Qu’est-ce que c’est?
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:
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Video of Wildwood Inn, where Bundy abducted Caryn Campbell in 1975. (From Timmy)
Thread commenter Richard A. Duffus wrote a 2012 book about Ted Bundy, Ted Bundy: The Felon’s Hook (Excerpt | Image from the book)
Video interview of Kevin M. Sullivan (From Richard A. Duffus)
On this day..
- 1522: Didrik Slagheck
- 1887: Georgette and Sylvain Thomas, guillotine couples act
- 1981: Not Kim Dae-jung, South Korean president and Nobel laureate
- 1641: Not Manuel de Gerrit de Reus, chosen by lot, saved by hemp
- 1970: Three in Baghdad
- 1538: Anna Jansz, Anabaptist
- 1963: Lazhar Chraiti and nine other Tunisian conspirators
- 1846: Elizabeth Van Valkenburgh, in her rocking chair
- 1936: Allen Foster, who fought Joe Louis
- 1911: Shusui Kotoku and ten other anarchists
- Daily Double: The High Treason Incident
- 1938: Han Fuqu, Koumintang general
- 1992: Ricky Ray Rector, "a date which ought to live in infamy for the Democratic Party"
Perhaps I should have said “link” rather than “thread”. Ah, having to learn all this PC stuff!
Hi Debbie–
Say, why keep adding the thread, as we are aware of it by now. Just give the author’s full name and title of the book.
Thanks,
Kevin
Yeah George, some great comments. I’ve only been on here for 3 weeks, but I’ve learned quite a good bit about the case. The people on here are very positive and informative. Kevin keeps this thread rolling along with his information.
I look forward every day or so to coming on here and checking out the posts. This place is like a cyber campfire and it’s a good place to gather around and talk.
Debbie, enjoy your book. You think I’m an unpleasant sort? That’s all right, each to his own.
No offense KYGB, but you seem rather unpleasant yourself. Like I said, I liked the guy from http://www.tedbundy.biz. His writing style reminds me of Tucker Max.
Thanks, George, for the kind words! Believe me, it’s my pleasure connecting with everyone here. I love the give-and-take, as it were, and it feels like we (the regulars) are all friends, and I like that. You know, before I turned to writing, I was a minister for many years. And in this profession you come in contact with all manner of humanity. I’ve dealt with murderers, the sick, the dying, happy people, well adjusted people, those on the verge of suicide, kids on drugs, and the general overseeing, if you will, of the humanity that was an ever present part of my life. Well, you can’t do that for years without gaining a great deal of empathy for folks, and also understanding how frail and precarious life can be. Therefore, although people can make me angry from time-to-time (this is normal) it is almost impossible for me to be rude to people in any form, because I understand what they’re dealing with “out there” on a daily basis. And far be it from me to adding to the stress of anyone’s life. Anyway, that’s my little “rant” on those who are rude among us!
Your comments about “the definitive book” is something I’m hoping for too. At the very least, I believe it’ll be seen as quite unique, and as such, certainly gaining a place of its own among all the other Bundy books out there; and, hopefully, be around in subsequent publications for years to come. That’s my hope, anyway.
Again, George, thanks for the uplifting words.
Kevin
hey guys-
I too was treated rather rudely when I inquired about that book.One of the great things about the discussions we have here is the respect we have for one another and for the subject matter.Hence I post comment 645.Travel elsewhere on the internet and listen to the so called experts on Ted Bundy,serial murder ,or most anything else.Here most everyone brings something to the table and thats why its so enjoyable to talk to all of you.It is a rare occurrence.
So in contrast to the author of that book,who tantalizes us with sociological implications of T.B heretofore unknown to us or the possibility-gasp-that Ted might be innocent,we have Mr Sullivan ,who answers our questions,chats,challenges and speculates,without any guarantee that we will buy his book or not.
That too is rare,and as such all the more appreciated,Kevin.I suspect you may have written the definitive book on Theodore Robert Bundy.To know a man is to know his deeds.Outside of Winn and Merril,everyone else who has published about Ted had some sort of relationship with him.Unavoidadly,that colors it in a way.The crimes themselves paint the true portrait of Ted Bundy,even as the painting in the attic moulders away.
Hi Vidor–
See my comment # 618 for more on the release date. Believe me, I’ll post immediately when the page proofs arrive!
Release date?
Gee whiz, Debbie.
So glad to hear you had a great experience with that site and ordered a fine book.
Some people were very dissappointed in the book.
As for myself, I got a very curt and rude response from that site when I emailed it.
to whit….”Like the site says, it focuses on societal influences on Bundy’s development beyond what’s been highlighted in past books. It is very much for those with an intense interest in the subject matter.
For info beyond this, you’ll have to look into buying a book. Either that or don’t bother to write anymore.”
So needless to say, I won’t ever contact them or be ordering any books.
Hey Guys, I ordered a book from http://www.tedbundy.biz and I loved it! And I’m a girl! The book was exactly what the author described. “KYGB” had a totally different experience than I had. I didn’t find the author rude at all. I am looking forward to Kevin’s book, but just because someone doesn’t lay all their cards out like Kevin does, doesn’t make someone bad. Remember, we are all interested in a guy (Ted) who NEVER laid his cards out, and I think that was what this author was trying to convey.
Sorry I misread you, KYGB! It just seemed a tad unlike you, and I thought perhaps I flipped a switch in you with something I had said. Glad to see I was wrong.
Yeah, I thought I’d seen a 122 somewhere. And Bundy was indeed a strange one, to be sure. He was meticulous in detail at the beginning, and cared little for the details at the end. He was exceedingly crafty and cunning, but he couldn’t outwit himself! Or did he? LOL!
Take care,
Kevin
No sarcasm, Kevin. I was giving you props, you do know a lot about Ted thru your research. I believe Ted had two IQ tests, I just cited the one I had a reference for. I, too, have seen 122 as one result of an IQ test for Bundy, just don’t remember where.
Ted was smart, but so much of his time was spent stalking and murdering young women, it clouded his life and made him a pretty poor law student.
Ted did do some pretty slick lawyering in Colorado, but I think the lawyers assisting him did most of the heavy lifting on his case. He also screwed up big time in Aspen. Ted (against the advice of his co-counsels) got a change of venue from Aspen to Colorado Springs. At that time 80% of the people on death row in Col. were from the Springs. it was also the home turf of the two prosecuting attorneys, who were imported to Aspen to handle Ted’s prosecution.. Ted had no clue he had made such a stupid move, but in time he realized he had made a major goof. It’s part of the reason he took off that New years Eve.
I guess I’m not articulating, but Ted was smart, but he had gaps in his thinking. He couldn’t focus or bring a depth of thought in his judgement. The boy was smart, but screwed up.
Do I sense a bit of sarcasm in your opening statement, KYGB?
Anyway, the IQ of 124 is probably correct (I was thinking I’d heard 122, but no matter). And yes, it is a “given” that Bundy’s psychopathology was intermingled with everything he did (even that which is normal) and, I believe, everyone at this site understands this. And from the time the killing started, his mental prowess began a slow, but ever steady decline, and more about that in the book.
A couple corrections to your above statement: First, Ted did in fact fail miserably at law school in Tacoma. However, he didn’t “fail” exactly in Utah, as he was being accepted back for the 1975 – 1976 school year. His troubles with murder and the law prevented this from happening.
Second: Bundy’s failure at Stanford had more to do with his mental and emotional state at the time. He would later tell others how “out of place” he felt there, how he didn’t like it at Stanford, and how much he wanted to be back in WA. Besides all of this, he was fighting to keep the relationship alive with Diane Edwards, and it was causing a type of meltdown within him. So his failure here was hardly due to academic reasons.
True, he sucked as a lawyer, and it showed in Utah. Still, he was able to thwart certain things the prosecution was intending to do in his Colorado trial, and these, KYGB, are a matter of record. Of course, by the time he reached Florida, he was so out of touch with reality, that things were going to end up as Dr. Tanay said they would, given the mindset of Theodore Bundy. By this time, Ted was his own worst enemy.
This Sullivan guy seems to know quite a bit about Ted Bundy.
Was Ted intelligent? Yes, but the “answer” requires some qualifiers. He was a college graduate with a 3.56 GPA from Washington. He was a psych major. One of his teachers called him “one of the top 1% of undergraduate students with which I have interacted”. Bundy had an IQ of 124 ( Mello pp 322).
But he had huge defects in his reasoning powers. He had blind spots and had great difficulty absorbing complicated topics. He was an ADD kind of guy.
He flunked out of law school twice and totally failed at a Chinese course he took at Stanford after his graduation from Washington.
He made a total botch as a lawyer at his two murder trials and never really understood that he was in a heap of trouble that could result in his execution.
Ted was a smart guy who wasn’t as smart as he thought he was. He also out-smarted himself on many occasions. His inability to grasp his situation eventually cost him his life.
Richard–
I wasn’t familiar with Bobby Lewis until I heard about him from you in a previous post. I also don’t know about this Sondra lady either. My “world” while writing the book really did consist of gathering material pertaining to the murders through police reports, medical reports, medical evaluations, and everything within the record or received from those in authority (detectives, etc) who gave me first-hand information. As far as my book was concerned, I would never seek out the testimony of those “bunking” with Ted in prison, although I will admit such information can be interesting and might be factual. Still, such speculation was not going to be a part of my book. And really, I don’t cover Ted’s years on death row at all; at least not beyond his confessions, and even these are scattered throughout the book.
In 633 “Bobby” is Bobby Lewis, Bundy’s best friend.
Boy, George, you sure know your stuff.
IMHO Danny was the better manipulator not that it has much to do with Bundy other than as a segue. I wanted to ask Kevin about one of Bobby’s stories that Sondra published. In it Bobby recounted a nightmare Ted had had about a murder and had cried out “I’ve got her heart in my hand! It’s beating!” To me that sounds more like Sondra putting words in Bobby’s mouth than something Bobby would say, but it made me wonder if any of the bodies found showed signs of anything like that.
Holmes building was dubbed the”castle”It was a huge ,sprawling,schizophrenic structure with dozens of rooms,some of which Holmes rnted out during the Worlds Fair.Nobody is sure how many died there,but it was burned down after its owner was arrested and plans were made to turn it into a museum.
As for Schaefer ,yeah,he seems to have assumed the greatest importance within his own mind.Sondra was actually his girlfriend in the late 60’s.She contacted him in prison after Bundys death,apparently hoping to write a book from her unique perspective,a la Rule.Schaefer was killed in prison in 1995.His throat cut and eyes stabbed out.Evidently,he was a snitch
Oh, look, I have a couple typos too!!!
Sondra London gives me the impression she was involved with both of them for self-publicity, and as far as Danny Rollings and manipulation are concerned, I am not sure who manipulated the more, him or Sondra.
Hi Fiz–
You know, I’ve heard it said that Bundy had a high IQ, but I’ve not seen any documentation to substantiate this. I didn’t seek it out, mind you, as it had little to do with my goals for the book. But I will say this: Bundy was at times a lack-luster student, but this, I believe, had more to do with his lack of personal drive, or that ability to apply oneself diligently to the task which is before you. However, during his killing-time in Utah, he attended law school for not more than 3 days during his first semester, yet he managed to keep his head above water academically by obtaining at least average grades. So it’s clear Ted was no dummy, and had he applied himself more forcefully towards his studies, he’d would have done quite well. Still, I wouldn’t call him a genius, either. So who knows where he “falls” in the IQ scale.
A point I make in the book about his personality that goes along with all of this: Bundy didn’t like to work, and he did it only so as not to starve, and it didn’t matter if it was as an employee of a entry-level job, or climbing the proverbial ladder in politics, he just wasn’t satisfied. Also, Bundy saw school as a means to an end, but it still didn’t occupy the same place in his mind as it does for most college kids trying to make it in this world. In other words, his head was in a far different place than most people, and in the end, he understand his future had nothing to do with school, or his employment: It had to do with killing, and nothing more. As such, we (society) will never know how far Bundy could have gone in life had he not burst forth as the diabolical being we know him to be. He once talked of running for governor in his home state of WA, and honestly, had he not become a killer, he might just have made it!
I don’t know if Bundy would have gone on Nancy Grace, but he did love to “play” to the media. And the media loves interviewing monsters, so they would love Ted if he were still around.
Too bad the house-of-horrors has been destroyed as I would certainly love to go through it! Sorry you felt faint visiting those sites, and of course, you’ll need to always have someone with you on all future excursions to catch you as you fall! LOL!
That sounds like Schaefer. He talked a lot about other serial killers but none of them seemed to talk much about him. He critiqued other killers to bolster his own ego. Sondra London published his art and writings. She was later totally manipulated by Rolling so I expect she was by Schaefer too.
How about “his IQ” and “Nancy Grace” – sorry for typos here and elsewhere – my mind is quicker than my fingers! Kevin, I think the “mansion” was destroyed. I can’t go round places like that – I faint or feel so sick I have to get out and my youngest is the same. It happened to me in France in a tower in La Rochelle. I knew nothing about its history. I went chalk-white – I was told – and nearly fainted. A French woman caught me and asked me if I was all right (I am biligual in In France! Not in the UK, though!). I said I was not and what had happened there, because I could feel bonechilling evil in the tower. She then went very white and asked me if I was a Catholic or a Protestant. I said Protestant and she put her arm around me and said she was very sorry to tell me that numerous Protestants had been butchered there in 1629 by Catholic forces and that maybe because I was Protestant, I could feel it more than others. It’s a curse, and a damned nuisance in historical buildings!
Hi Fiz, George, and everyone-
Say, does anyone know if H.H. Holmes’ castle of horrors still exists? I read Harold Schechter’s bio of him years ago, and Holmes was indeed quite the killer. As I remember, he had a very large building, perhaps taking up much of a city block, and that he spent much time turning it into a torture facility. as such, I believe it would be very creepy (but exceedingly interesting!) touring the place.
Well, he never would have got a real Phd , that’s certain. It’s such a myth about Bundy’s “intelligence” – He IQ was the lowest possible for university entry and his jobs that someone kindly posted are less than stellar! I hope Nacny Grace wouldn’t pandered to Ted’s vile desire for publicity, but from what I have heard of her from others, I wouldn’t put it past her!
Hey guys
I just saw a documentary on an interesting fellow,H.H.Holmes.It struck me,his similarities with Ted.In brief,a charming,attractive,medical school dropout who nonetheless passed himself off as a doctor.Who manipulated and disposed of females seemingly at will.Who when caught confessed and unconfessed countless times.Acted as his own attorney at trial,making a mess of it.Went out in a blaze of glory right up to execution day.All this in 1895.
There was the gentleman gerard schafer over in Florida who bragged that Bundy came to him as a supplicant,offering July 14 as homage.He had read about Schafers crimes in detective magazines.Ted read about all of them right up until he died..Had to keep up on that P.H.D in murder.The real porn for these people is what they read about each other.Bundy would have loved Nancy Grace.
Hi Janet–
Thanks for the kind words about the book!
Yes, college age, long brown hair parted in the middle, a hitchhiker…you were Bundy’s dream come true, alright. But the truth is, the fear of Ted during that period was far greater than the risk of Ted, as it (the fear) amplified everything in the minds of people. Statistically speaking, a female hitchhiker was at a far higher risk of being harmed by someone other than Bundy, simply because Ted could only be in one place at one time, and, there were also numerous killers and / or rapists roaming about the Northwest and surrounding states at the very same time. But no matter — you made it through all of that safe and sound!
Take care,
Kevin
Hi Kevin, I am looking forward to your book about Bunday being released. I read Ann Rule’s book and liked it, although I thought there were a few holes in it, pockets that she didn’t fill in. I had to put the book down frequently, because even though I am an avid reader, it was difficult to take in. I think this is true espeically becaue in the time frame of his killing spree in the Northwest, I attended college there and frequenlty got around by hitching rides. I also wore my long brown hair parted in the middle and straight down. No, I never met him, thank God, but I was struck by the fact that I could have…but by the grace of God…Janet
Make that KYGB! Sorry!
KYGH–
Yes, everybody seems to have it, and most now have the front-cover art work as well. So we’re getting close to the finish line!
Kevin, I can tell you that the book is very well represented on all the book seller sites.
Richard, thanks for the heads up on the “Ted Bundy Book” 50 pp is hardly a book. I wanted to get a better idea what the hell a “sociological study” of the bundy case was anyway. After the obnoxious email from the sellers (author?), I was done.
I still have not received the page proofs yet. Once I do, I’ll let everyone know by posting the information at this site. The last I heard is that the proofs should be generated soon. Apparently, the book is in their fall/winter catalog, which means, an editor told me, that publication can be anywhere from July to December. However, since (as far as I know) everything is about complete with the design of the book (photo placement and captions, cover of the book, etc) the page proofs can’t be far behind. Believe me, I’m on the look-out for them now, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they came in the next few weeks. But remember, McFarland publishes hundreds of titles a year, and this year, I believe, they’ll be putting out around 350 books, so they’re quite busy at the moment. But take heart, the time for publication is fast approaching!
Kevin
when is it going to be released? because some sites say july 15.
Hi Courtney–
Well, it all goes back to what he did: That is, he committed cold-blooded murder, as they say. He enjoyed it, he felt no remorse about it, there’s hardly a picture of him in the early stages of his capture when he wasn’t smiling, and the proverbial psychopathic list goes on and on. Of course, now he is “housed”, one might say, for all the world to see, and of course, he’s trying to put his best foot forward, so that he looks good to society. But you must remember, that the sociopath KNOWS what the moral standards of society are, he or she just doesn’t care. Mr. Burkowitz, in my view, is just as much of a monster as he always was. He, like Bundy, has a mask to wear, and it would behoove society to understand the trappings of said mask. We must look past the smile and the sincere sounding words, and concentrate on the inside, for there is where the monster dwells.
Good to hear from you!
Kevin
Hey Kevin,
I’m surprised to hear that you think Berkowitz would still be a killer today if he were let go! I once watched an interview with him and they asked him if he thought people would be afraid of him if they let him out to be a free person to lead others toward God and he said no that he’d be more afraid of those out there that he knows were once like him….
Yet, he claims he’s found God and people that admire him and visit him (in another interview I watched) even said he is the real deal.
I’m curious as to why you think he hasn’t really changed? Is it all for attention or what? He also has his own website where he does keep a forum although it’s usually months behind…
Thanks Kevin!! I can’t wait to get your book in the mail.
Oh, Richard, you make such a good point about Berkowitz! Look, I am familiar with Andy Kahan’s work, and I have nothing but the highest respect for the man. He works hard at doing the right thing. However, when I saw Berkowitz giving his spiel about God (remember, he got “saved” at a church here in Louisville when he was a soldier stationed at Fort Knox!) and the sale of murderabilla, I couldn’t help but shudder, as I believe “Sam” is every bit the killer he once was, and given the chance, he would be again. Unbelievable!
The “Ted Budy” “book” is a loose leaf notebook of about 50 pages with hand written corrections. It’s a personal memoir comprised of a series of vignettes, not a sociological study as the website suggests.
I also ordered the “Happy New Year” book. It hasn’t come yet but I talked with one of the authors. It’s over 400 pages and is the result of a lot of research. I don’t know if their conclusions will be sound, but it looks like there could be at least some interesting material presented from which those conclusions are drawn.
Did anyone catch the fact that Andy Kahan has enlisted David Berkowitz as his anti-murderabilia spokesperson? Shades of Dobson/Bundy. I’ll bet the families of the victims are as thrilled having David representing them as he is basking in the attention he’s getting from it.
Hi KYGB–
You’re right. No photos exist, at least not anymore. Apparently Ted did have photos of his victims, but destroyed them after his apartment was searched in Utah the first time.
Sorry about the other guy. When I visited the site, there wasn’t too much available about the book, and apparently it isn’t on any of the websites that carry new or forthcoming books, so I don’t know quite what to say.
Kevin
There are no “Bundy photos” (Pics taken by Ted) in existence, are there Kevin?
I checked out that site about the Bundy book. (http://www.tedbundy.biz) In sharp contrast to the ever helpful Kevin Sullivan, I was treated quite rudely. The person you email would provide NO other details about the book and was told if I didn’t place an order for the book, to buzz off and not email again.
No problem. I wouldn’t take one for free after that snotty email I received from the address provided in the “ad” for the book.
Hi Riverone–
Bundy did in Fact use makeup on a couple of the victims in Utah, but they were not made up like clowns or applied in an otherwise odd fashion. Melissa Smith’s sister told detectives that the makeup she (Melissa) was wearing when found WAS NOT part of her sister’s makeup. Also, her hair had been freshly washed, which obviously, investigators found unusual too. Of course, I cover this in my book.
Yes, I have checked out that site, and I wish the author well!
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
I have read that there were pictures that Ted took that portrayed his victims with garish make-up that he applied after he killed them (he basically made them up in a clown-like fashion). Another writer viewed them, and they were not made available to the public. Have you ever heard of these or seen them?
Also, you may want to check out http://www.tedbundy.biz. I bought a book and liked it very much. Still, I am very much looking forward to your publication.
Thank You,
Riverone
“People” has never been known as a source of good journalism, and that article is an example why. Ouch.
Hi KYGB and all–
An interesting fact concerning the degree to which people who knew Ted changed changed their mind about him, and how that occurred: I can’t say who this is prior to publication, but a high-up leader in the Republican Party told me it was “by degrees” the change came. That is, (and these are my words for this site) it was the looking at the evidence over time which led them to believe in his guilt. It wasn’t easy for them, either, but the facts changed their minds.
Kevin
From the People article posted by the “Headman”
“There are five possible ‘Teds’ in the Seattle area alone,” she says. The list includes a convicted sex offender who was living in Seattle at the time of the murders there. He then moved to Aspen, where he took a job at Snowmass, the resort where victim Caryn Campbell was staying. His co-workers remember him as violent, especially toward women. He didn’t show up for work on the day Campbell was murdered; the next day he picked up his paycheck and left town. (Subsequently he was given a lie detector test and passed.)
Walsh also learned that another suspect in the Seattle slayings was living in Salt Lake City at the time of the DaRonch kidnapping. Later convicted of shooting a woman to death, the suspect owned a gun and handcuffs and matched DaRonch’s description of her abductor—dark, slicked-down hair and a mustache. “The thing that makes me want solid proof against Bundy is that we have uncovered these other people,” says Walsh. “They fit the pattern of evidence and description in an almost uncanny way.”
Most of these “other people” turned out to be either totally false leads or phantoms, invented by Ted’s ad hoc PR/support team. Ted had a little knot of supporters who were old associates or female admirers, journalists, or TV people. As more and more evidence surfaced and it became obvious Bundy was guilty, they all dropped away.
There ought to be a law forbidding stupid people to make statements, and forbidding others to write them down, LOL!
I’m speaking of the People article, of course.
wrt those “is Bundy being framed?” articles …
People, January 7, 1980
This is after his conviction for the Chi Omega murders. Title:
“The Enigma of Ted Bundy: Did He Kill 18 Women? Or Has He Been Framed?”
Well this just goes to show that I cant talk on the phone and do this too! Sorry about the typos, LOL!
I remember the news reports on television when Bundy escaped from his Colorado jailers, but theses reports seem to “lean” (in my view) to Bundy being a dangerous (and guilty!) man on the run. However, in my research, I have come across the occasional article written from the point of view that Bundy could be innocent; a stance that not only appears foolish now, but appeared so to many people then, for by the time Ted was on trial in Colorado, all of the investigators from all the states in which Bundy had killed KNEW Tedwas their guy! And so did a good deal of the populations from those states as well.
My earliest memory of anything “Ted” related was an article in a newsmagazine. They talked of the Washington murders and the search for a suspect. They had the “artist conception” drawing made from the Lake Sam incident and told of the search for the killer and the missing girls.
The next thing I became aware of was when I went for winter vacation in ’75 in Aspen Colorado. Caryn Campbell was missing and the authorities in Aspen were searching high and low for her. I don’t recall a lot of coverage of Salt lake and DaRonch case. I was wondering if anyone else remembers articles that came out when Ted was about to be tried in Colorado. There were several articles that were very pro-Ted. The themes were “brilliant young lawyer about to be framed by lazy policeman”. I think Carole Boone and others like her functioned as press agents for Ted. Ted himself was able to spin a good fable that the cops were trying to frame him, etc. I seem to recall there were even some similar articles when the Florida trials were going on.