Ted Bundy Research Paper

Serial killers are interesting yet unnerving to the likes of American society. Serial killers commonly lack empathy and show no sign of guilt or remorse after they have committed a horrible act or crime. These characteristics are an indication of psychopathic tendencies. Although it may seem like these people would be easy to spot, it is actually much more difficult than normally thought. These killers have a special way of putting on a mask of sanity. They can act very charming and very intelligent when needed. Their talent in becoming a normal person is part of their manipulative mentality, which they use to capture most of their victims. These individuals usually get a type of psychological thrill or pleasure from their acts, which cause

them to repeat them. Many types of serial killers exist, with similarities and differences in their psychology, history, and home life. Exploring these ideas is important because it helps to categorize the types of serial killers. Although there are many types of serial killers, both Ted Bundy and Jeffrey were considered Hedonistic or Lust killers. This type of serial killer performs acts in order to pursue sexual pleasure. Bundy and Dahmer may fall in the same category but they are different in many ways. In my opinion Ted Bundy was a more sophisticated killer in the way that he was able to manipulate his victims.
Theodore Robert Cowell was born in the Elizabeth Lund Home for Unwed Mothers in Burlington, Vermont, on November 24, 1946 to Eleanor Louise Cowell. Louise conceived Theodore at a very young age with an unknown man. To avoid the embarrassment, her parents took Theodore in as their child, making him believe his real mother was his sister until his college years. He lived with his mother whom he at the time believed was his sister in Philadelphia for his first few years of life, until 1951 when he and his mother moved to Washington. There Louise met Johnny Culpepper Bundy, marrying him and changing her son’s name to Theodore Bundy. Bundy’s new father attempted to include him in father-son activities such as camping trips but he remained emotionally detached from his stepfather.(Theodore Robert Bundy #106) When it came to socializing, Bundy was in the dark. Bundy says later on in his life that he “didn't know what made things tick. He didn't know what made people want to be friends. He didn't know what made people attractive to one another. He didn't know what under laid social interactions.” (Ted Bundy | Victims |).
Bundy graduated from high school in 1965 as an honors student.

He was rewarded scholarships and began college to further his knowledge. Around this time he went from job to job. At one point he ended up working the nightshift at the Seattle Suicide Hotline. (Ted Bundy | Victims |). In college, Bundy became involved with a woman named Stephanie Brooks. After about a year, Brooks ended the relationship which angered Bundy. Later on when the crimes began to occur, police noticed a repetitive trait in his victims, long dark hair with a part down the middle just like Bundy’s ex-girlfriend (Ted Bundy). As he continued college, Bundy became well-liked by his professors and an even more intelligent student. After graduating from the University of Washington, he began working for the State Republican Party, gaining a close relationship with Governor Daniel J. Evans. Bundy enrolled in law school in 1973 at the University of Utah but quickly dropped out due to failing grades and lack of focus. Around this time, Stephanie Brooks came back into his life. Brooks wasn’t aware that Bundy had another girlfriend while she was engaged to be married to him. Two weeks after the proposal Bundy refused to return Brooks’ calls and soon after, began his murdering spree in Washington State. (Theodore Robert Bundy

#106).
There is no definite answer as to when Bundy began killing people although is it said that he began as early as the age of 14. His first documented murder was on January 4, 1974. Bundy entered the bedroom of 18 year old “Joni Lenz”. Bundy bludgeoned her with a metal rod from her bed frame while she slept and sexually assaulted her with a speculum. She was later on found in a pool of her own blood by her roommates and taken to the hospital, unlike many of Bundy’s victims; Lenz survived the attack. (Theodore Robert Bundy #106). Female students began going missing roughly once a month. During the Washington kidnapping spree that Bundy committed on July 14, 1974, there were five witnesses that described Bundy as a handsome man with his left arm in a sling. They told police that he went by the name “Ted” which ultimately led to the authorities conjuring a detailed description of Bundy. This would eventually lead to his first arrests and trials in 1975. (“Ted Bundy.”)
Ted Bundy had a great advantage against all of his victims. Bundy was a considerably attractive man with a glowing charm. Since Bundy would only victimize women, it was easy to lure them to his car. He would then beat them with a crowbar that he kept in his car until they were bludgeoned to death or knocked unconscious. He hid the bar underneath the driver side car seat of his Volkswagen or underneath the actual car on the bottom bed. Every single recovered skull of Bundy’s showed immediate signs of blunt force trauma, and every body showed signs of strangulation. Bundy was often intoxicated during his killings which led to a less psychological blow on himself while he was still an amateur impulsive killer. He eventually moved onto his prime or “predator” phase. During this phase he sought after victims that he considered to be equal to his skill as a serial killer. (Murderpedia.org).
Ted Bundy