Ted Bundy’s rampage of violence spanned at least four years and left dozens of victims behind, including at least 30 women and girls who were killed — and several others who escaped or survived despite serious injuries.
asserted
who → span → injuries
Though the serial killer has been dead for nearly 40 years, the tally of his confirmed victims continues to grow as DNA testing has advanced.
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testing → confirm → victims
In Utah, Summit County Sheriff Kacey Bates said Tuesday that law enforcement has identified 17-year-old Melissa Anne Smith as one of Bundy’s victims, months after a nearby county used the killer’s DNA to solve another cold case.
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county → say → case
Bundy is one of the most prolific serial killers in United States history — though others likely had higher total victim counts, including Gary Ridgway, who admitted to killing 49; Samuel Little, who killed more than 60; and Donald Harvey, who pleaded guilty to killing 37 people.
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who → have → people
Bundy drew widespread fascination, in part because many considered him to be charming and handsome at his 1979 trial.
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him → draw → trial
Here are some things to know about Bundy and his crimes.
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things → know → Bundy
He targeted young women and girls
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He → target → women
It’s unknown when Bundy first began his attacks, but the deaths linked to him began in Washington state in 1974.
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deaths → ’ → 1974
He had grown up in Tacoma, Washington, and many of his earliest known violent crimes happened around Seattle.
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many → grow → Seattle
An 18-year-old University of Washington student was sleeping in her home near the Seattle campus in January 1974 when someone broke in and attacked her, leaving her with a fractured skull.
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someone → sleep → skull
She survived but with permanent injuries.
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She → survive → injuries
Bundy was believed to be responsible for the crime, which fit a pattern he established in later years, often breaking into young women’s homes, bludgeoning and sexually assaulting them, and either leaving them to die or dumping their bodies elsewhere.
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he → believe → bodies
The next month, Lynda Ann Healy, another University of Washington student, vanished from her home.
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Healy → vanish → home
A small bit of blood was found on her bedding, and her remains were found the next year on Taylor Mountain, a remote area outside a neighboring city.
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remains → find → city
The remains of some of Bundy’s other victims were also found at the same site.
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remains → find → site
Over the next few months, other women were also abducted from Washington state and Oregon.
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women → abduct → state
In some cases, witnesses saw the women talking to a man who was wearing an arm sling.
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who → see → sling
By October, teen girls in Utah were also vanishing.
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girls → vanish → Utah
Melissa Smith’s body was found on a hillside in Summit Park, Utah, and her head had been beaten with a crowbar.
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head → find → crowbar
Carol DaRonch, an 18-year-old, was snatched by Bundy when he claimed to be a police officer investigating car break-ins.
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he → snatch → ins
But she survived by jumping out of his car after he tried to handcuff her.
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he → survive → her
DaRonch’s testimony would later be instrumental in putting Bundy behind bars.
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testimony → put → bars
Bundy continued killing throughout the next year in Utah, Colorado and Idaho.
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Bundy → kill → Utah
He escaped law enforcement custody twice
Bundy was arrested for the first time in connection with the disappearances in August 1975, when police pulled him over and found incriminating items including rope, handcuffs and a ski mask in his vehicle.
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police → escape → vehicle
He was found guilty the following year of kidnapping and assaulting DaRonch.
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He → find → DaRonch
Bundy was sentenced to 15 years in prison for that crime, and while imprisoned he was charged in connection with the earlier death of a nursing student.
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he → sentence → student
He was brought to Aspen, Colorado, for a hearing in that case in 1977 and escaped custody by climbing out a second-story courthouse window.
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He → bring → window
He was caught about a week later, but escaped again six months later by breaking through the ceiling of a jail.
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He → catch → jail
That time Bundy fled across the country, eventually making his way to Tallahassee, Florida.
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Bundy → flee → Tallahassee
On Jan. 15, 1978, he entered the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University, bludgeoning two women to death with a large branch and leaving two more badly injured.
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he → enter → two
He then went to another house nearby, badly injuring another sleeping woman.
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He → go → woman
Less than a month later, he abducted, sexually assaulted and killed a 12-year-old girl in Lake City, Florida.
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he → abduct → City
Kimberly Leach was believed to be his final victim: Bundy was arrested when he was pulled over in Pensacola while driving a stolen vehicle.
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he → believe → vehicle
He was seen as a handsome charmer
Bundy’s case, and his self-assured attitude in court, drew widespread attention during his 1979 trial for the Chi Omega murders.
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case → see → murders
“I don’t know what it is he has, but he’s fascinating,” one teenage spectator told an Associated Press reporter covering the trial.
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spectator → know → trial
“He’s impressive.
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He → ’ → ?
He just has a kind of magnetism.”
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He → have → magnetism
Even the judge presiding over the trial said Bundy was a “bright young man” who would have made a good lawyer.
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who → preside → lawyer
But Judge Edward Cowart also recognized Bundy as a horrifically violent killer and sentenced him to die for “extremely wicked, shockingly evil and vile” crimes.
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Cowart → recognize → crimes
Bundy was executed on Jan. 24, 1989, by electric chair in Florida.
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Bundy → execute → Florida
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
