Ted Bundy Biography

Theodore Robert Cowell Bundy (November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989) was born in Burlington, Vermont, United States. An American serial murderer, famous for the cruelty and brutality with which he committed numerous crimes against young female students, whom he deceived by pretending to be lost or injured, to later murder them and rape the body. Bundy was born into an extremely strict family with various problems of abuse and violence, which affected his growth.

His psychopathology began to become evident during childhood and adolescence, a period in which Bundy used to capture defenseless animals and torture them; years later he would carry out his university studies standing out as a brilliant student, also, he was seen as an exemplary citizen, this facade covered up the series of murders that began in the 1970s, after committing numerous murders he was captured in 1979 and died in the electric chair in 1989.

Early years

Bundy was the son of Eleanor Louise Cowell, he grew up in a strict puritan family. His mother became pregnant at an early age by a man whose identity is unknown, therefore, to avoid criticism and rejection of the people, his grandparents raised him as their own child and his mother for a long time pretended to be his sister. This lie marked the life of little Bundy, who grew up being rejected by his young mother; he witnessed the abuse of his grandfather with family members.

When he was four years old, he moved with his mother to Washington. A year later she married John Bundy, an army cook; after the Theodore marriage, he was adopted by John Bundy, thus taking his surname. The marriage of Eleanor Cowell and John Bundy was fruitful and prosperous, together they had four children with whom Ted Bundy did not get along very well. During this time, Bundy, began to withdraw, isolating himself from the rest of the family. He also began to capture and torture animals, a practice that he carried out during his childhood and adolescence.

In these years, John Bundy tried to strengthen his relationship with Cowell’s older son, however, Ted was reluctant to approach, which is why he grew up without a father figure to accompany him and guide him.

University years

In the 1960s he began his higher education, entering the University of Puget Sound, where he studied psychology, an area in which he excelled as a student. While studying in 1967, he met Stephanie Brooks, with whom he established a romantic relationship. While they were dating, Brooks noticed certain details about Bundy’s personality, which she did not like. After graduating in 1969 she ended the relationship, situation that unbalanced the young university student, who became obsessed with Brooks to the point of writing numerous letters trying to get her back. Bundy continued to write to her for several years, even when she was dating someone else.

In 1969 he left the university and began to work in different jobs in which he did not stay long. Around the same period, he began a romantic relationship with Elizabeth Kloepfer, a relationship that lasted five years. While dating Kloepfer he resumed his studies at the University of Puget Sound, graduating shortly thereafter. In 1973, he entered the University of Washington, where he began a law degree.

During the first years, he shone as a student, likewise, he began to actively participate in politics, militate in the Republican party, at the same time he carried out community work. He even volunteered on a telephone line that helped sexually assaulted women and for this same period, he was decorated for saving a minor from drowning.

Serial murderer

In 1974 began the series of murders committed by Ted Bundy, who at that time had built a successful life and was seen as a model citizen. Bundy may likely have committed crimes in previous years, but there is no corroborating evidence or information. At the beginning of the year, Ted Bundy attended the university but decided to deviate in the direction of the room of Joni Lenz, whom he hits with a bar strongly and later rapes her with the same.This was his first victim, she survived, but suffered permanent brain damage. Shortly after, he performed the same acts with Lynda Ann Healy, who did not survive the attack, becoming Bundy’s first fatality. With Healy, the series of Ted murders began. At that time numerous students disappeared, among these are: Nancy Wilcox, Carol Valenzuela, Susan Rancourt, Laura Aimee, Donna Mason, Brenda Ball, Caryn Campbell, among others.

Bundy’s first crimes were at night when he followed women, kidnap them, and murdered them. Throughout time, Bundy changed his modus operandi, because he noticed that women trusted him. Since then he looked for victims at any time of the day. First, he deceived the victims by pretending that he had problems with an arm injury, which made it difficult for him to move his things to the car. The women confined in the apparent goodness of the young man helped him, and he captured them, to later take their lives and rape their dead body.

Bundy’s target is believed to have been women who were similar to his mother and ex-girlfriend Stephanie Brooks. The first mistake that led to the capture of Bundy was committed when he tried to kidnap Carol DaRonch, who managed to escape and talk to the police, who started the search.  However, Bundy was dismissed. After this event, Bundy continued with the crimes and in 1975 while he was driving he was stopped by a policeman who found tools that implicated Bundy. He was arrested.

The trial against Bundy for kidnapping began in 1976, however, when they seized and investigated Bundy’s car, they found evidence of his other crimes, for which he was tried for the second time, at this time Bundy escaped and was recaptured, escaping in 1977. It took two years to find him again.

Captured and sentenced

In 1979 he was captured, tried and sentenced to the death penalty. His sentence was executed on January 24, 1989.Bundy was one of the most feared serial killers of women in the United States; he committed numerous crimes without raising suspicions.

Conversations with murderers: The Ted Bundy tapes

The story of this cruel and ruthless murderer is told with various details about the crimes in the Netflix series, Conversations with murderers: The Ted Bundy tapes.

Also, this story was brought to the big screen by the hand of Joe Berlinger in the Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) movie starring Zac Efron.