It's an ordinary day in the 1970s.

Ted Bundy has somewhere to be. He's a law student, after all. Intelligent, well-spoken, and the sort of man who can hold a conversation with just about anyone.

He gets into his brown Volkswagen Beetle and goes about his day.

Nothing particularly unusual about him. No obvious warning signs. No reason for anyone passing him on the street to take a second look.

Until he spots a woman.

He approaches her with one arm in a sling. He's got a little problem, he explains. Could she possibly help him carry something to his car?

It's a small request. He looks injured. He seems polite. And why wouldn't she help?

That's exactly what he's counting on.

Because the man standing in front of her isn't just some university student with a broken arm.

He's Ted Bundy.

And this is how he gets close to some of his victims.

The really disturbing part? This wasn't a one-time trick. Bundy would repeatedly use fake injuries and his seemingly harmless appearance to get women to lower their guard.

[A little acting and a little manipulation, go a long way]

He knew what people wanted to see.

And he gave them exactly that.

But while the world saw a charming young law student with a promising future, a very different story was unfolding across several American states.

Women were vanishing. Their families were searching for answers. Police were receiving reports. And the man responsible was still going about his life.

So how did a man who was eventually linked to the murders of at least 30 women manage to keep everyone looking in the wrong direction?

Let's go back to the beginning.

Ted Bundy was born on November 24, 1946, in Burlington, Vermont. His childhood began with a family secret: he was raised believing his grandparents were his parents and that his mother was actually his sister. He didn't learn the truth until later.

As a child, he was described as quiet and shy. But there were disturbing incidents too. At just three years old, he reportedly surrounded his sleeping aunt with knives and stood watching her when she woke up.

[THREE. YEARS. OLD. Excuse me? 😭]

As he grew older, Bundy became increasingly skilled at presenting himself as someone people could trust. He was intelligent, well-spoken, politically involved, and generally well-liked.

He was also very aware of how people saw him.

And he knew how to use that.

In 1969, he met Elizabeth Kendall, a single mother who quickly fell in love with him. He became close to her young daughter, too. From the outside, he could look like the perfect boyfriend: attentive, charming, and helpful.

But behind that image was someone living an entirely different life.

Bundy was lying to Elizabeth, pursuing other relationships, and eventually beginning a series of brutal attacks against women.

And the people around him had no idea.

[The man was running two completely different lives. And one of them was horrifying 💀]

In January 1974, Karen Sparks was attacked in her home and left with life-changing injuries. She survived, although her attacker was never officially identified in court. Bundy is widely suspected of being responsible.

A month later, 21-year-old Linda Ann Healy disappeared from her home.

There were signs of a struggle. Blood on her bedding. Missing belongings. But no clear explanation of where she had gone.

Then came more disappearances.

Donna Gail Manson. Susan Rancourt. Roberta Parks. Brenda Ball. Georgann Hawkins.

The names kept adding up.

Bundy was developing a pattern. He would approach women, often pretending to be injured or asking for help carrying something. Sometimes he'd use crutches or a sling. Other times, he'd introduce himself as a police officer.

And he had a favourite prop: a brown Volkswagen Beetle.

He understood that people were more likely to help someone who looked harmless. So he made himself look harmless.

[Weaponising basic human kindness. Absolutely vile 🚩]

He was also working at a Seattle crisis hotline, where one of his colleagues was Ann Rule. She would later write The Stranger Beside Me, documenting her experience of working alongside him before discovering who he really was.

Even Rule eventually became suspicious after seeing a police sketch that resembled Bundy.

His girlfriend Elizabeth also contacted the police with her concerns.

They were warned.

More than once.

But Bundy was educated, charming, and didn't fit the image people had of a serial killer. And apparently, that was enough for some people to dismiss the possibility.

[The red flags were practically doing a group presentation 🚩]

Welcome back to The Crime Times, where every week we get into chilling crimes, bizarre mysteries, and the details that make you question humanity a little.

We're back with the third episode of our Serial Killer Series. And this week, we're stepping into the world of Ted Bundy, who broke various laws while studying Law..

So, put on your detective hat, keep your curiosity switched on, and let's get into it.

On November 8, 1974, Bundy approached 18-year-old Carol DaRonch at a shopping mall in Utah.

He introduced himself as Officer Ted Roseland and told her that her car had been broken into. He offered to take her to the police station.

She got into his car.

But something wasn't right. He wasn't driving towards the station, and his behaviour changed when she questioned him.

Bundy tried to restrain her with handcuffs and threatened her with a weapon.

Carol fought back.

She managed to escape and found help from a couple driving nearby. She later identified Bundy as her attacker.

[That fight for survival saved her life.]

And here's where things get even more disturbing.

That same day, Bundy abducted another young woman, 17-year-old Debbie Kent, who disappeared after attending a school performance. Investigators later found a key in the parking lot that matched the handcuffs Carol had escaped from.

A clue. A connection. A chance to catch him.

Bundy was eventually arrested and convicted for the kidnapping of Carol DaRonch.

But he was not finished.

Not even close.

While facing charges in Colorado, Bundy decided to represent himself in court.

This gave him access to the law library without handcuffs. And on June 7, 1977, during a break in proceedings, he escaped through a second-floor courthouse window.

Yes. A courthouse window.

[He was literally on trial. How did we get here? 😭]

He was recaptured six days later after stealing a car and being pulled over.

You'd think that would be the end of his escape attempts.

You'd be wrong.

In December 1977, Bundy escaped again. This time, he had spent weeks preparing. He had lost weight to squeeze through a hole he had cut in his cell ceiling, eventually making his way out through the jail's crawl space.

And this time, he made it much farther.

He travelled to Florida.

[this is gonna be bad 💀]

And in January 1978, the killings continued.

On January 15, 1978, Bundy entered the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University.

Within approximately 15 minutes, he had attacked four women.

Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy were murdered. Kathy Kleiner and Karen Chandler survived, despite suffering horrific injuries.

He then attacked Cheryl Thomas, who lived nearby.

Think about that for a second. Five women attacked in one night. Two murdered. Three left to survive the aftermath.

And Bundy was still moving.

Less than a month later, on February 9, he abducted 12-year-old Kimberly Leach from her school in Lake City, Florida. She was later found murdered.

It would be his last known killing.

On February 15, Bundy was pulled over in Pensacola while driving a stolen Volkswagen Beetle. The officer recognised him, and Bundy attempted to flee before being arrested.

Finally.

After years of disappearances, warnings, escapes, and missed opportunities, he was in custody.

[It was about time. Seriously.]

Bundy's trial for the Chi Omega murders began in 1979 and became the first nationally televised murder trial in the United States.

And it turned into a spectacle.

Bundy represented himself, cross-examined witnesses, and behaved with an astonishing level of confidence considering the charges against him.

But the strangest part?

He had fans. [I beg your finest pardon?!]

Women travelled to the courtroom to watch him. Some even copied his hairstyle and clothing. They sent him letters, expressed support, and treated him like a celebrity.

[Ladies. PLEASE 😭]

Imagine being accused of murdering women and having people show up to cheer you on.

The prosecution presented forensic evidence, including bite-mark evidence linking Bundy to Lisa Levy's murder. Survivors also testified about the attacks.

The jury found him guilty of the Chi Omega murders, and he was sentenced to death.

He was later convicted of Kimberly Leach's murder and received another death sentence.

But even then, Bundy continued trying to control the narrative.

He filed appeals, challenged evidence, and eventually began confessing to murders in the years leading up to his execution. He gave investigators details about crimes that only the killer could have known.

His confessions were also a way of keeping people listening.

[Even now, he wanted to control the story.]

On January 24, 1989, Ted Bundy was executed in Florida's electric chair.

He was 42 years old.

It's easy to look at Bundy's case and wonder how someone could have fooled so many people.

But the more uncomfortable question is how many people actually tried to warn others.

Ann Rule recognised the resemblance between Bundy and the police sketch. Elizabeth Kendall contacted the police with her suspicions. Women escaped his attacks and provided descriptions. Investigators received tips.

And still, he continued.

His intelligence and charm made him difficult to suspect. His appearance made people underestimate the danger. And every time he escaped, more lives were put at risk.

Ted Bundy is remembered as one of America's most infamous serial killers. But behind every headline, courtroom appearance, and documentary is a person whose life was taken.

He didn't become dangerous the day he was caught. He was dangerous every day people were being told not to worry about him.

So here's something to think about:

How many warning signs does it take before we stop making excuses for someone?

And how many people pay the price while everyone else is busy deciding whether the person looks dangerous enough?

— The Crime Times

(Your smartest friend who's dangerously obsessed with true crime 🧚🏻‍♀️)