Ted Bundy

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Ted Bundy

Marel Respress

Columbia College

Professor Judith Revels

Criminology SOCI 321

This research paper will explore the life of a serial killer named Ted Bundy. We will look at the cause and effects of him becoming a serial killer. We will also discuss the different criminology theories behind Ted Bundy’s actions. Based on what was discovered in the research no one theory can explain the action of Ted Bundy as a serial killer. The remainder of the paper is laid out as follows: biography of Ted Bundy, introduction, discussion of crimes and theories, and the conclusion.

Biography of Ted Bundy
Theodore Robert Cowell later known as Ted Bundy was the son of Eleanor Louise Cowell; his father was not in his life. He was born in Burlington, Vermont, on November 24th, 1946; a Caucasian male. He was raised in a middle class family environment. His mother was a department store clerk. During Bundy’s early childhood, he and his mother resided with his psychologically challenged grandfather in Philadelphia. Due to society and the way unwed mothers are viewed; Bundy was led to believe that his grandparents were his mother and father and that his mother was his sister. Ted Bundy and his mother moved to Tacoma, Washington where she met and married John Culpepper Bundy; a hospital cook. She had four more children and Bundy spent most of his time babysitting his siblings. He was very detached from his stepfather. In school he did not fit in with the other children and had no friends. According to Lohr, as a teenager, he was a thief, and showed great interest in images of sex and violence but this was not enough for him. He never really had a feeling of belonging in society. He made good grades and earned a scholarship to college. In college he met his first true love but she dropped him and he became devastated, and research shows that his victims were look alike to her. He needed more in order

to fulfill his desires. This is where the drive-reduction theory comes into play. The drive-reduction theory believes that a physiological need creates and aroused state that drives the organism to reduce the need. This is where Bundy turned to violent murderers to fulfill his needs. Some people believe that because of Bundy’s childhood and college experience this is what led to him becoming a serial killer. Ted Bundy was known as the most notorious serial killer of young women in America during the 1970’s. He was a very attractive and intelligent young man that most women found very hard to resist. He was able to use his good looks and charming personality to deceive family, friends, love ones and law enforcement that he was someone totally different. A disappearance of a young 8 year old girl in Bundy’s neighborhood occurred while he was a teenager. Many people believe that Bundy started to kill at this time. As he travelled around the United States young women started to disappear. The manner in which dead young women were discovered revealed a pattern. The manner in which they were killed and tortured led law enforcement to believe that a serial killer was on the loose. Many experts believed that Bundy was a sociopath. Ted Bundy victims fit into a certain stereotypes, which they were college girls with long brown hair. This was a

symbolism for him. He would rape then murder, or murder then rape, young women, by bludgeoning or strangulation. It is said that Bundy was blaming his old girlfriend over and over while killing young women. He confessed to over 30 murders but it was believe that he committed many more.

according to the textbook this relates to the deterrence theory which assumes that criminals make a rational choice before committing a crime. arch and There are many theories in criminology that fit the pattern of behavior that was displayed by Ted Bundy. The two keys theories that can be linked to Ted Bundy are the Modeling...
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