The photo gallery below is related to the true crime book, THE TRAIL OF TED BUNDY: Digging Up The Untold Stories by Kevin Sullivan. Find the book at wbp.bz/thetrailoftedbundy
On the evening of May 6, 1974, Kathy Parks and Lorraine Fargo, both Oregon State University students, spent a few minutes talking on the sidewalk area seen in the above photo. Afterward, Kathy crossed the small street and entered the Memorial Union Commons by way of the steps seen on the right; the steps being partly obscured by the streetlight. Minutes later, Ted Bundy introduced himself to Kathy and convinced her to leave with him.
This is a shot of the inside of the cafeteria in the Memorial Union Commons. It appears that much of it has been renovated, but this section may be from 1974
Sackett Hall, where Kathy Parks was a resident, was only one block from the Memorial Union Commons.
Bouillon Library at Central Washington State College (CWSC) where Bundy hunted victims in April 1974.
A shot of the walkway that Bundy and Susan Rancourt traveled down at CWSC. Bundy and Rancourt came from the front of the library and rounded the far corner of the building on the left. The bridge that ran over the pond beside the library was situated where the newer walkway is seen, and as they stepped off the bridge they stayed on the asphalt and angled off to the right of the photo to a deserted spot on campus by a railroad trestle.
The rear of the auditorium at Viewmont High School in Bountiful, Utah. On the night Debra Kent was abducted she had been sitting with her family in the fourth or fifth row from the back and close to the side door which is open in this photo. Bundy had been either leaning along the back wall or on this brick half wall (he’d been doing both) when he saw Debra rise from her seat and leave by way of the side door. He quickly left through the front doors (off to the left in this photo) and caught her in the parking lot.
The rear of the Holiday Inn (now The Clarion) in Pocatello, Idaho where Bundy took young Lynette Culver and drown her in the bathtub.
The Midvale, Utah home of Melissa Smith, who fell victim to Bundy on October 18, 1974. Her father, Louis Smith, was the chief of police for the small city.
Ted Bundy jumped out of the far left window on the 2nd floor of the Aspen courthouse
This is the view Bundy saw as he prepared to let himself off the ledge of the 2nd floor courthouse window
A staircase in the Aspen courthouse where Bundy was filmed walking down soon after his capture from his escape from the courthouse jail
Alameda Middle School in Pocatello, Idaho. It was at this spot where Bundy picked up 12 year old Lynette Culver and drove her to his first floor room at the Holiday Inn where he subsequently drowned her in the bathtub.
One of the original restrooms at Lake Sammamish State Park
The cleaners and laundromat across from the Fashion Place Mall. It was here that Bundy walked to with Carol DaRonch, telling her it was a police substation. When he attempted to open the door on the right, marked 139, it was locked. Bundy then convinced DaRonch to walk the 20 or so feet to his car that was parked on the street.
Bundy parked his VW along this strip (facing in the photograph), and this location sits between the Fashion Place Mall, and the cleaners/Laundromat just to the left of the camera.
The lobby at the Holiday Inn in Pocatello, Idaho where Bundy obtained a room on May 5, 1975. He would kill young Lynette Culver in his room the following day
The Burr home at 3009 North 14th Street in Tacoma, Washington. It was here, in the early morning hours of September 1, 1961, that someone (maybe Bundy), entered the house and led little 8 year old Ann Marie Burr out into the night, never to be seen again
The once-gravel parking lot where, by ruse, Ted Bundy led Georgann Hawkins to his car where he attacked her. Now paved, with a basketball post, hoop and net permanently affixed, Bundy and Georgann would have no doubt entered the lot to the right of where the post sits today.
The rooming house of Lynda Ann Healy, located at 5517 12th Street NE. Bundy subdued Healy in the middle of the night and carried her up the basement steps and out into the night. The door he used to leave the home is to the right (the side of the house), and is situated just under the light fixture which is somewhat difficult to see in this photo.
Dante’s tavern, located at 5300 Roosevelt Way NE. Bundy was a frequent visitor here, as was Lynda Ann Healy, who lived only blocks away. It is likely Bundy followed Lynda and her friends home that evening, and decided to come back later and attack her
The “Bundy sofa”, on display at Dante’s
The front of McMillan Elementary, where Bundy stopped his VW and attacked Carol DaRonch
Bundy’s rooming house at 565 First Avenue near the University of Utah
The fire escape leading up to Bundy’s 2nd story apartment
The steps leading up to Ted Bundy’s apartment at 565 First Avenue in Salt Lake City, Utah
The door to Bundy’s #2 apartment, now shown as #5
Viewmont High School in Bountiful, Utah. Bundy abducted Debra Kent from the parking lot as she left a school play early so she could pick up her brother from a nearby roller rink.
A portion of the front of the Bouillon Library at CWSC (now Central Washington Univ.), where Bundy was hunting victims as they entered or were leaving the library. Once he encountered someone, he would walk straight ahead and turn right and cross a bridge that ran over a man-made pond that was situated between the library and a round structure known as the Grupe Conference Center
On April 17, 1974, Ted Bundy would lead Susan Rancourt down this sidewalk to the bridge that crosses the pond (the pond now filled in, and the bridge spanned the pond where the newer concrete is located), and as they stepped off the bridge, they angled their way to the left on a trail that lead to a deserted area by a railroad trestle where the killer had parked his car. A portion of the Grupe Conference Center, with its unique roof, can be seen in the left of the photo
The train trestle at CWSC crossed this road at an angle approximately where the red car is located. Bundy and his first potential victim, as well as victim Susan Rancourt, came from the left of the picture, having crossed the small bridge and Black Hall which is also on the left and not shown in this picture. The trail they took would have caused them to enter the area about where the asphalt separates the concrete sidewalk on the left of the photo. It’s important to note that the buildings in the foreground were not there in 1974, making it perhaps the most secluded area on campus.
The Suds Shop Laundromat in Issaquah, WA where Janice Ott did her laundry just a few hours before riding her bicycle to Lake Sammamish State Park
The front of the Wildwood Inn in Snowmass, Co. It was here where Bundy, by way of a ruse, convinced Caryn Campbell to follow him to his car
The sunken bar and lounge at the Wildwood where Dr. Raymond Gadowski and his children waited for Caryn while she retrieved a magazine from their room on the 2nd floor
The pool at the Wildwood Inn. The steam coming off the pool on that cold evening, aided Bundy in his hunt for a victim.
The elevator Caryn took to the second floor, and where she greeted a couple who were also attending the medical conference. Bundy, who was trying to shield himself from a service closet that is right behind me as I took this picture, had to move quickly as Caryn only had a short distance to walk to her room, # 210
An outdoor stairway at the Wildwood Inn that leads to a parking area (and away from the pool), and may have been used by Ted Bundy during the abduction of Caryn Campbell
Bundy’s rooming house on 12th Avenue Northeast in Seattle
One of the many secluded trails at Evergreen State College, where Donna Manson was abducted by Ted Bundy on March 12, 1974
Very scary. Gives me the chills, but anything with Ted Bundy usually does. Great pictures. Couldn’t imagine how you felt being there.
Hi Keasha,
Well, I was working on my second book on Bundy, so I found it very interesting. That said, yes, I can see why you might get the chills, as many folks find this stuff creepy lol! I guess I’m just accustomed to it all. Glad you liked the pictures. As always, I tried to find the most interesting sites to photograph. 🙂
Although I have yet to read one of your books, I did enjoy your photos. I had read Ann Rule’s books on the case and I found it fascinating and creepy seeing all your pictures that triggered vivid memories of his crimes and places he waited for his victims. Very unsettling I am sure for you to be in those spaces that once occupied true evil.
Hi Tara,
It’s true that being at these locations does make it all the more real. When i was visiting the Wildwood Inn where Bundy convinced (and then murdered) Caryn Campbell, it was like nothing existed here beyond Bundy and Campbell. People come and go there all the time, and most know nothing of what happened there. But as I say in The Trail of Ted Bundy: Digging Up the Untold Stories, for me, the Wildwood Inn will forever be about Caryn Campbell and Ted Bundy, and nothing more. Take care.
Kevin i have listened to all your books the audio versions and they are all so fascinating.
Great information.
Tim
Thanks Tim for the good words about my books! Every time I take on a new project, I keep you, the reader in mind, and I always endeavor to write the best possible book, filled with lots of new information. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the only way to write them. 🙂
Take care,
Kevin
Hi Kevin – this might be a very old post but I hope you can help me. I am trying to find out if Ted Bundy ever lived in Issaquah or worked in North Bend, WA? I’ve only ever read Ann Rules book and I don’t recall her mentioning this – but I live in North Bend and there are rumors. (which I pretty much doubt because they are just 40 year old eyewitness statements, but you never know) thanks!
Hi Hollan, and thanks for the contact!
No, Bundy never lived in Issaquah, but he was very familiar with the area. And he also never lived in North Bend, although the town does have a connection to the case. And before i explain it, you should pick up a copy of my book, The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History, as there are many things you’ll find within that book that you won’t find in any of the other biographies of Ted Bundy. Okay, so here’s some interesting stuff”
On Sunday July 14, 1974, Janice Ott had decided to ride her bike from her apartment in Issaquah to Lake Sammamish, which is about 5 miles. But first, she walked across the street to the Suds Shop Laundromat to do some clothes. While there, she started talking with the owner, David McKibben, who was cleaning up the place. As he was finishing up, he asked her if she wanted to get a cup of coffee at a Fasona’s restaurant and they did so. First, however, she dropped off her clean clothes and then they walked to the corner where the coffee shop was located. When they left, he walked her back to her place, and McKibben went back home to his home in North Bend. So there’s a connection to both locations. And of course, Bundy had a body dump site in Issaquah – up in the hills – so there is that as well.
I hope this helps. 🙂
Fascinating photos, Kevin!
Thanks, Ann!
Hey Kevin! I know David McKibben and heard this story thru some old time North Benders. Do you know if Ted worked at the Busy Bee Cafe in North Bend? thank you! Bob Antone
Hi Bob! Not to my knowledge, no. I’ve seen several lists of Bundy’s work history, and the Busy Bee Cafe was not one of them.
Say, you know David McKibben? Although I have his statement to police, and even though I’ve written about him in The Bundy Murders, I never had a chance to speak with him during my research, and I’d very much like to! Do you think you could see if he’d be willing to talk with me? Here’s my email address, and if he’s interested, please email me and I’ll pass along my phone number: kmsullivan12@yahoo.com
Thanks for the contact, Bob.
Kevin
I had heard that he lived in Sammamish and that they had burned down the house he lived in.
Hi Terry,
No, Bundy never lived in Sammamish. That’s just another myth, and one I’ve never heard before lol! Thanks for the contact.
Kevin
I listened to the Audible versions of your books. I love seeing the pics. I never tire of Bundy and believe there is so much more to his story.
Hi Debra,
Yes, despite all the new information I’ve uncovered and put to print in my books on Bundy, there’s still more interesting facts out there waiting to be discovered. I don’t expect really deep revelations to come forward (although it’s possible), but there are still plenty of stories out there from those who knew Bundy that haven’t been printed before, and they will be interesting to the general public. Indeed, while I’ll never again write a book on Ted (a trilogy is enough lol!), should other new stories come my way, I will write them and publish them in articles or blogs. So stay tuned!
Take care,
Kevin
Great pics! I could scroll through a million of those and not get tired of it. Also enjoyed your several short videos on the subject. Anything else you ever want to share would be welcomed.
Thanks Gary. Perhaps I can dig through my pics and add more to the page. 🙂
Kevin, this is very interesting. Thank You!
Thanks Cheryl. 🙂
Need to add a photo of the Old Holiday Inn on Stockton Street in Jacksonville, Florida. This is where he stayed the night before heading to Lake City I believe.
Hi William…First, I received two emails to approve both your comments but I’m only seeing one here at the site, so if you can’t find it either, post it again and I’ll approve it.
As to your comments, I had forgotten Bundy stayed that first night at a Holiday Inn in Jacksonville, so I checked my book and there it was lol! Bundy really liked staying at Holiday Inn’s as he also checked into one at Lake City, and he stayed at one in Pocatello, Idaho where he killed little Lynette Culver.
Thanks for the info about your role there as well. I’m going to send you an email concerning a pic of that Holiday Inn.
Thanks again for the info, William!
Kevin
Interesting, yet very creepy indeed. Thanks for sharing!
I’m just now seeing this, Nancy, so sorry about the delay. And thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Wonderful pictures, Kevin! I have read everything on Bundy since the 80s (including your excellent Bundy trilogy) and seeing photographs of locations that I have read about many times makes it that much more real and really hits home the enormity of what Bundy did.
Thank you for sharing.
Hi Lori
(I think I responded to your post on Facebook, but for some reason it didn’t transfer). Anyway, yes, it does make it all the more real; seeing modern pics, just puts in all in a different light. And being there even more so.
And thanks, Lori, for the good words about my books! 🙂
scared the hell out of me – those poor young girls Thanks Kevin for this – i cant believe this guy did this for his sexual thrills – so much evil inside of him
Hi Laurie!
Well, I don’t know how I missed your comment but I did! Sorry about that!
Yes, Bundy was vile and filled to the brim with an unquenchable evil. So glad he’s gone.
Take care,
Kevin
Very interesting pictures Kevin, I can picture myself going back in time to those moments when the victims encountered Ted Bundy and it sends chills down my spine.
Thanks Shawna. Yes, seeing these sites can make it even more real. So don’t let your spine get too chilly lol! 🙂
Kevin, those are very interesting photos!!
Thanks, Mary. And I took every single photo lol! 🙂
Thank you for making these pics available. It’s interesting and creepy to see where he hunted in these views. As I was reading the captions, I kept thinking of the people occupying these spaces now. I definitely would want to know if Ted Bundy had been there. Off to find your books.
Thank you, Layne for you comments. Like you, I find the pics quite interesting, and very often, as I’m taking such shots, I look around at the folks passing by me and I wonder if they have any idea what took place there many years ago. I remember talking to a University of Utah student on the steps of Bundy’s old rooming house at 565 First Avenue, and he didn’t realize the infamous Ted Bundy lived there until I mentioned him. He then said “Oh yeah”, lol! Anyway, I’m glad to post them, and if you ever have a chance to visit them, it will give you an added perspective to the case by walking the actual ground. That’s why I went to such extremes finding, for example, where the jazz concert was being held at Evergreen State College that Donna Manson was headed to when she disappeared; or where the now-removed bridge was located that ran over the man-made pond next to the library at CWSC, along with the torn down railroad trestle where Ted had parked his car. It’s all a part of history, and I want to do what I can to ensure people will be able to locate these spots in the future.
Take care,
Kevin
The Photographs always talks and indeed yours too. Looking through the pictures i can imagine how big mastermind he has been in abducting his victims.
Hi Mohammed!…Yes, pictures indeed “talk”, and when one knows the stories behind these locations,and sees how they look today, it really helps folks to understand how it all transpired. Thanks for the comment. 🙂
Great pictures. I live in Florida, do you have the addresses to the spots he was when he was here? I’ve found a few.
Hi John,
Bundy lived at 409 West College Ave. The house is gone, but the massive oak is still there; or at least it was when we were there in the summer of 2008. You probably already know the address of the Chi Omega sorority house, which is also not too far from Bundy’s place. When he attacked Cheryl Thomas, she lived in a duplex on Dunwoody, but the home is now gone. Still, it’s interesting to visit the street, as Bundy was all over there. For others (as I can’t remember lol!), please see my book, The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History, available in many libraries in both trade paper and eBook.
Kevin, thanks for posting these gallery photos. Oddly, without even reading some of the captions I was immediately aware of what and from where a few of these images came – such was the power of your worded descriptions in the book. Well done. And yeah, it’s almost creepy to view these – I imagine breathlessness might overtake one standing there.
Thanks for the good words, Vaughn. And yes, standing at these locations can be quite interesting, and always a little surreal. From the still-forested campus at Evergreen State College in Washington State where he abducted Donna Manson, to Bundy’s rooming house at 565 First Ave. in Salt Lake City, Utah, to the Wildwood Inn, in Snowmass, CO where he grabbed and murdered Caryn Campbell (and all points in between), it’s very different being there. As I say in The Trail of Ted Bundy: The Wildwood Inn will always mean to me Ted Bundy and the murder of the forever young Caryn Campbell, and nothing more. And when I was there, nothing else mattered.
HI Kevin, I’ve read the first two books in your trio on Bundy, fascinating… awesome research and writing. I have so many questions, I wish we could speak?!?! What a Creepy guy Bundy was… Thanks! D.
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for the really good words about my books. Now, I get a lot of requests to talk with folks on a one on one basis, and it’s just not feasible, and I can’t play favorites with some and not others, so I hope you understand. However, here’s an email address where you can reach me with questions or comments, and I’ll get back with you as quickly as possible. kmsullivan12@yahoo.com
Thanks for the contact.
Kevin
Tried to pick out a favorite. Impossible. Great shots !
Lol! Thanks Suzanne
Nice pictures, As with most college campuses there are many tree lined walkways and hidden pathways places where Bundy could remain out of sight and stalk his potential victims. His approach to murder was more sophisticated than I previously thought. Bundy knew his victims’ routines and lived at least peripherally in their circle.
Yes, Bundy would take advantage of everything that helped him abduct and murder people. Trees, steam wafting off a pool in the dead of winter, and whatever else that could provide concealment, aided Bundy in his life of murder. A true diabolical entity, his mind was in a place far different from the rest of us.
First off Great work and research. Your books are by far the most interesting I have ever read. In your opinion how many women do you think Bundy actually killed?
Hi Kirk, and thanks for the good words about my books! We writers always appreciate the good words. 🙂
Well, a good solid number is 36 victims. However, I believe that’s a bit low, given the fact that he likely murdered more teens or pre-teens than he admitted to, as it was something he was uncomfortable talking about. I would say his victim count is likely in the low to mid 40s. That would not surprise me at all.
Thanks for the contact!
We appreciate you taking these photos which gives us more of a visual of the abductions of these victims. It really does surprise me to find out that students at these colleges aren’t aware of what happened! When you were out taking photos, were there at least ONE other tourist? And did you have to get permission to view any of these areas? (Aspen Courthouse for example) Or are they all free for the public. I’m asking because I one day want to go see these well known areas for myself.
Hi Ketura, and thanks for the contact!
I believe the Aspen Courthouse and Viewmont High School in Bountiful, Utah are the only two locations where I had to ask permission. Nothing formal, mind you, just asking a person in the office (school) or the desk at the courthouse, and they both said yes. No permission was needed to take outside photos. Oh yes, while I was at Bundy’s boyhood home on Skyline Drive in Tacoma, Washington, I did ask permission if I could take photos of the backyard, and they said yes. They even asked if I wanted to come inside, but I said no, that’s okay. What a mistake that was! Lol!
I do hope you can one day see these sites, as they can really put things into perspective for you.
Take care,
Kevin
Hi there. I would like to know if there is a story about the young boy in the famous Aspen jailhouse stairs photo. Why would a 10-12 year old be in the courthouse at that time standing right behind Bundy?
Hi Tanya!
I’ve heard (but can’t confirm) that he’s the son of one of the officers escorting Bundy back to his cell. It seems plausible, given that the kid is right there in the mix. And it’s clear from the pic, the kid’s really enjoying it all lol! He had no idea that he’d be forever enshrined in one of the most recognized photos from Bundy’s time in Colorado.
Thanks for the contact!
Kevin
Hello, I have worked closely with the people involved in the Dahmer case. Would you be willing to work on a project ?
Hi Yanis,
Thanks, but no. I’ve never had any interest in writing about that case.
Yeah no problem. I’ve worked with Homicide detective Pat Kennedy from the Milwaukee Police Dept before he passed. Very disturbing files and polaroids. Very depressing too.
I have read two of your books on Ted’s murders. I was also in Seattle back in 1999 doing some research on Bundy. I was in touch with the King County Police and they gave me Bundy’s mugshots. It’s crazy that you had Ted’s bag in your possession. May I ask how Jerry was able to keep that stuff ?
Sure. After Bundy was put to death, the murder kit was no longer needed for purposes of evidence and was going to be tossed out or destroyed. So Jerry started using it whenever they had law enforcement seminars, and then he naturally kept it. However (and this is weird), Utah is not like any other state when it comes to the housing of even case files. They destroyed the Carol DaRonch trial transcript after 9 years, just like they do with any trial transcript that hits that 9 year limit. And Jerry took the Bundy case file with him after he retired, and that’s in his home too. The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office has NOTHING left of the Bundy case. Thank God I knew Jerry, as he supplied me with copies of the file!
I see, thanks for sharing! What was the ice pick for ? Do you think he could have stabbed them or tortured them? Or did he use it as a tool to pick locks? ( or both). I know he had a hatchet and it’s creepy to imagine the things he intended to do with it. I mean there’s a reason why he took his victims to such isolated areas. Also, thanks for the transcripts of Liz talking to the cops. From what i read, she really doesn’t appear to be bright… I also read your (very long) comment on amazon about the Bundy visual timeline book. That was interesting.
We don’t know much about the ice pick, other than Bundy did use it once to puncture the abdomen of one of his victims. I don’t believe Bundy used it for picking locks, but it’s possible. Bundy was not someone to “break into” a house or car. He depended on people leaving their cars unlocked with the keys inside so he could steal it, or the doors or windows of an unlocked house so he could enter it.
As to torture, we have a pretty good idea of what Bundy did and did not do: Despite what you see on certain Bundy documentaries, there is NO evidence Bundy ever physically tortured anyone. However, there is evidence he would occasionally – and the key word is occasionally – psychologically torture his victims. Two examples would be keeping Janice Ott alive and bringing Denise Naslund to where he was keeping Ott, and then killing one in front of the other. The other example is how he murdered Julie Cunningham (choked her into unconsciousness, and once she came to, he allowed her to “escape” from him, and then he chased her down and strangled her to death. The facts of her death were given to me by retired investigator, Mike Fisher, and this new information was published for the first time in my book, The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History.
Actually, I think Liz is a very intelligent woman, and I found nothing in the record that says otherwise.
Yes, my comment on Rob Dielenberg and his self-published picture book was extensive indeed. And while I could have put much more in there, I gave enough for readers to see how foolish his attacks were on me. And just so you know, Dielenberg had contacted me a couple of years before his book was published, and he sent me a PDF of his almost completed book. I encouraged him to continue, and I also warned him to not use photographs without getting proper permission, and he apparently didn’t listen and his book has been removed from Amazon US because of this very thing! Anyway, just before his book was published, I started receiving information from several people I know that he was saying very negative things about me, and what was astounding, is that he was saying it IN PRINT! And, they sent all his communications to them to me so I could view it. When I contacted him about it, he admitted it, and then he said it was his intention to bring my book down so that his could rise. Well, that didn’t work out too well: He sells relatively few books, and I’m still selling thousands of copies of The Bundy Murders every year. And not only that, but folks need to realize that Dielenberg has created his book on the backs of the real Ted Bundy books, the biographies, including mine, and he’s also used the FBI’s timeline of Bundy life; a timeline which is available for free on the Internet.
I have ordered your 3 books on Bundy. I have read The trail and the files. Since I haven’t yet read the Murders, I didn’t know about that Cunningham incident. Quite a revelation indeed. I thought i knew all about Bundy as I have read everything on the subject for the past 25 years so it’s good to learn some new facts. I appreciate your efforts reinvestigating the case and sharing your videos. Yet there is one thing that always bothered me and maybe you have the answer: when Ted attacked Daronch he placed handcuffs on her left wrist so he must have left his fingerprints. There was no mention of that being used against him at the trial. I read the reason why ted removed his passenger seat was not only to hide his victim but also because they would urinate on the seat. ( That’s what serial killer Gerard Schaeffer wrote while he was in Florida with Bundy.).
There is no evidence Bundy ever strangled any of his victims to death while they were sitting in the passenger seat. He did, however, crack women in the head and knock them out while they were sitting in the passenger seat, but this would not likely have caused any of them to loose control and pee on the seat. Death will always do this, of course, but they wouldn’t die of from a blow to the head; at least not for awhile.
As to Gerard Schaeffer, I will say this: GS was so consumed with being a better killer than Ted Bundy, it’s like he was consumed with it. I also believe he constantly lied about Bundy. Indeed, of all the things he said Bundy told him, very little is actually Bundy material in my view. Personally, I think Bundy couldn’t stand the guy. GS was obsessed with Bundy lol!
As far as the handcuffs question, no prints were found on the cuffs or they would have been able to link it to Bundy early on, and this didn’t happen.
Yes, not only was I able to uncover new information on the murder of Julie Cunningham, but I was able to uncover new info of several other murders as well, and it’s all in The Bundy Murders.
I hope this helps. 🙂
Hey Kevin – I just watched a TB documentary that featured your commentary. I was so impressed with your insight I’ve ordered the full trilogy on Amazon!
While I’m waiting for it to arrive though, I have a couple of questions:
1. The doc featured an interview clip with Rhonda Stapley. What to you think about her story? To me it just sounds made up, as it doesn’t seem to fit TB’s killing pattern.
2. The doc also made a claim I’ve never heard before – that TB kept some victims alive for days at a time and tortured them. Melissa Smith apparently 5 days. That doesn’t fit with what I’ve read about him before.
Your thoughts?
Hi Jay, and thanks for the contact!
Well, I’m Facebook friends with Rhonda Stapely and I like her. However (and I explained this to Rhonda when she asked me), up until recently I have believed that Rhonda was attacked by someone other than Ted Bundy; there was, after all, a rapist running around Salt Lake City at the same time. So I just didn’t believe she ever had any real contact with Ted Bundy. However (and forgive me, but I can’t say the name of the individual), I have learned from a friend, who has on-going conversations with someone Bundy knew well and trusted who is in law enforcement ( I know this man and have interviewed him as well), who said that Bundy told him that one of his victims got away from him by jumping into a river. Well now, this is exactly what Rhonda says in her book! Also, no one, and I mean no one could have known this fact as this man has never released it. So it’s not like Rhonda could have built her story around it. So, while I at one time said no, absolutely not, Rhonda Stapely was not (in my opinion) attacked by Ted Bundy, I now say maybe she was, and perhaps even likely. Of course, Bundy could be talking about someone else, but I doubt it. That said, do I give her the same credible status as Carol DaRonch who came forward with her story to the police right away? No, I do not. Even so, I now say it’s likely she was abducted by Ted Bundy. Not a 100% mind you, but much closer than where I used to be lol!
As far as Bundy keeping some victims “alive” for a time and doing things with them? Yes, absolutely. But there is NO evidence he ever physically tortured any of his victims; although occasionally he would psychologically torture them. And as to keeping them for days (this would be Melissa Smith and Laura Ann Aime) they were probably in comas at the time and were not giving him any trouble.
I hope this helps!
Take care,
Kevin
Oh wow – that’s some valuable insight. Thanks Kevin!
You’re welcome, Jay. And thanks! 🙂
Hey Kevin – I ordered the full set of your Bundy books. I can’t wait to get started reading them! A quick question though – is there a particular order I should read them? What would you recommend as the ideal progression of reading?
Hi Jay,
First, thanks for the book orders!
Yes, read The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History first. That’s the full bio of the killer and a complete treatment of the murders. After that, read The Trail of Ted Bundy; The Bundy Secrets and Ted Bundy’s Murderous Mysteries.
I hope you enjoy them, Jay.
Thanks again,
Kevin
When I was 9 in 3rd grade in Miami, a friend and I were walking to school in the morning. A white van pulled up onto the sidewalk in front of us, cutting off our path, and came screeching to a halt. As soon as the van stopped this guy threw open the sliding door and practically screamed at us if we wanted a ride. We both shouted NO and fled together in the opposite direction, hiding in the overgrown front porch of an abandoned house. He swore, slammed the door shut and sped off like the mad man he was. I believe that was Ted. Kim disappeared 2 or so days later. It would have been us. Even at that age we knew that guy was nothing but a very severe threat.
I guess this is why I am fascinated by his entire rampage. I am almost obsessed by it. I really want to see the polaroids Ted took of his victims. Does anyone know if they even still exist?
Hi Holli,
That’s a very interesting story, but that couldn’t have been Ted Bundy. After the murders in Tallahassee, he did at one point take the FSU media van to Jacksonville where he attempted to abduct a victim but failed to do so. He then stopped in Lake City. spent the night at a Holiday Inn and abducted and murdered Kimberly Leach the next day. He never drove south to Miami. We know this because the police were able to track him by the stolen credit cards he was using. So whomever did that to you was a bad dude, for sure, but it wasn’t Bundy.
Thanks for the contact…
Oh, and Bundy destroyed those pictures before the police could find them.
Kevin
Two questions
1. Did Ted ever go through TN when he escaped in 1978?
2. Where do you think his ex-wife & daughter is today?
1. Yes. After leaving Louisville, KY where he had breakfast (see my book, The Bundy Murders), he got on I-65 and drove through TN and did not dump the stolen car until he reached Atlanta, GA.
2. Carol Boone is dead, and I don’t know where their daughter resides. I know someone who does, but I’ve never asked him. It’s not important to me.
Do you know the room number he stayed in at the holiday inn in pocatello?
No, and it’s not anywhere in the Idaho records, as they didn’t find out about what Bundy had down there for 14 years. However, Idaho investigator, Russ Reneau interviewed Bundy and asked him about it, and Bundy said it was in the rear of the hotel and opposite of where the lobby would be. Therefore, we know approximately where it was. Interestingly, directly across the parking lot in the rear of the hotel was a field when Bundy was there, and when I visited this location in 2015, that open field was still undeveloped. Now, this field would have been important to Bundy, as it offered seclusion that would not be available to him if a commercial building was across from the hotel. And since he had to carry out the body of Lynette Culver in the early afternoon that May 6, 1975, he only had to be concerned about anyone who might be right outside and in view. So Bundy simply waited for the right moment and quickly placed her in the trunk of his car, which of course, is located in the front of the VW.
Hi Kevin, thanks for those fascinating photos. Recently I heard a two hour interview that you did with one of the podcasts and it was really interesting. I’m also looking forward to buying one of your books in the near future.
I wanted to ask your opinion about something: the savagery of the sexual assaults that Ted perpetrated upon his victims is well known. My question is: what is it that led to Ted’s hatred of women? I’m aware that being rejected by ‘Stephanie Brooks’ is what led him to wooing her back and then dumping her. Assuming that this was sufficient ‘revenge’ for Ted, is Ted’s hatred of women attributable solely to the lie his mother told him (that she was his sister) or is there something else that could account for this psychopathic rage towards the opposite sex?
Hi Rob, and thanks for the interesting question. First, let me clear up the myth that’s been circulating that Ted grew up believing that Louise Bundy was his sister; this wasn’t true and here’s why: Louise and Ted lived in Philadelphia with the Cowell family for the first four years of Ted’s life. If at any point little Teddy believed that his grandparents were his parents and Louise was his sister, that was straightened out before they moved to Browns Point, WA (close to Tacoma). I have heard so many people say (even Bundy authors!) that Bundy still believed at the age of 15 or 16! Not true. Here’s the truth: When Louise married Johnnie Bundy, Johnnie adopted Ted as his son and gave him his last name. They went on to have four children of their own, and Bundy’s siblings grew up knowing Ted was their older brother. Not only that, but Ted’s two best friends (Terry Storwick and Warren Dodge) understood Ted was the son of Louise and, at some point, was the adopted son of Johnnie Bundy. There was no misunderstanding about this in Ted’s mind. So, with that out of the way, lets look at the more difficult question as to where Bundy’s “hatred” of women originated. And unfortunately, no one knows the exact answer to this. And if someone ever says they have the answer, they don’t.
The only thing that we absolutely do know, is that something was apparently wrong with Ted even as a child, and we know this from a couple of statements from his aunt or aunts. This would be the oft repeated story of the knives Ted placed around the aunt’s bed while she was sleeping, and the incident on a Philadelphia train platform at dusk where Ted’s personality began to change right before her; and not surprisingly, this disturbed her greatly. So this speaks of something being wrong with the child. And, we also know that as he grew up he had issues with his internal makeup. That is, he felt he didn’t know how to be a friend to others, which means he was trying to ascertain what was wrong with him and he had no answers for it. I’m convinced he was unsure about many things in his life pertaining to his internal feelings and desires. He was likely not a predator or even thinking like a predator at this time. But that would come soon enough.
What we do know is that as Bundy reached his teenage years, he was mixing his rising sexual interest in females with the violent domination of the same. And when one does this (and continues to do this) society has a problem on their hands, because at some point, the individual will cross over from a fantasy world to one of reality, and this is exactly what Bundy did. Towards the end of his life, Bundy told Bill Hagmaier he didn’t understand why people couldn’t believe he just enjoyed killing people. That’s the truth of Ted Bundy. But why was he like this? Your guess is as good as mine.
Hi Kevin,
I have enjoyed your books very much, and thanks for the photos. My question has to do with the Lake Sammamish murders. Bundy reported that he took Ott and Nausland to a cabin that was a short trip from the lake. Do you know if its location was ever identified? In my own research I have yet to come across a map location or photograph of that cabin. Thank you….Mike.
Hi Mike,
I thought I responded to this already. Oh well.
I’m personally not aware that Bundy admitted to taking them to a cabin. I was told about a year ago that something exists where Bundy says it but I haven’t seen it personally. That said, it was either a cabin or he had Ott tied to a tree and gagged. I do believe the police searched the area for cabins but I have no info on any possible searches. I hope this helps.
Hi Kevin, tnak you for your work. Have you contacted John Tenner? Maybe it could be possible source to some new informaton, but I understand that he mostly keep them in secret…..And do you mean that his violent granfather(father) was the first reason of “Ted´s inner problem”? Did he visited his grandparents after he moved to Tacoma? Thank you P.S. For me is very interesting statement that said Bill Hagmaier that Bundy was student of himself, I think mainly in late eighties when I feel there were some changes in “inner Ted. I believe he truly wanted to help to catch other serial killers, one of the reason was Rosa and his fear that somebody could hurt her. And another reason maybe his tryings to find true fate. Hagmaier said that they led also religious conversations.