Ted Bundy was born Theodore Robert Cowell, now a famous American serial killer. Bundy admitted to killing 30 young women across the United States between 1974 and 1978. The actual number of his remians unknown. He escaped twice from prison. Bundy would usually bludgeon his victims then strangle them to death.
When did Bundy start killing? No one is sure. Many experts believe that he may have started in his early teens. Bundy would say his first murder was in sometime in 1972. His earliest proven murder was in 1974.
August 16 1975 Bundy was arrested in Salt Lake City, for failure to stop for a police officer.
A search of his car revealed a ski mask, a crowbar, handcuffs, trash bags, an icepick, and other items that were thought by the police to be burglary tools. Bundy would claim that he needed the mask for skiing and that he had found the handcuffs in a dumpster.
Bundy insisted on acting as his own attorney when he went to trial in June 1979. He even cross-examined witnesses, including the police officer who had discovered one of his vicitms bodies.
Bundy was convicted on all counts and sentenced to death. After confirming the sentence, Judge Cowart gave him the verdict:
It is ordered that you be put to death by a current of electricity, that current be passed through your body until you are dead. Take care of yourself, young man. I say that to you sincerely; take care of yourself, please. It is an utter tragedy for this court to see such a total waste of humanity as I’ve experienced in this courtroom. You’re a bright young man. You’d have made a good lawyer, and I would have loved to have you practice in front of me, but you went another way, partner. Take care of yourself. I don’t feel any animosity toward you. I want you to know that. Once again, take care of yourself.
At 7:06 a.m. local time on January 24, 1989, Ted Bundy was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison in Starke, Florida. His last words were, “I’d like you to give my love to my family and friends.” Then, more than 2,000 volts were applied across his body for less than two minutes. He was pronounced dead at 7:16 a.m. Several hundred people were gathered outside the prison and cheered when they saw the signal that Bundy had been declared dead.