Buzz
The adage that true evil often conceals itself in plain sight is strikingly accurate when it comes to Ted Bundy. Outwardly, he appeared to be charming, attractive, intelligent, and magnetic.
However, beneath this polished exterior lay a ruthless murderer who preyed on, assaulted, killed, and dismembered his victims. In some cases, he even returned to further desecrate their remains. Bundy admitted to the murders of 30 young women and girls across seven states from 1974 to 1978, though the actual number of his victims remains a mystery.
Amid renewed fascination with these crimes and the accounts of those closest to him, Elizabeth Kloepfer, his former girlfriend, reissued her memoir, The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, under the pen name Elizabeth “Liz” Kendall. This updated version featured contributions from her daughter, Molly, and previously unpublished photographs.
These images from their private collection offer a bone-chilling glimpse into the psyche of a sadistic killer.
9. Ted During a Utah Vacation 1970
This snapshot from 1970 captures Ted during a trip to Ogden, Utah, four years before his infamous killing spree began. Flanking Ted are Liz and Molly, who invited him to visit their family home before relocating to Seattle. Liz, a recently divorced single mother, had secured a receptionist position at the University of Washington a year prior.
Shortly after moving to Seattle, Liz encountered the “attractive” Ted at a bar, sparking an on-and-off relationship that lasted nearly seven years. Eager for a father figure for Molly and companionship for herself, Liz overlooked many red flags, which she now deeply regrets.
Looking back, Liz remarked:
It’s difficult to even consider, but if you set aside the fact that Ted Bundy was a monstrous murderer, he was also a terrible partner. [ . . . ] Some of my actions were purely driven by codependency. [ . . . ] I hope other women don’t repeat my mistakes of accepting less than honesty and respect in a relationship.
8. Pacific Northwest Camping Adventure 1970
Ted and Liz embarked on their first camping excursion together in the Pacific Northwest, a region they both loved for its natural beauty. Ironically, this area, especially Olympia and Seattle, would later become infamous as the hunting grounds for Ted’s heinous crimes.
In 1974, Ted abducted 21-year-old Lynda Ann Healy, ending her life by strangulation. Just a month later, he took the life of 19-year-old Donna Gail Manson, whose body was never found. By September of that year, he had killed six more young women.
After two women were abducted at Lake Sammamish in King County during July 1974, police gathered from eyewitnesses that they were searching for a “good-looking young man who introduced himself as ‘Ted.’” They also discovered he used an arm sling as a ruse to coax women into assisting him, leading them to his infamous VW Beetle.
The image of Ted joyfully leaping in the mountains gave no hint of the horrors to come. This marked his last year of liberty before he was imprisoned for his atrocious acts.
7. Ted After Waking From a Nap 1971
Liz described this photo as, “A grumpy Ted just waking up from a nap.” Captured in Green Lake, Seattle, years before Ted’s murderous rampage reached its peak, the image reveals his inability to conceal his volatile emotions.
Dr. Dorothy Lewis, a psychiatrist, interviewed Ted post-arrest and provided testimony during his mental competency hearing. She stated, “I believe he was experiencing a bipolar mood disorder linked to manic-depressive illness.”
These erratic mood shifts became evident to the public during his trials. Ted would energetically move around the courtroom, grin at the cameras, and gesture to the audience. Yet, within moments, he would become restless and disengaged from the proceedings.
Ted’s trial for the Lake City murder of Kimberly Leach was relocated to Orlando due to extensive pretrial publicity, which made it difficult to find an unbiased jury. However, his unpredictable behavior and emotional outbursts during the trial harmed his reputation far more than any media reports. Jurors witnessed firsthand the unstable and volatile nature of Ted.
6. Ted and Molly Steering a Boat 1971
By the age of three, Molly had begun to see Ted as a father figure, cherishing the time they spent together. Now, aware of the monster he truly was, Molly has shared unsettling memories in the updated version of her mother’s memoir.
Molly remembers a game of hide-and-seek with Ted while he was babysitting her one night. She was terrified when she discovered him naked. Frowning, she exclaimed, “You’re naked!” Ted responded, “I know, but it’s because I can turn invisible. My clothes can’t, and I didn’t want you to see me!”
Molly added, “I tried to push him aside, and in a bizarre moment, Ted fell onto the shower mat, sitting cross-legged and covering himself with his hands.” As an adult, she realized Ted had been aroused during the incident.
She also writes, “My next memory is of him leaving my room. I stayed awake, terrified, staring at the door for what felt like hours, hoping he wouldn’t return. He didn’t.”
5. Ted Engaging with Neighborhood Kids 1972
Basking in the sunlight of Seattle’s University District, Ted is pictured playing with Molly and her neighborhood friends. Ted’s own upbringing was fraught with confusion; he was raised believing his mother was his sister and his grandparents were his parents.
Born on November 24, 1946, in a Burlington, Vermont, home for unwed mothers, Ted’s mother, Eleanor “Louise” Cowell, initially considered adoption. However, her father insisted Ted be raised in their Philadelphia family home. For years, Ted grew up under the illusion that his mother was his older sister.
In The Stranger Beside Me, Ann Rule recounts Ted’s words: “Perhaps I realized that a 20-year age gap between siblings was unusual, and Louise always cared for me. Deep down, I knew she was my mother.”
Interviews later revealed that Ted uncovered the truth about his parentage when a cousin mocked him about his birth certificate, which listed no father. This revelation tormented Ted throughout his life.
4. Ted After a Nap 1974
This snapshot captures Ted waking up from a nap on Liz’s childhood bed during a Christmas visit to her family home in Ogden, Utah. By 1974, the horrific killings that would later horrify the world had already started. Liz mentioned noticing slight shifts in his behavior, making her feel as though she was “losing him.”
Kevin Sullivan, author of The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History, stated, “There were two sides to Bundy. Only his victims ever encountered the monstrous version.” He continued, “This is what sets 1974 apart. He was about to plunge into a full-time killing spree, and he wouldn’t stop until he was either caught or killed.”
In later discussions with investigators, Ted claimed he was controlled by an “entity,” a dark force that surfaced during moments of stress, compelling him to harm women. The serial killer admitted, “The pressure would become unbearable, and the demands of this entity would grow until they were impossible to resist.”
3. Ted Enjoying a Drink on the Courthouse Steps 1980
On January 15, 1978, Ted infiltrated the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University, where he savagely killed Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy. Three other women were assaulted that night but survived. His final act of evil—the murder of 12-year-old Kimberly Leach—sealed his fate, leading to his execution in the electric chair.
During a four-day hearing, US District Judge G. Kendall Sharp rejected the defense’s claim that Ted was incompetent during his trial. They argued that Ted had consumed alcohol smuggled in by his partner, Carole Ann Boone, and was under the influence of Valium and other drugs. Sharp countered, “[Ted] is the most capable serial killer in the nation at this moment.”
On January 24, 1989, Ted Bundy was executed via the electric chair at Florida State Prison.
2. Ted and Liz in Utah 1975
A close friend eventually urged Liz to share her suspicions about Ted with detectives. She had found several questionable items, such as women’s clothing that wasn’t hers and a set of crutches. After Ted’s arrest, Detective Robert D. Keppel interviewed Liz again, and this time, her account was given greater weight.
She disclosed:
Regarding the crimes . . . he admitted to me that he was ill and overwhelmed by something he couldn’t comprehend. He claimed he couldn’t control it. He said he tried, but it consumed so much of his time that it affected his law school performance and his ability to function normally. He confessed that he was obsessed with this uncontrollable force.
Liz continued, “He began by admitting he was ill, stating, ‘I don’t have a split personality.’ He also said, ‘I don’t experience blackouts; I remember every single thing I’ve done.’”
1. Molly Playing with Ted’s Hair 1975
In a Nightline interview with Molly and her mother, Molly shared, “I loved this man deeply. We felt like a real family.”
They nearly became a family when Liz became pregnant with Ted’s child in 1972. However, Liz chose to have an abortion, a decision she detailed in The Phantom Prince: “We both knew having a baby wasn’t feasible at the time. He was starting law school that fall, and I needed to work to support him.”
She continued, “It was a terrible experience. Ted brought me home, helped me into bed, and lay down beside me. He spoke about a future where I wouldn’t need to work and we’d have many children. He prepared food for me, though I couldn’t eat, and did everything he could to console me.”
Later, Ted did become a father to a daughter named Rose (also known as Rosa). He had Rose with his wife, Carole Ann Boone, while incarcerated. As of now, the current whereabouts of Rose and her mother, Carole, remain unknown.
