True Crime Friday: Ted Bundy, America's Most Infamous Serial Killer
Theodore Robert Cowell—otherwise known as Ted Bundy—was born November 24, 1946, in the State of Vermont. Ted Bundy was a prolific burglar, kidnapper, rapist, necrophile and serial killer. He murdered women and girls between the years of 1974 through 1978. It is reported that Bundy murdered over thirty people. The bodies of his victims are still being discovered after his death. One of his victims was found in 2015. Bundy was able to lure his victims in with either an authority figure image or a kindly man who was injured and needed help. Once he got the victims to his car, he would hit them over the head with a tire iron rendering them unconscious. He would restrain them with handcuffs in his car where he would rape and kill them. Since serial killers was not recognized as a thing until the late seventies men like Bundy could kill women and girls with impunity. Unlike most serial killers Bundy chose educated women to attack. Like most serial killers Bundy killed small animals when he was just a child. As a director of a crisis hotline Ted Bundy wrote articles on how women could avoid being raped. Authorities in several states would have to work together to bring this killer to justice.
The Early Childhood of Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy was born Theodore Robert Cowell. Eleanor Louise Cowell gave birth to Ted in an unwed home for mothers in Vermont. His biological father has never been identified. There has been much speculation regarding his paternity, but nothing has been confirmed except his biological mother. His mother moved to Washington where she met and married Johnny Bundy. Bundy adopted Ted and he became Ted Bundy. He was said to be a strange child by his aunt. He once as a child placed knives on her bed while she was sleeping. This behavior frightened her, so she asked him why he would do such a thing, he just grinned and walked away. He was bullied at school by the bigger children so he in turn bullied children smaller than himself. It is said that Ted’s first victim was a child named Ann Marie Burr, no evidence was found, and Bundy has always denied her murder. They knew each other and used to stay in the same neighborhood.The Less Dead Theory
I cannot think of a time when life was not hard for women. Women have been conditioned from birth to trust men, be groomed by men and think of them as providers/protectors. During the time that Bundy was born it was considered shameful to be an out of wedlock mother. Like in most situations’ women were the ones that were shunned by society for having children out of wedlock or even having sex at all. Women had to wait until they were married to ensure their bodies were pure for men. Women no matter what their stature are always in the less dead category. Just like those in marginalized communities are considered less dead because before their deaths they are essentially ignored and devalued by their own communities or members of their neighborhoods. They are generally not missed when they are gone. Fortunately, these victims were reported missing and because of public pressure the police acted accordingly by beginning the investigations early.The Victims of Ted Bundy
- Donna Gail Manson
- Lynda Ann Healey
- Susan Elaine Rancourt
- Roberta Kathleen Parks
- Brenda Carol Ball
- Georgann Hawkins
- Janice Ann Ott
- Denise Marie Naslund
- Nancy Wilcox
- Melissa Ann Smith
- Laura Ann Aime
- Debi Kent (found in 2015)
- Caryn Eileen Campbell
- Julie Cunningham
- Denise Lynn Oliverson
- Lynette Culver
- Susan Curtis
- Margaret Elizabeth Bowman
- Lisa Levy
- Kimberly Leach
The Survivors of Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy was not initially known to have many survivors but over the years it has been discovered that he had more than was reported by him and the media. They are listed below.- Karen Sparks
- Rhonda Stapley
- Carol DaRonch
- Cheryl Thomas
- Karen Chandler
- Kathy Kleiner
- Nita Neary