The Ted Bundy Tapes
Episode 1: Handsome Devil
Theodore Robert Bundy
(Birth Name: Theodore Robert Cowell)
Born: November 24, 1946, Burlington, Virginia
Convictions:
- Aggravated Kidnapping
- Attempted Murder
- Burglary
- Murder
- Rape
Victims: 30+
Span of Crimes: February 1, 1974 – February 9, 1978
States:
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Idaho
- Oregon
- Utah
- Washington
To effectively talk about this episode and series, I feel like we need to look at the different perspectives/timelines. timeline A is going to be Stephen Michaud’s part of the story, timeline B will be Hugh Aynesworth, timeline C will be Bundy’s life, and timeline D will be the cases against Bundy.
History of the Times
The United States in the 1970s was having according to President Jimmy Carter a crisis of confidence. There was plenty of social anger to be found on various topics of the decade. Serial murder was an unheard-of concept. It was the dawn of the serial killer title.
Stephen Michaud – Timeline A
Stephen Michaud met Ted Bundy on Death Row in 1980. Bundy had sent out a notice that he would be willing to speak with a journalist in exchange for a re-examination of the cases against him to prove his innocence. Michaud’s agent had approached him with the offer. Looking at the big picture, Michaud knew he wanted the job. It didn’t matter if Bundy was innocent or guilty, the story was going to be huge. Understanding his youth, Michaud knew he needed the assistance of his mentor Hugh Aynesworth. Hugh immediately agreed to help, and they came to terms with Bundy. Bundy had not been accessible to the press up until this point. Michaud headed to Florida State Prison to interview Bundy. Over the course of six months, Michaud recorded between 75-80 tapes worth of conversation. It amounts to approximately 100 hours’ worth of audio. To begin their first interview, Michaud spoke about some superficial things he had in common with Bundy. Even though Michaud was there to talk about the crimes, he got the impression that Bundy was after a celebrity biography. Bundy even when pressed continued to refuse to discuss the crimes. Michaud discussed an idea he had on how to get Bund to talk with Aynesworth. Hugh didn’t see the harm in at least trying it. Michaud used psychology and Bundy’s knowledge of it, to get Bundy talking in the third person about the crimes and the motives behind them.
Hugh Aynesworth – Timeline B
High Aynesworth understood what an important opportunity it was for them to interview Bundy. Hugh traveled to the Pacific Northwest to begin re-examining the cases against Bundy. His investigation wasn’t the easiest task given the six years that had passed. He was able to find where Bundy had knowledge that he could have exploited with his crimes.
Bundy’s Life – Timeline C
Bundy talks about an idealized childhood on Sheridan Street in Tacoma, Washington One of the neighborhood kids, Susan Holt, described how the Bundys were considered part of the have-not crowd. The Bundys presented themselves as the Leave It to Beaver type, but to everyone else, there was something off. The Bundy parents were involved parents. However, it was known that Ted enjoyed some alarming hobbies. Ted was made fun of as a young child for a speech impediment. While Bundy claims he was one of the guys, it is a very different picture painted by others who knew him at a young age. Bundy began university in 1966. During his time at college, he had a relationship with Diane Edwards. Ted would later claim to Michaud that his relationship had a lasting impact on him. A friend of Bundy’s, Marlin Lee Vorman, described Bundy’s draw to politics. Vorman explains how Bundy looked up to him and tried to be like him, right down to his Volkswagen Beetle. However, Bundy’s dreams were beyond his skills. He became depressed over his LSAT score because he wouldn’t get into an Ivy League school. At this time, his relationship with Diane broke down.
Cases Against Bundy – Timeline D
Lynda Ann Healy
- Disappeared on February 1st, 1974
- Her alarm went off on Friday morning like normal, however, she wasn’t in her room
- She had not told anyone that she was going anywhere, and it was unlike her not to check in with someone
- A bloodstain was found on her pillow and sheets even though the bed had been made. This was discovered during their first search, two days after she disappeared.
Georgann Hawkins
- Disappeared June 11th, 1974
- The only connection they could make between Georgann and Lynda was that Georgann lived near where Lynda had been abducted
- Georgann was also a reliable person like Lynda. Her disappearing was out of character
Janice Ann Ott
- Disappeared July 14th, 1974
- She disappeared from Lake Sammamish
- Police were able to gain some leads into her disappearance
Denise Marie Naslund
- Disappeared July 14th, 1974
- She disappeared from Lake Sammamish only 4 hours after Janice Ott
- Witnesses had seen someone approach her but weren’t able to give as many details as the witnesses to Janice Ott
My Thoughts
I loved the honesty from Stephen Michaud. The fact that he recognizes where Bundy could have been trying to exploit his youth. I also commend him for trying a different method to get Bundy to talk. It was a smart move and well worth it. My favorite part had to be Hugh Aynesworth talking about how with the knowledge Bundy had from working on the Settle Crime Prevention Commission, he could use it to his advantage. Both Bundy and the now-caught Golden State Killer got lucky with the fact that different police departments didn’t openly share information. Given the clear indication that Bundy is a narcissist, I don’t believe his description of his childhood. Not to mention did you catch how his mother described him? She said “The best son in the world. A very normal, active boy.” Did you catch it? She put in an unnecessary adjective that caused red flags with me. By calling him a very normal boy, she is placing emphasis on normal. If he was really normal the emphasis wouldn’t be needed. There is nothing normal about a child who enjoys building tiger traps where others could get seriously injured. I have often wondered after hearing Bundy talk about getting revenge on Diane if that was part of the motive behind the crime. He was living out the revenge he wanted to take on her with his victims; it wouldn’t be a giant leap to make. I had seen Silence of the Lambs as a young child and always wondered if Buffalo Bill’s ruse of needing assistance as a kidnapping technique was ever used. Obviously, now I know that Bundy was the inspiration for that. What a sick and deprived human to prey on the good nature of others. Next week, I continue my discussion of the Ted Bundy Tapes with Episode 2 – One of Us.