Ted Bundy, an American serial killer, kidnapped, raped, and murdered dozens of young women and girls across Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Florida between 1974 and 1978. He was convicted of multiple murders and executed in Florida in 1989.
Bundy & Hagmaier — Credit: United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. An uncropped version of the same image is published on pp. 44-45 of Serial Killers – True Crime ISBN 978-0-7835-0001-0 and the photo credit on pg. 190 reads "Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation". The same image is included in the FBI Ted Bundy Multiagency Investigative Team Report with the caption "SSA Bill Hagamaier and Bundy during final confession on the eve of Bundy's execution, 1/23/89." · Public domain
Between 1974 and 1978, Theodore Robert Bundy kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and killed dozens of young women and girls across several U.S. states, including Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Florida. According to Wikipedia's account of his life and crimes, Bundy typically approached victims by feigning injury or posing as an authority figure to gain their trust before attacking them, often with a blunt weapon, restraining them with handcuffs, and transporting them to remote locations for sexual assault and murder. He is reported to have revisited the bodies of some victims after death.
Bundy's earliest confirmed killings occurred in the Pacific Northwest in 1974, beginning with an attack on Karen Sparks in January of that year, followed by the disappearances and murders of several college students in Washington and Oregon, including Lynda Ann Healy, Donna Gail Manson, Susan Elaine Rancourt, Roberta Kathleen Parks, Brenda Carol Ball, and Georgann Hawkins. In July 1974, two women, Janice Ann Ott and Denise Marie Naslund, were abducted from Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah, Washington, in an incident witnessed by multiple bystanders who later helped police develop a composite sketch of the suspect.
Bundy's crimes continued after he relocated to Utah in 1974, where he was linked to the deaths and disappearances of Nancy Wilcox, Melissa Anne Smith, Laura Ann Aime, Debra Jean Kent, Lynnette Dawn Culver, and Susan Curtis, among others. He also survived an attempted abduction of Carol DaRonch in November 1974, an incident that later contributed to his identification and prosecution. In 1975, his activity shifted to Colorado, where he was linked to the deaths of Caryn Eileen Campbell, Julie Lyle Cunningham, and Denise Lynn Oliverson.
Bundy was arrested in Utah in August 1975 by Utah Highway Patrol officer Bob Hayward after a traffic stop revealed suspicious items in his vehicle. He was later identified by DaRonch and convicted in 1976 of aggravated kidnapping and attempted criminal assault, receiving a sentence of one to fifteen years. Colorado authorities subsequently charged him with the murder of Caryn Campbell. While facing that charge, Bundy engineered two escapes from custody, after which he continued committing crimes, including further murders, before being recaptured. He was ultimately convicted in Florida of additional murders and received three death sentences across two trials.
Bundy was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison on January 24, 1989. Investigative work on the case involved multiple law enforcement agencies across several states, including a multi-state summit of detectives and prosecutors in Aspen, Colorado, in 1975 to share evidence and information.
Georgann Hawkins, Caryn Eileen Campbell, Julie Lyle Cunningham, Laura Ann Aime, Denise Lynn Oliverson, Roberta Kathleen Parks, Lynda Ann Healy, Nancy Wilcox, Susan Elaine Rancourt, Carol DaRonch, Karen Sparks, Denise Marie Naslund, Brenda Carol Ball, Janice Ann Ott, Donna Gail Manson, Debra Jean Kent, Lynnette Dawn Culver, Susan Curtis, Melissa Anne Smith
Date
1974
Location
Seattle, Washington (crime spree spanned Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Florida)
Case status
solved
Case timeline
1974-01-04
Karen Sparks was attacked in her basement apartment in Seattle, Washington, and left with permanent injuries.
1974-02-01
Lynda Ann Healy was abducted from her basement room in Seattle; she was later murdered.
1974-03-12
Donna Gail Manson disappeared from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.
1974-04-17
Susan Elaine Rancourt disappeared from Central Washington State College in Ellensburg.
1974-05-06
Roberta Kathleen Parks disappeared from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon.
1974-06-01
Brenda Carol Ball disappeared after leaving a tavern near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
1974-06-11
Georgann Hawkins disappeared while walking near her University of Washington sorority house.
1974-07-14
Janice Ann Ott and Denise Marie Naslund were abducted from Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah, Washington.
1974-09-02
An unidentified hitchhiker was killed in Idaho, a crime Bundy later confessed to.
1974-10-02
Nancy Wilcox disappeared in Holladay, Utah.
1974-10-18
Melissa Anne Smith disappeared in Midvale, Utah.
1974-10-31
Laura Ann Aime disappeared in Lehi, Utah.
1974-11-08
Carol DaRonch survived an abduction attempt by a man posing as a police officer in Murray, Utah; Debra Jean Kent disappeared later the same evening in Bountiful, Utah.
1975-01-12
Caryn Eileen Campbell disappeared from the Wildwood Inn in Snowmass Village, Colorado.
1975-03-15
Julie Lyle Cunningham disappeared in Vail, Colorado.
1975-04-06
Denise Lynn Oliverson disappeared near Grand Junction, Colorado.
1975-05-06
Lynnette Dawn Culver disappeared in Pocatello, Idaho.
1975-06-28
Susan Curtis disappeared from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
1975-08-16
Bundy was arrested by Utah Highway Patrol officer Bob Hayward in Granger, Utah.
1976-02
Bundy stood trial and was found guilty of the kidnapping and assault of Carol DaRonch.
1976-06
Bundy was sentenced to one to fifteen years in the Utah State Prison.
1977-01
Bundy was transferred to Aspen, Colorado, to face charges for the murder of Caryn Campbell.
1977-06-07
Bundy escaped custody in Aspen, Colorado, during a preliminary hearing.
1989-01-24
Bundy was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison.
Best coverage
Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
Bailey Sarian / 37 min
1 Of Americas Most Notorious, Ted Bundy - Mystery & Makeup | Bailey Sarian
People
Georgann Hawkins
VICTIM
Disappeared while walking near her sorority house at the University of Washington in June 1974.
Bob Hayward
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Utah Highway Patrol officer who arrested Bundy in Granger, Utah, in August 1975.
Caryn Eileen Campbell
VICTIM
Disappeared from the Wildwood Inn in Snowmass Village, Colorado, in January 1975; body found a month later.
Julie Lyle Cunningham
VICTIM
Disappeared in Vail, Colorado, in March 1975; remains never recovered.
Laura Ann Aime
VICTIM
Disappeared in Lehi, Utah, in October 1974; body found in American Fork Canyon.
Denise Lynn Oliverson
VICTIM
Disappeared near Grand Junction, Colorado, in April 1975; remains never recovered.
Roberta Kathleen Parks
VICTIM
Disappeared from Oregon State University in May 1974.
Lynda Ann Healy
VICTIM
Abducted and murdered in Seattle, Washington, in February 1974.
Nancy Wilcox
VICTIM
Disappeared in Holladay, Utah, in October 1974; remains never recovered.
Susan Elaine Rancourt
VICTIM
Disappeared from Central Washington State College in April 1974.
Carol DaRonch
VICTIM
Survived an attempted abduction by a man posing as a police officer in Murray, Utah, in November 1974; later identified Bundy in a lineup.
Karen Sparks
VICTIM
Survived a bludgeoning and sexual assault in Seattle, Washington, in January 1974, sustaining permanent injuries.
Denise Marie Naslund
VICTIM
Abducted from Lake Sammamish State Park, Washington, in July 1974; remains later found near Issaquah.
Brenda Carol Ball
VICTIM
Disappeared after leaving a tavern near Seattle in June 1974.
Janice Ann Ott
VICTIM
Abducted from Lake Sammamish State Park, Washington, in July 1974; remains later found near Issaquah.
Donna Gail Manson
VICTIM
Disappeared from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, in March 1974; remains never recovered.
Debra Jean Kent
VICTIM
Disappeared from Viewmont High School in Bountiful, Utah, in November 1974; remains never recovered.
Lynnette Dawn Culver
VICTIM
Disappeared in Pocatello, Idaho, in May 1975; remains never recovered.
Ted Bundy
CONVICTED
Convicted in Utah of aggravated kidnapping and attempted criminal assault (1976) and convicted in Florida of multiple murders, receiving three death sentences; executed January 24, 1989.
Susan Curtis
VICTIM
Disappeared from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, in June 1975; remains never recovered.
Melissa Anne Smith
VICTIM
Disappeared in Midvale, Utah, in October 1974; body found nine days later.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Archival records
archival location
Bundy & Hagmaier
Credit: United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. An uncropped version of the same image is published on pp. 44-45 of Serial Killers – True Crime ISBN 978-0-7835-0001-0 and the photo credit on pg. 190 reads "Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation". The same image is included in the FBI Ted Bundy Multiagency Investigative Team Report with the caption "SSA Bill Hagamaier and Bundy during final confession on the eve of Bundy's execution, 1/23/89." · Public domain · Source
Ted Bundy, an American serial killer, kidnapped, raped, and murdered dozens of young women and girls across Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Florida between 1974 and 1978. He was convicted of multiple murders and executed in Florida in 1989.
Where did the murders happen?
Seattle, Washington (crime spree spanned Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Florida).
Who was convicted?
Ted Bundy (Convicted in Utah of aggravated kidnapping and attempted criminal assault (1976) and convicted in Florida of multiple murders, receiving three death sentences; executed January 24, 1989.).
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