Ted Bundy's arrest photos (Image: Alamy Stock Photo)
Serial killer Ted Bundy drew his final breath on January 24, 1989.
The execution chamber at Florida State Prison was filled with 42 witnesses, all present to witness the demise of the man who had terrorized and brutally killed at least 36 young women and girls.
Beyond the prison walls, a celebratory mood prevailed, with hundreds assembling to consume beer and chant for the murderer's downfall.
University of Florida students even organized an evening barbecue, serving 'Bundy burgers' and 'electrified hot dogs'.
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However, Bundy himself was far from festive. He declined to choose a last meal and didn't touch the standard offering of steak, eggs, hash browns, and toast that was served to him prior to his execution in the electric chair, as reported by the Mirror.
As 2000 volts surged through his body, his hands tightened, his body became rigid, and a puff of smoke ascended from his right leg. After a minute, it was over.
During his trial, it was disclosed that Bundy had been an exemplary young man outwardly. Eloquent and attractive, he was a law student who even volunteered at a suicide prevention hotline.
(Original Caption) Close up of Theodore Bundy, convicted Florida murderer, charged with other killings. (Image: Bettmann Archive)
However, beneath the facade, Bundy preyed on young women and girls throughout the '70s - sexually assaulting and killing them before discarding their bodies.
This horrific perpetrator would often return to the sites where he left the bodies, engaging in necrophilia. His depraved acts ended only when decomposition set in or when wildlife had their fill of the corpses.
Creating a ghastly collection, he kept several severed heads as morbid keepsakes, performing sexual acts on them once makeup was applied.
Bundy confessed to cannibalism, saying it was a way of "possessing" his victims, essentially becoming a part of him. The serial killer also spoke of his addiction to murder, chillingly stating: "You feel their last bit of breath leaving their body. You're looking into their eyes. A person in that situation is God! ".
His life of terror came to an end following a report from his former partner, Elizabeth Kendall leading to his arrest and trial. A death sentence eventually sealed Bundy's fate.
His life ended by electric chair on January 24, 1989. Following his death, researchers hoped to uncover what drove his transformation from respected individual to monstrous killer.
Looking for possible triggers for his terrifying behavior, scientists extracted Bundy's brain for testing. Some experts have linked specific brain injuries with delinquent actions.
Some of Bundy's victims (L-R) Roberta Parks, Julie Cunningham, Brenda Carol Ball, Georgann Hawkins, Susan Rancourt, Kimberly Lea (Image: Police)
Interestingly, Bundy conveyed to the detective who played a key role in his capture that his compulsion to assault and murder was like a "chemical tidal wave washing through his brain". He likened his uncontrollable impulses to those of a drug addict.
Yet, when scientists examined Bundy's brain, they found it to be normal, with no signs of damage, abnormalities, or lesions.
The infamous serial killer was cremated after his execution, and his ashes were scattered over the same mountains where he had disposed of some of his victims' remains - in a disturbing final request.
Bundy's horrific spree began in 1974 with an attack on an 18 year old student in her basem*nt, leaving her comatose for ten days and permanently brain-damaged.
With no previous criminal history, Bundy committed his first known murder shortly thereafter.
He entered the residence of another student, Lynda Ann Healy, rendered her unconscious, dressed her, and abducted her in her own vehicle. She vanished without a trace, though a piece of her skull was later discovered in an area where Bundy had discarded the remains of multiple victims.
Bundy frequently preyed on the goodwill of his victims, feigning injury with a fake cast and soliciting their assistance to carry items to his car. Once they were close enough, he would incapacitate them with a blow to the head, then proceed to rape, murder, and dispose of their bodies.
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Ted Bundy and former girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall (Image: Amazon Prime)
The horror story of Ted Bundy began with the abduction of an unsuspecting hitchhiker. In a gruesome display of his depravity, he raped and strangled her, then disposed of her body in a river.
The following day, Bundy returned to the scene for a grotesque photo session with her dismembered remains. His murderous rampage continued in Salt Lake City, where he claimed the life of 16 year old Nancy Wilcox.
He subjected her to rape and strangulation before hiding her body from the world.
Melissa Anne Smith, just 17 years old and the daughter of a local police chief, vanished after stepping out of a pizza parlor. Bundy had seized her, and her body was found nine days later.
Bundy saw murder as a perverse sport, even referring to an "off-season" when he would kidnap women solely to refine his predatory techniques, only to let them go afterward. He took pride in eluding the authorities, confident in his intellectual edge over them.
In 1975, the law finally caught up with him when he was arrested for the abduction of Carol DaRonch, one of the few who survived his brutal attacks. This led to a 15-year sentence.
However, Bundy's time behind bars was brief. In 1977, while acting as his own attorney in court, he made a daring escape by leaping from a library window and disappeared.
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Despite being recaptured eight days later, Bundy managed another escape in December 1977 through a hole in his cell ceiling, this time fleeing to Florida.
There, his reign of terror reached a horrifying climax when he brutally attacked the Chi Omega sorority at Florida State University, raping and murdering four women in just 15 minutes in January 1978.
He ruthlessly killed Margaret Bowman with a piece of firewood before strangling her with a stocking. He then savagely attacked and strangled Lisa Levy, 20, before sexually assaulting her with a bottle, mutilating one of her nipples, and leaving a deep bite mark on her buttock.
Next, he senselessly murdered two more students, Karen Chandler and Kathy Kleiner, as they slept in an adjacent bedroom. His final known victim was 12-year-old Kimberly Leach whom he kidnapped from school, raped, killed, and left her body beneath a pig shed.
A few days later, Bundy was finally captured when his stolen Beetle car was found. After confessing to 36 murders, Bundy was imprisoned and rumors circulated that he was subjected to repeated rapes by four men while awaiting execution on death row.
