daughters so I’m glad you have one for yours. I’ve just moved back in with my folks just over a year ago after living the married life ( well in sin lol- – no marriage certificate but a mortgage I still pay for and rent out) for 3 years, and because of my break up my father has become even more protective. But it’s nice.

    We’ve got a nice mix of ages. It just shows that human behaviour and true crime is appealing to all ages.

    I could not remain calm if I knew I was going to die and so for him to sleep suggests he may have accepted his fate. I read that too in Amongst the lowest of the dead, that he drifted off for an hour and half while listening to scripture. I made it that he woke up around half 5 that morning. I did read somewhere that he did have to be dragged at some point, that his feet just gave way on the last mile so he was obviously still a bit nervous.

    Courtney – Bundy a legacy of evil or aka Bundy an american icon came out this March (not in theatres / cinemas) I believe on DVD. It was made in 2008 with Corin Nemec as Ted Bundy. Not worth buying but you can watch it online.

    Peckinpaugh- I alway thought I may be a bit macarbe following True crime but apparently as Kevin found out it’s one of the biggest book genres out there. I feel a little less alone now in my reading tastes.

  20. I’m glad I’m not the only one misspelling words! And besides, is this not why God Made editors? LOL!

  21. This is a week old, but I wanted to flag that there was a Richard A. Duffus comment (now appearing as #510) that got plucked as suspected spam when he posted it. Normally I approve those right away, but this one slipped past me until just now; the links he posted may be of interest.

  22. I spelled mine all wrong too, Ted M ! Your very brief review is great, and makes me want to read Kevin’s Magnum Opus even more!

  25. Hi everyone,

    I can tell you unequivically that “The Bundy Murders” is quite captivating, and that Kevin delivers on his promise to provide heretofore unpublished information about the murders. It’s painstakingly researched, and I can’t imagine anyone who has participated in these ongoing discussions being disappointed in the book. Kevin, you hit a home run.
    That’s all I’ll say for now.
    Thanks,
    Ted

  26. Peck–

    I did mean my book when I spoke of discovering “therein”, LOL!

  27. Hi Peck–

    Yeah, I guess the Wilson book is not a joke!

    Needless to say, I think you’ll like what you discover therein, and yes, let me know when you’re coming through Louisville, and I’ll be happy to meet you and autograph the book.

    Contact the headsman at this site, and ask him to forward your email address to me, and I’ll get back with you.

    Have a nice day,

    Kevin

  28. In the post above, I didn’t mean my wife is twisted, but that she feels I am a little left of center.

    Please excuse all typos as I am rushing to do this at work without being caught. And I type with two fat fingers only.

  29. I have been following this thread now for quite some time, and I must say that I didn’t realize there were so much interest in Ted Bundy. I figured I was just twisted as was my wife.

    Let first say that I plant to get Kevins book as soon as possible to add to my collection. I currently have all the books mentioned above in my library as well as a huge collection on the Manson Family and the Kennedy assassination.

    This morning on the radio on my ride into work Tim Wilson was on the Bob and Tom show out of Indianapolis and they briefly touched on his book about Ted. It seems that it is not comedy related and is a serious book. I have not checked it out, but there is a link to the book on bobandtom.com.

    This is an amazing thead to follow, and I have learned so much more on a subject that I thought had been long ago exhausted of anything new. I can’t wait to get Kevins book and see what information he has uncovered. I have a renewed interest in this subject thanks to this discussion, and I love it.

    Kevin, I travel through Louisville from time to time, and would like to get my book signed if that could be arranged.

    This is great, keep this discussion alive.

  30. Fiz–

    Oh, I know what you’re going through. The ride can get rough, but hopefully, after a time, she’ll return to “normal”. Children, grandchildren, they’re all work! LOL!!!

  31. Kevin, I couldn’t have children till I was 30 (the first was called “the miracle child” by the antenatal unit and delvery wards!) and I have an aggravating 18 year old still at home at the moment – she was so sweet as a baby and a toddler and she was great till she hit 17 – I really thought we’d escaped the teenage angst years! Wrong! Swap you for the granchildren?!

  32. Hey Courtney–

    If you want information on the Culver murder, I have plenty of it in my book. And after reading it, please let me know what you think, will you?

    Yes, an Executed Today bus tour to Washington State and beyond! But all joking aside, it would be great to meet everybody one day.

    I believe the M&A book hints of the executioner perhaps being a woman; and it wouldn’t surprise if it’s true.

    Yes, we all share a common interest in this case, and any age difference here is little more than a number. And, in fact, we can all learn from each other.

    Good to hear from you!

  33. Hey Kevin your book is pre-ordered and I’m ready to read it!! I do wonder myself as to who actually turned on old sparky…I figured it would be a victims parent (probably a female).
    I’m interested in reading more about Bundy’s murder with Culver. I’ve never read too much on it and even googling it, it doesn’t bring up much.
    It would be cool if we all got together sometime and talked about all of this in a group! I’m actually thinking about going to Washington and checking things out up there.

    The Bundy documentary that was on a week ago on TLC was one I’ve seen before. Numerous times actually! I’ve only ever seen that one documentary. Never even heard of the Legacy film.

    I just turned 24 so it seems we’ve got a mix of younger to older individuals in here which is pretty cool!

    Can’t wait to read the book Kevin and thanks so much again!

  34. Hey, Jason, we might be “old”, but we’ve got experience, and that counts for a lot in life, LOL!!!

  35. Hi Claire–

    I have a daughter 22 yrs old. I will tell you what I tell her: Be careful out there while driving, and be careful in all you do. Just like a dad, huh?

    I doubt if Bundy heard the folks outside the prison that day. And really, I don’t believe it would have mattered to him all that much. He was very tired from all the detectives asking him questions about the murders in their states, and the emotional toll just realizing that he was at deaths-door, I believe, really did a number on him.

    Too bad the Legacy film wasn’t so good.

  36. Hi Jason–

    You will have to ask Ted about any preliminary thoughts or mini review; but truthfully, he’ll probably be writing the actual review very shortly and provide us a link to it.

    You know, I read in one of the Bundy books how Ted nodded at a couple of folks who helped put him in that chair. It was his last few minutes alive, and at that stage, I’m sure, all the arrogance and fight had completely drained out of him. It was time to pay the piper, one might say.

  38. Claire –
    I also watch the film ‘Bundy a Legacy of Evil’ about two days ago and was also not happy with the film. There were alot of factual errors which would not have been made if the producers had actually researched Ted Bundy more thoroughly. I believe the film lacked depth which i guess would be difficult when you are working on a complex individual as Bundy but if you actually studied Bundy to a certain degree, you could at least put all the events in Bundys life into context.
    I
    I read a book sometime ago which discussed Bundy’s last day in which he spent his time with Fred Lawrence who i believed was a priest or minister. During the whole ordeal, Bundy was sitting on the floor with a pillow peacefull listening to Lawrence and he seemed very much at peace. After Bundy made his phones calls (two to his mother, and one attempt with Carol Boone), he retreated back to his cell where Fred read passages of the bible while Bundy slowly fell asleep.
    Based on what i just said, it seemed that Bundy accepted his fate and came to the conclusion, maybe even long before, that he was going to be executed. I dont think i would be able to act so calm in those circumstances! lol.
    I am 21 which is roughly your age range. I was also beginning to think that there are too many old people talking in here lol only joking. Age plays no part in the way in which someone feels.

  39. I’m really looking forward to the release date. I haven’t ordered it yet, naughty me. I’ve been trying to pass my driving test so that has come first for expenses this last couple of months as well as bills. Hopefully next weds will be 4th time lucky. I should have learnt years ago. They say it gets harder as you get older – you get more nervous. I’m only 22 mind you ( probably the youngest on the board ). I hardly use my facebook page but it is handy to have one, gets you socialising with people you haven’t seen in ages. So I’d say go for it Kevin!!!

    On Monday night I watched Bundy a legacy of evil and I have to say I was not impressed. The film is very disjointed and not very factual.

    They mix up the timeline so much you’d need to know Bundy’s story to work out what was going on. No Lake Samm and Louise is seen visiting on his execution eve. Wrong.

    For those who haven’t seen it the film mainly conectrate on his relationship with Diane, even showing their reunion and engagement in 1973. There is no mention of Liz or Carole.

    Sam Cowell is mentioned and the charade that Louise played out during his childhood.

    Some interesting quotes in it. They have the actual lines Ted said in Utah about “not physically harming someone in that context” being said in Florida.

    They do however get the burning of Donna Mason’s skull in there and Ray Crew’s actaul testimony from Miami regarding Lisa Levy.

    One interesting point they make when Ted is on his last hours is that they have him actually hearing the angry crowds outside FSP. I wonder if he could hear the crowd.

    Does anyone believe the rumour Ted’s executioner was a woman? I’ve always wondered how Ann Rule would have known that or the source she got it from. I think I’m right in thinking, the person who flicks the switch or presses the vutton for the lethal injection is a paid citizen. An anonymous citizen. Here in the UK we had the Pierrepoint family and it would be safe to say any hangings in the UK from 1900 onwards was carried out by one of the Pierrepoint clan but in the US it’s always been secret.

  40. Thanks for that small piece of information on Don Patchen and Bundy. It seems slightly odd that Bundy would start waving at him just before he is about to be executed but i guess it is a sign that Bundy did have some respect for his once captor. I believe Jim Coleman and Jerry Blair were also present at Bundy’s execution.
    That would mean that the book will hopefully be avaliable next Sunday if it goes to plan. I am expecting the book at around mid july. It was mentioned above that Ted recieved a copy of your book above. Would he be able to provide a mini-review without divulging into any details? Rather a personal opinion of some sort?

  41. Fiz–

    This is funny: Okay, so we’re in our 50’s! So what?! We don’t feel old, right? Perhaps we can’t jump out of a chair as quickly, and we now (some of us in this age group) have grandchildren, we can still do most of what we want to do. So why, I ask you, do the numbers “50” or “52” or “54” etc, look SO OLD to us when we see it in written form?

    And keeping the info of the book quiet after publication? Wow, Fiz, don’t lay your money on it, LOL!

  42. I’m 51 going on 52, Kevin, so it wasn’t a bad guess! Please don’t all start discussing it till Jason and I get to read it – we’ve got to wait for Amazon’s slow boat from America!

  43. Perhaps the July 5th date is a good estimate after all: The cover art is finished, I’m thinking the page placement of the photos are in the bag, and that everything is completed except the generating of the page proofs; something the development editor told me this week is coming very soon. So once I receive those, I’ll read through it, making any last-minute corrections, as well as adding the page numbers to the index I’ve created for the book. So we’re at the proverbial door of things!

    Here’s something interesting that Don Patchen told me last June when I was visiting him at his home in Florida. It isn’t in the book, so I’m happy to tell it here:

    Don said that he had an appointment to meet with the governor of Florida the morning of Ted’s execution (I think he said he’d been invited by him due to his work on the Bundy case). Anyway, the night before, someone involved with the execution asked him if he wanted to witness Ted’s demise, and Patchen said he did. So he canceled his meeting with the gov. and headed for the prison. Don said that as he entered the witness room, Bundy waved his hand at him; apparently a sincere (my words) good-will gesture. Anyway, I just thought everyone might want to hear this little tidbit of a tale.

  44. Hm. I read as much of that Mello book as I could via Google Books preview, and he doesn’t spell out anything in particular that Polly Nelson did wrong. He seems mostly to be very angry that Nelson wrote a book after Bundy was executed in which she included his confessions to her. Does he go further into errors by Nelson in the parts that are hidden from Google? Even if Nelson did make mistakes, it wasn’t her fault that Jim Coleman gave her so much responsibility. (And in fact, as the book makes clear despite the “Last Lawyer” subtitle, Jim Coleman remained Bundy’s attorney of record and directed the case right up until the end, when he was present to watch Bundy fry.)

    In any case, despite Mr. Mello’s reservations, we are lucky that Nelson did write her book, because it contains quite a bit of primary source info that wasn’t in the other books. More of Carole Ann Boone than any other source to be sure.

    So, July 5 is a firm publication date?

  45. I’m 54, Fiz. I can remember when my father turned 50. I shuddered to think how old he was; now look at me! Funny though, I don’t feel that old!

  47. Well, as everyone can see, they have the book cover “out there” now, and I’ve got to say, I really like it!

  48. Hi Fiz–

    Yeah, if I had to represent Ted, I think I’d need a shot or two just to get through it; and I don’t drink!

    Oh Fiz, should I join Facebook? Am I really ready for it? Are they ready for me? Well. I just might do it yet!

    Kevin

  49. I feel so sorry for Polly Nelson. She became an alcoholic and the case gave her a nervous breakdown as well. Kevin, I do wish you’d join Facebook, because I’d love to be able to chat to you, since we both contribute to Clews as well.

  50. Thanks, KYGB. You know, as far as I’m concerned, it wouldn’t have mattered if Nelson was the greatest attorney in the world when she represented Bundy, as she was assisting a dead man. There just wasn’t any way he wasn’t going to take a ride in Old Sparky!

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