In this 6th and final book on the Ted Bundy case, I wanted to tackle some questions and legitimate controversies that remain about Ted Bundy, the murders, and his victims. These questions and controversies cover such issues as Bundy’s hunting patterns and why he abruptly changed them at one critical moment; did Bundy keep the money of his victims? (something that has never been discussed in any previous work on Ted Bundy); the important questions of how should we address the issue of more women coming forward today claiming they were Bundy victims who escaped, yet they never contacted the police after the claimed “attack”; why Ted Bundy intentionally used a short crowbar during each assault; where the undiscovered remains likely are located and how a current search may in fact uncover them. There are just some of the important issues covered in this book.
This 6th book also has the complete transcripts of the interviews I conducted with three important individuals back in 2006-2008 who had close interactions with Bundy: Jerry Thompson, lead investigator for the Bundy case in Utah; Don Patchen, lead investigator for the Chi Omega murders in Florida; and Ron Holmes, a Louisville professor and criminologist who both interviewed and corresponded with Bundy in the mid 1980’s. These interviews revealed never-before published information about the case, and it is coming to light for the very first time. I have quoted all of these people in my previous Bundy books, but not from these transcripts!
As is a hallmark with all my Bundy books, I have the testimonies of those whom I believe were potential Bundy victims and were able to escape, as well as some who are likely escapees from the killer.
Because of the popularity (and response from readers) of adding portions of the Bundy case files to my previous Bundy books (along with commentary from me), I have added some important files that will “round out’ the readers understanding of Bundy and the men and women who hunted him. And these too are coming to light for the very first time.
If you want a view into the world that lies behind the Ted Bundy murders, this last work in a series of six books on Bundy, is definitely for you. For within these pages you’ll read of the many questions still surrounding this fascinating and intricate case, as well as the answers that are only now being provided here. There’s so much more to learn, and new information is still surfacing about Bundy, his victims and his potential victims. As such, there is new testimony included from those who had a brush with the killer, and others who played their own roles in this multi-state case.
In this book, Bundy case detectives Jerry Thompson of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Don Patchen of Tallahassee, Florida, talk about their personal experiences with Bundy. So does Ron Holmes, the Louisville criminologist who worked with the killer towards the end of his life. Also included are official reports that have rarely been viewed outside of the archives, along with the author’s commentary to guide readers through them. And last but not least, is Bundy’s final confession to Utah detective Dennis Couch just hours prior to Bundy’s execution. In it, Bundy reveals startling facts and sparks additional questions. A must-read for those true crime readers fascinated by America’s most enigmatic and infamous serial killer.
“Sullivan leaves no stone unturned in his latest Bundy review, from tales about Bundy’s shifting eyes to chillingly intimate interviews. A must-have for Bundy fanatics, this collection fills in holes and addresses key mysteries about of one of the world’s most infamous serial killers.” –Katherine Ramsland, author of Confession of a Serial Killer and How to Catch a Killer
From The Book:
I would also like to see additional remains located that can be attributed to Bundy. I find it interesting that Bundy told investigators that those he buried have never been found. Where are they? Well, in the case of Taylor Mountain, that’s the location where Bundy deposited the heads of Brenda Ball, Susan Rancourt, Lynda Ann Healy, and Kathy Parks. The rest of the remains are buried elsewhere; and that elsewhere may be Taylor Mountain. The reason I say that has to do with some additional human bones that were located on the mountain during the original March 1975 search (along with many animal bones too), but these remains were not DNA tested until 2005, at which time a member of each of the following families: the Rancourt family, the Ball family, and the Parks family came forward and gave samples to the authorities (the Healy family wanted nothing to do with it and gave no samples). And to no one’s surprise, they were identified as being from Ball, Parks and Rancourt. The only remaining unidentified remains are believed to be those of Lynda Ann Healy….
… After Bundy confessed to the abduction and murder of Debra Kent, also at the end of his life, and told the authorities the approximate location where he buried her, they did find a single patella (later DNA testing revealed it belonged to Debra Kent). They also found hundreds of animal bones, but no additional human remains. Why? Bundy said that he buried her in a two to three-foot grave, and piled rocks on top of it. And had she been totally unearthed by large predators, there would have been more of her to find. Recently, a friend of mine mentioned that perhaps a bird may have gotten ahold of the patella and flown off with it, which is absolutely possible. And if so, the mostly undisturbed grave of Debra Kent may be found if a more diligent search could be conducted. After all, if she’s still out there, a proper burial would be in order for her.
oh shoot Kevin … its not a book I can buy?
Yes, it will be in book format, eBook, and audio once it’s released. And I believe publication will be next month. Thanks for the interest, Cathe. 🙂
Looking forward to reading this latest installment Kevin!
Thanks Kelly! I very much appreciate your interest in my books, my friend. 🙂
Looking forward to this book Kevin
Thanks Teresa! 🙂
Hi Kevin when is Enigma released on audible?
Thanks Teresa
As I wrote to you earlier Kevin, this is a remarkable feat; six books on one subject-Bundy! Well done.
You might want to reconsider writing a photo, map, crime-scene book to put the icing on this “six-layer” cake.
Thanks ,Bob, for the good words about my many-years work on Bundy. It’s been a long road indeed lol! As to a 7th as you’ve described? Well, it’s an interesting thought. 🙂
Hi Mr. Sullivan,
Firstly, I would like to thank you for all of your books and I look forward to this new one. Out of all the Bundy researchers I find your discussion and analysis to be the most insightful and multi-layered. I really appreciate how you spread your investigate net so wide, looking at all the threads in this tangled web. I do have a couple of questions which I am hoping you could shed light on as I haven’t heard anyone address them in books, documentaries or podcasts.
1. I find the Joni Lenz case particularly interesting and yet many Bundy researchers give this case short shrift, perhaps because Ms. Lenz chose not to talk to researchers until recently. I think this case is crucial to understanding Bundy’s methodology as it seems as if this crime was a practice run/ try out for his later crimes. In all the books I’ve read about Bundy I have never come across any discussion of Bundy confessing to this crime. It’s almost just assumed he did it. Did Bundy ever discuss this crime in the first person rather than the third person hypothetical narratives he often gave? What evidence did law enforcement have to definitively prove Bundy was the perpetrator? I often thought that if Bundy had confessed to this crime and was willing to give specifics ( which we know he often was reluctant to do) the confusion over whether he used a metal rod or a speculum to violate his victim would be cleared up by now
2. Although I personally don’t believe Bundy had anything to do with the disappearance of Ann Marie Burr, in 2011 Bundy’s blood was compared to DNA evidence found at the Burr home, believed to be left by her abductor. Do you know what the nature of this evidence is that was compared with Bundy’s blood? Again, I have tried to read everything about this aspect of the Burr case but have never read anything about what kind of evidence it was. I often thought that revealing what kind of evidence was left behind might help to explain the motive and method behind the abduction. I understand law enforcement often keep details back from the public in order to filter out attention seekers and phony confessions but it’s been 50 years.
3. Has the full transcript of Bundy’s initial interview with Pensacola detectives ever been released? From the excerpts I’ve read, Bundy, in a vulnerable state, made some truly open comments about himself, his pathologies, and his crimes. There has also been a lot of misinterpretations and misstatements based on some of the things that have leaked out like the infamous “add one digit” quip ( I don’t know how anyone could interpret this as add one hundred to his total) and the number of states his cases would encompass. I think that reviewing the transcript of this important interrogation would clear up some of these mistaken views
4. After reading Dr. Paul Dawson’s Masks of Ted Bundy, I was quite surprised by the openness that Bundy displayed in these supposed interviews with Dr. Dawson. According to these interview transcripts Bundy discussed his own necrophile activities, the sexual violations and rapes, posing of victims for his Polaroids, what he did with the victims that he brought to his apartment in Utah, etc. in detail that went beyond his last minute confessions before he was executed. Based on the brutal forthrightness of these discussions, I find the veracity of these interviews hard to find credible. Have you read this book and if so, what is your opinion of the validity of Dr. Dawson’s research? I find it too “good” (horrible) to be true.
Sorry for all the questions, but I do truly admire your work and again look forward to your next book.
Hi William,
First, thank you for the good words about my work on Ted Bundy. It has been a long road indeed, and in just a few weeks, the 6th and final Bundy book will be published. And after having written some 1,400 pages on the man and the case, it’s the perfect time to bring it to a close.
1. Yes, the attack on Karen Sparks is considered to be Bundy’s first attack (that failed), due to a couple of reasons. First, after Bundy came on their radar, and they became aware he was responsible for the Lynda Ann Healy attack, the similarities were very evident. Plus, because a speculum was rammed into her vagina, the authorities assumed Bundy had stolen this from Ped Line Medical Services during the years he worked there. Now, did Bundy admit to this attack? I can’t remember if he admitted this to Bob Keppel, but if he did, he likely didn’t elaborate on it. Also, Sparks was not a homicide, and Keppel’s interest was with all the homicides in the state that they were trying to close.
2. I remember when they said they were going to compare Bundy’s DNA with the Burr “evidence”, my first thought was “what evidence?” What we know from the police files is that the intruder entered through an unlocked window, and that he overturned a bench and used that to boost himself into the house. The only thing found by the family and the investigators, was some grass clippings on the living room floor. Little Ann Marie was taken out the front door and the door was left ajar. Now, I can’t remember (it’s been so many years since I was writing about this case for The Bundy Murders) if a spot of blood was found on the window or if they had something else. But no matter what they had it was too degraded to be of any value. Did Bundy abduct Ann Marie Burr? I would say no, but because of what Ron Holmes said Bundy told him (Bundy linked himself to her abduction and mentioned the person responsible for her murder was also wanted for the Lake Sammamish murders), I think it’s quite possible he did it. That said, the truth is we’ll never know.
3. I obtained the Pensacola transcripts along with many thousands of pages of case file material when I was writing The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History, and I can tell you there are no real “bomb shells” in them, but there is a lot of interesting stuff. Bundy is, of course, exceedingly tired, and there is a lot of back and forth between Bundy and the detectives; and yes, the “add one digit” comment is in there. He was interviewed in Pensacola by Norman Chapman, Don Patchen, and Steve Bodiford. And when Bundy was taken to Tallahassee, these interrogations continued with Patchen, Bodiford, and other local investigators. When I was working with Don Patchen (the lead detective with the Tallahassee PD for the Chi Omega murders), I discovered some of the best material was found in his hand written notes about what Bundy said to the investigators after he asked them to turn off the tape recorder. Very interesting stuff. Anyway, you can obtain the Pensacola transcripts from the State Archives of Florida.
4. I’m aware of Dr. Paul Dawson (but only through his books on Amazon), but I haven’t read any of his books. I did include his name in my encyclopedia just in case he’s a legit Bundy interviewer. I can’t say that he is or is not. The only thing I can say is that I have never seen his name on any official documents pertaining to Ted Bundy, neither have I seen him mentioned by those that I would think would be privy to him and to these interviews. That said, it’s also true that if he did interview Bundy, it would likely have been while Bundy was on death row, and that paper work I wouldn’t have seen. So personally, it’s all a big question mark for me. I just don’t know.
I hope this helps you, William.
Take care,
Kevin
Dr. Paul Dawson is a fraud He never interviewed Ted Bundy and it’s really disgusting that he is profiting off of lies he is writing about Ted Bundy and other serial killers. There is much misinformation and lies that has been put out into the world because of him about Ted Bundy, and others. .
Thanks so much for your responses Mr. Sullivan. Good luck with your new book!
Thanks, William!
I think I read about the Taylor Mountain bones on another blog called “Hi I’m Ted” awhile back. Interesting discovery! Will there be more info on this in your book?
Hi Greg…Yes, that’s not talked about very often on blogs or other platforms, but the knowledge that some (at the time) unknown additional human remains were found on Taylor Mountain during the original 1975 search (along with may animal bones) has been around for years. It wasn’t until 2005 that these remains were matched through DNA to Rancourt, Parks and and Ball, and the other is assumed to be Healy. I believe I first heard this after my book, The Bundy Murders, was published in 2009. And yes, for this last book,I do write about it and why these were found and where the rest of the remains are likely buried.
I went to school with Brenda Ball and knew her fairly well. In a recent exchange in a Seattle-based Facebook group, one of the people commenting stated he and a friend were with Brenda at The Flame the night she disappeared. He said Brenda left her purse with them after telling them she was going outside with “a guy” to smoke weed but she never returned. He said no one interviewed him and he’s never told officials this story. He doesn’t want to get involved now and believes his information is ancient history. I always heard that Brenda had accepted a ride home with Bundy and his story disputes that.
What do you suggest? Would anyone want to hear this new information?
Hi Marilyn,
I would like to hear it. In my book, The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History, I give two possible scenarios as to how she went missing. One story has to do with a man she met inside the Flame and left with, and the other is she left to hitchhike her way home. As such, even though I “leaned” toward her hitchhiking and being picked up by Bundy, I understood I couldn’t be dogmatic about it as we just don’t know. So yes, I would love to talk with you; not just about this, but your relationship with Brenda prior to her murder. I will email you so that you have my email address, and if you’d like to speak by phone, we can exchange numbers. And thanks so much for the contact. 🙂
Kevin,
I finished your latest book on Bundy and, as usual, I learned more information about Ted and his world.
One subject you discussed again was where did Bundy, most likely, take Ott and Naslund so he would have the privacy to assault and then kill them. Imagine my surprise when you stated that you felt Ted secured Ott and then tied her to a tree (out in the open air) then returned to take Naslund.
Talk about being “ballsy,” Bundy could not be sure she wouldn’t scream, escape or a hunter would not find her tied to the tree.
Why do you believe Ott was tied to a tree, it doesn’t make sense to me.
Bob
Hey Bob,
Well, if you mean The Enigma of Ted Bundy, I can only reiterate what I said there; that is, the authorities were unable to locate a cabin in the area that may have housed Ott and then Naslund. Of course (and I say this in the book) that he still may have used a cabin. However, Bundy was the biggest risk-taker I’ve come across in serial murder (remember what he said to Michaud about taking bodies in and out of his apartment in Utah, that I include in the book?). He took so many unnecessary chances during his time of murder: Lake Sammamish; the Healy abduction; pulling up in front of a middle school at lunchtime and coaxing 12-year-old Lynette Culver into his VW in full view of dozens of people; I could go on. So, in my mind (and since they didn’t locate a cabin), soundly binding Ott to a tree and then gagging her, is likely what Bundy did. Add to this his “need” to act out what he’d seen on the covers of the true crime magazines, including that of binding a woman to a tree, then it’s easy (and safe) to speculate that’s exactly what he did. I hope this helps. 🙂
Hey there,
do you have information about Ted Bundy’s relationships to other inmates in Florida State Prison?`
Recently I watched an interview of Gerard John Schaefer, a notorious serial killer in Florida during the 60s and early 70s, who was imprisoned there too and met Ted Bundy. In the interview he claims that Ted Bundy confided to him that the Lake Sammamish murders were a copy-cat crime of the murders of Susan Place and Georgia Jessup, commited by Schaefer, of which Bundy allegedly read in the detective magzines. While I don’t find his account to be credible, it let left the question to me how Bundy was perceived by his fellow inmates and other serial killers in Florida, if he made friends and if he maybe even revealed some information about his murders, discussed methods of disposal etc.
If interested the interview can be found on YouTube (“Gerard Schaefer – Serial Killer – Part 4”)
Thanks in advance for you answer and stay healthy
Hi Richard,
Concerning Bundy’s relationship with Gerard Schaefer, I will say this: Schaefer was a psychopathic know-it-all that would love to believe Bundy committed his murders by copying his crimes, including Lake Sammamish, but I don’t believe it for a minute. If anything, Bundy was influenced by the covers and the stories found in the detective magazines, but beyond that, his actions appear to be all his own. In Schaefer’s deranged mind, it was important for him to be “number one”, even in murder, and I’m sure Bundy could see him for what he was. If anything, I’m sure Bundy felt superior to Schaefer. Now, did Bundy share some secrets with Schaefer? Perhaps. And some of what Schaefer reported Bundy said does sound intriguing. However, because Schaefer was a narcissistic homicidal psychopath, I take such reporting with the proverbial grain of salt. In other words, I can’t separate his lies from any truth Bundy may have told him. But if nothing else, it’s interesting reading. And thanks for the YouTube info, Richard, I’ll check it out.
I see you’re from Germany. I have a lot of relatives throughout southern Germany, although I do not know them personally. According to my DNA, I’m 37% German; and of course, this follows what I know about my ancestors. In what part of the country do you reside?
Hey Kevin,
thank you very much for the fast reply and your assessment. It’s amazing to get in touch with an expert about Ted Bundy so easily and I appreciate your time & work.
I was born and raised in Dresden (Saxony), but today I live and work in Berlin. So probably not quite where your ancestors lived (?)
Vielen Dank und liebe Grüße 😀
(Many thanks and best regards)
Hey Richard,
I can’t remember all the cities, but I believe Karlsruhe was one. Some of the family names are Heilmann, Wagner, Kleinhenz, and Ludwig. There are others too. My father once told me we also have some relatives in Metz.
Say, my mother, father and myself spent almost a week in Berlin in the summer of 1972 when it was still a divided city. We drove from West Germany through East Germany and arrived in Berlin. The US troops at Checkpoint Charlie warned us not to drive through the east, but my father wanted to do it lol! The soldier said, “Once you cross this line we can’t help you!” Well, the East German guards hassled us a bit but not too much. However, we flew out of Berlin to our next destination which was Munich. We also had a chance to see the Olympic Village only weeks before that terrible terrorist attack. Oh, and when we flew out of Berlin it was from Tempelhof Airport. I heard a number of years ago that it has closed so there must be a new and better one now. Tempelhof is so historic, I’m glad we flew out of it.
If you ever have any additional Bundy questions, please let me know.
Take care,
Kevin
In Feb of 78, a man came to our door and said he was selling encyclopedias. My mom, beautiful, dark hair, parted down the middle, let him in. He was driving a bug and was a little handsome, wearing a turtle-neck and his accent was different. My mom looked in his eyes, yelled at my sister and I to go to our rooms. She told him that she would have to call her husband who is a minute away working. He then turned and ran out of the house. I was born in Jay, Fl. A small town where everyone knew each other and certainly had a certain accent. My only guess would be sometime close to him being in Ft. Walton.
Hi Tonya…
Can you be more specific as to when in February this happened? Thanks.
Yes. It was in early February. I don’t recall a specific date. It was a little warm. So Jay Fl., 2 to 3 days before he was arrested. I remember when his face came on the t.v. and mama saying, “girls that’s the man who was in this house and never tell your dad. Our dad was out in his shop at the time. She was mad at herself for letting him in and thought my dad would be very mad at her. Could have been someone else, but few people ever came through that little farm town with one traffic light that you didn’t know. Certainly none that had the kind of accent we heard. I left that town the month after I graduated and went into the Navy. I’ll just say my mom was a lucky one. Thanks for your time and thanks for the work on the books and also the care you give to families through your words.
Hi Tonya…
Well, I checked the map and Bundy was exceedingly close to you as he traveled west. His stolen VW became stuck in a restricted area of Eglin AFB which is less than 6 miles from FT. Walton. That said, I doubt he would have been going door to door as a ploy. However, if your mom (or another female) was outside and he spotted her as he was driving slowly down the street, then yes, he may have come to your door. Of course, we’ll never know for sure, so I suppose we can say, maybe yes, maybe no.
I hope this helps. 🙂
Oh, and thanks for the good words about my books!
Take care,
Kevin
Dr. Paul Dawson is a fraud He never interviewed Ted Bundy and it’s really disgusting that he is profiting off of lies he is writing about Ted Bundy and other serial killers. There is much misinformation and lies that has been put out into the world because of him about Ted Bundy, and others. .
I have absolutely no knowledge of Paul Dawson, other than he authored that book on Bundy.
As an ‘armchair Bundy scholar’ I greatly enjoyed your second edition to ‘The Bundy Murders.’ It filled in a few missing details for me and I thought you did a masterful job. Interesting that you mention in your introduction that a whole new generation is taking notice of these killings, a series that would be all but impossible to carry out today. As you point out, Bundy was both brazen and lucky – to a point. People just learning about him are probably amazed to find out just how much as changed in terms of surveillance of ordinary citizens as well as the improved communication between law enforcement agencies, the whole forensics piece and a general awareness of the need to be cognizant of personal safety. I’m a bit younger than most of Bundy’s victims; by the time we were warned about ‘Ted’ and told not to ‘part our long hair on the side’ he had left the state. But much like the Manson family changed Los Angeles, Bundy ended free-spirited childhood for girls and women in western Washington. I’m planning to write a novel set here that loops in a fictionalized Bundy – or someone like him. No other serial killer rattles me like this one. In fact, while reading your book I had to keep your book face down on my nightstand because I did not want to see those eyes. Several things puzzle me after reading your book. Were there no tire chains found in the VW bug that had been driven endlessly around Idaho, Colorado and Utah those winter months? He would have been accessing roads that weren’t regularly used, and I can’t imagine that these were plowed. It doesn’t seem that a VW bug would be great in snow, and Bundy would have been concerned about getting stuck and needing a tow that might separate him from his vehicle for a time. Also, how was he beheading victims? The rope and tire iron confiscated don’t seem like they’d be helpful for this. I also wondered what he was doing for money when he wasn’t using credit cards (his, his girlfriend’s and stolen ones). In a thread on this site there’s a comment that he likely stole cash from victims, but that can’t have been much. Oh, and in future editions I bet attorney John Henry Browne would appreciate seeing the ‘e’ added to his last name. I look forward to reading your whole series on Bundy, perhaps alternating with some sunnier titles so as not to take on a dim view of humanity. Best Wishes! And keep writing!
Hi Maddie!
First, thanks for the good words about my book and your interest in my other Bundy books; each of which have new information that has never before been published from those who knew Bundy, hunted him, or were otherwise involved in the case. So, happy reading lol!
As to the chains, I would say he used them and if so, they were not in his car (to my knowledge) when it was first confiscated by the police. For the beheading, he probably used a hand saw, but he could have used a hatchet, but that would make the task a bit harder. And yes, he stole cash from victims, but he also stole from the purses of women, and these were women he had no intention of murdering. He was also very poor and was constantly in need of money, until he held some government positions in WA. But even then, however, I doubt if he ever felt he was “caught up” with his debts.
As to not being able to kill again as he did back in the 1970s, if Bundy were alive today, he would still be murdering women and young girls; he would just do things differently today. But that urge to kill would mean he’d just be smarter in how he abducted them, and he would have likely buried all of his victims.
Thanks for the contact, Maddie!