Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth interviewed Ted Bundy while he was on Florida’s death row. Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer: The Death Row Interviews was transcribed from taped recordings of their prison interviews with Bundy.
I recently became fascinated with Ted Bundy after the Netflix produced documentary and latest Bundy movie (also by Netflix). The first book I read about him was Ann Rule’s because everyone made such a fuss about it and all… but after watching the documentary, I wanted to get this book instead, because Bundy sat with these two investigative journalists instead of just people writing what they think happened (like Rule’s book).
I liked the documentary a lot, because it really explores a lot about Bundy. That’s the enigma of him. The book is very good, and basically all it is, is a transcript of the recordings of their prison interviews while Bundy was on Florida’s death row.
Certain sections can be boring and long, but it’s a short book compared to others. The book itself (physically) is very nice, even the paperback version. The paper is great quality for a paperback (very thick)… but it is pricey for a paperback though.
Bundy definitely was intelligent, and I don’t think there’s been anyone like him, which is why he’s so fascinating. Here’s the three things that people always say when describing Bundy: he was smart, attractive, and educated. He wasn’t like the stereotypical serial killer — didn’t have a prostitute mom, druggie upbringing, abusive home, high school dropout, etc. He wasn’t a weirdo like Manson, or ugly looking like the rest of them… he had relationships with very attractive, educated women from nice, well-to-do families. He just didn’t fit the “norm” of a stereotyped serial killer.
In Bundy’s dialogue, he really gives some great insight into psychopathology, and the FBI should definitely read this book. He even helped an FBI with the profiling of a serial killer. Even in his dialogue you can tell he’s very intelligent; and as ridiculous as this sounds, he sets the bar for a “psychopath”… the stuff that TV shows like Dexter tried to model after; because the fact is, most serial killers are the Manson/Gacy type, not the Bundy type.
In Bundy’s dialogue, he basically flat out says that there is no standard to base a pathology on. That sometimes there’s no reason why. People try to find out if there’s something in the childhood, something in the family, but he says there’s nothing, and I believe him. He’s a true psychopath.
That’s the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath. Although people use the two labels freely, a general consensus is that sociopaths are made, while psychopaths are born that way. Anyone doing a quick Wikipedia read, knows that Manson is a product of his upbringing (sociopath).
He also states that there’s a compulsive thrill in committing the crimes, much like an alcoholic or a druggie, or anyone with an addiction problem; and that killing was just a means of not being detected, but was not the driving factor for the crimes. He also had incredible insight on the state’s and the public’s justification for death sentences, and the rationalization of murderers.
Bundy graduated with honors as a psychology major at the University of Washington, so he definitely has some knowledge about this field, and I’m sure he’s given himself a self assessment. It’s very interesting, and he’s extremely articulate too. I imagine him as a sort of Hannibal Lecter, he got fried but Manson died of old age! Unbelievable. Florida was the worst state he could have gone to. He should have went somewhere like Iowa, where most people didn’t even have a TV set.
NYC Gal Out ♡ 