The Lady Killer

The Lady Killer

Theodore “Ted” Cowell was born in Vermont on November 24, 1946. Initially he was raised by his grandparents who disguised themselves as his parents to hide their daughter’s shameful pregnancy. In 1951, Ted’s mother married Johnnie Bundy and took on his last name, although their relationship was not close. Ted was an only child before his mother was married and as a result gained 4 stepbrothers and sisters, who he was not fond of being around either. He became increasingly isolated following these events, spending most of his time alone. Despite the disconnect at home, Ted did well as a student and was popular thanks to his natural good looks.

While attending the University of Washington in 1967, Ted met Stephanie Brooks, a classmate he had fallen completely in love with. They began to date, though she never seemed to show the same interest in Ted. Eventually, Brooks ended their relationship abruptly after dating for some time. This is not a breakup that Ted would soon get over. He continued to do well with his studies, going on to become a charismatic Republican campaigner, helping to boost his self-esteem and confidence. Ted continued to become more successful and professional attracting the attention of Stephanie once again. The two got back together again, even going on to get engaged before Ted ended the relationship out of the blue, similar to what Brooks had done to him. At the same time, Bundy began to slack in school, and suddenly young women began to disappear from the Pacific Northwest.

It is unknown when Ted’s first homicide was, but soon after his breakup, he went on a rampage, raping and bludgeoning young women to death. He would usually fake an injury of some sort, to get the help of a stranger, or he would break into houses, sodomize his victims and beat them to death. Women were going missing from the Washington area at the rate of about one per month and increasing. Police and newspaper outlets quickly picked up on the cases, and...