Ted bundy serial killer victims

American serial killer (1946–1989)

For the 2002 biographical film, see Ted Bundy (film).

Theodore Robert Bundy (né Cowell; November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989) was an American serial killer who kidnapped, raped, and murdered dozens of young women and girls during the 1970s. After more than a decade of denials, he confessed to 30 murders. The total number of his victims is likely to be higher.

Bundy's modus operandi typically consisted of simulating having a physical impairment to convince his target that he was in need of assistance or duping her into believing he was an authority figure. He would then lure his victim to a vehicle parked in a more secluded area, at which point he would bludgeon her unconscious, then restrain her with handcuffs before driving his victim to a remote location to be sexually assaulted and killed.

Bundy frequently revisited the bodies of those he abducted, grooming and performing sex acts on the corpses until decomposition and destruction by wild animals made further interactions impossible. He decapitated at least twelve of his victims, keeping their severed heads

This story originally aired on April 11, 2020.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 15, 1978, an assailant broke into the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University and sexually assaulted and murdered two women. He then made his way down the hall and attacked Kathy Kleiner, and her roommate, Karen Chandler in their room, and later went a few blocks down and similarly bludgeoned dance student Cheryl Thomas.

Although they were left gravely injured, Kathy, Karen, and Cheryl miraculously survived. 

A month after the attacks, Ted Bundy was arrested. In the 1970s, Bundy is believed to have killed dozens of women across the western United States.

The media was fascinated by the then-suspected serial killer, and Bundy remains a fascination more than 30 years after he was executed. But as the FSU survivors prove, Bundy is not the only interesting part of this story.

JANUARY 15, 1978

Kathy Kleiner: In January of 1978, I was 20 years old. I lived in the Chi Omega sorority house on the FSU campus in Tallahassee.

Kathy Kleiner: I was happy. I was with my other friends. And Florida State was just a safe place to be. … When I moved into the sorority house, my roommate was Karen Chandler.

Karen Chandler: When I was at FSU, it was very laid back. … it was just a great time.

Karen Chandler: Classes had been going on for about a week. And … everyone was moved into the house.

Kathy Kleiner:  Saturday, January 14th … I walked home and I got in the sorority. And there were kids talking about, you know, where they're going tonight, what are they doing, who they're dating, what party … And then I saw my books sitting on the trunk and I said, you know, I have a test on Monday. I'm going to go ahead and stay home and study tonight. … My roommate Karen came in at the same time and she had a sewing project she had to do. So, she sat in her bed next to mine.

Karen Chandler: And we talked for a little

Ted Bundy was one of the most notorious serial killers and sexual predators in American history.

Throughout the 1970s, Bundy traveled across the United States on a rape and murder spree of young women and girls, with known victims from Washington, Utah, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado and Florida — as well as possible unknown victims that have yet to be accounted for.

While most of the country was terrified of Bundy, his good looks and on-camera charisma attracted fans and supporters, many of whom came to court for his trials and sent him love letters in prison. Combined with his two escapes from prison, representing himself in court, the sheer number of victims and the depravity of his crimes, Bundy left behind a horrifying, but powerful, legacy that remains over 30 years after his death by electric chair on Jan. 24, 1989.

"He wanted people to see what he wanted them to see," survivor Kathy Kleiner Rubin told PEOPLE in 2023. "He portrayed himself as the good guy. Then at night, he would turn into another thing. That’s when he would go hunting for women. He killed most of his victims in their bedrooms at night. He wanted to take their souls, and keep them, not face them and fight them."

Investigators believe Bundy could have killed up to 100 victims while the killer confessed to a much smaller number of murders. So, how many people did Ted Bundy kill? Here is everything to know about his life and crimes — including stories from the few victims who survived the notorious serial killer.

Who was Ted Bundy?

Ted Bundy was born on Nov. 24, 1946, in Burlington, Vt., to single mother Eleanor Louise Cowell. She and her young son later moved to Tacoma, Wash., and she married John C. Bundy who adopted the future serial killer. Cowell and John went on to welcome four more children.

"We are a family that h

Ted Bundy was an American serial killer who confessed to 30 homicides committed across 7 states in America between 1974 and 1978. Bundy kidnapped, raped and murdered his victims, targeting young women and girls. While evidence was found for some of these cases, the true number of Bundy’s victims remains unknown.

The recent 2019 movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile starring Zac Efron and Lily Collins brought Ted Bundy’s case back into the media limelight. This portrayal of Ted Bundy’s life captured the unusual and eerie nature of Bundy’s charming personality, focusing on him and his life rather than the brutal crimes he committed.

While the new film has brought more media attention to Bundy and his case in the present day, it’s interesting to look at newspaper articles about Ted Bundy from the time. We’re in possession of some rare Ted Bundy newspaper articles from the 1970s, and these help us see and understand how ordinary citizens learnt about the mass killer as his case was unfolding.

Newspaper articles from the time often exposed a sense of non-belief in regard to Bundy’s case. In earlier reports just after his conviction, journalists wrote about Bundy in a questioning manner. Attempting to separate the idea of Americanism from mass murder, the media often suggested that Bundy could only be one person: an All-American, respectable member of society, or a brutally wicked mass killer…

“Love Bite Serial Killer”

The New York Post, Wednesday, July 25, 1979

This New York Post from 25 July 1979 opens with a headline on the front page, “Love-Bite Killer May Take Grisly Secret To Grave” makes a reference to the tactics Bundy used to lure in his victims.

A conventionally attractive and charming man, Bundy was able to use his looks and personality to attract young girls. Even the newspaper article features a relatively nice photograph of him, and not a typical police mugshot th