The Horrific Story of Ted Bundy and His Notorious Legacy as a Charming Serial Killer

This article appeared in modernmic.com and has been published here with permission.

Ted Bundy was one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. One of the particularly alarming things about him was that he was known to be incredibly charming and well-spoken. He simply didn’t fit the profile of what one thinks of when one thinks about a severely disturbed individual. See the story of Bundy’s life and what ended up turning him into a monster.

A Tragic Childhood

Growing up, Ted Bundy believed himself to be raised in his parents' home alongside his sister, Eleanor Louise. In reality, though, the girl who he thought was his sister was actually his mother and the people who he believed to be his parents were really his grandparents.

Sadly, Ted's grandparents mistreated him and Eleanor, to the point that they ran away to live with Eleanor's boyfriend. Unfortunately, life with Eleanor's lover wouldn't turn out to be the safe haven they'd hoped for...

The Bundy Name

At this point, the boy who'd later be known as Ted Bundy was called Theodore Robert Cowell. He gained his now-famous last name when Eleanor married Johnny Bundy, who then adopted Ted. Johnny and Eleanor went on to have four children together and tried to include Ted in their family.

However, Ted wanted nothing to do with his stepfather - which he blamed on the fact that Johnny wasn't Ted's true father, and because he was supposedly unintelligent and poor. To this day, no one's sure of who Ted's biological father was.

Charming From the Start

Although Ted himself claims that he was unpopular and didn't understand social interactions, people who knew him have said otherwise. Several of Bundy's former classmates recall Ted being well-liked and reasonably popular.

It's worth noting that Ted's depiction of his grandparents' cruelty is also highly debated. He seemed to switch his opinion of them, and the recollections he had, with every interview. In fact, pretty much every aspect of Bundy's life was clouded in secrets and mystery.

There Were Signs

Despite Ted Bundy getting by in his younger years, there were always signs that something was slightly off with him. He used to look through trash cans, trying to find photos of unclothed women.

Bundy would also walk around trying to sneak glimpses of women through windows or he'd follow women in the streets. That being said, Ted later denied all of the above, despite the fact that he's the one who made the original claims.