Ted Bundy: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile – Denouncing a Murderer or Sympathizing with the Devil?

Call it morbid fascination or extreme form of entertainment, Hollywood loves to push the envelope and trigger our dark side. The latest addition to this tradition is the Ted Bundy movie; which chronicles the life and crimes of America’s most notorious serial killer. Zac Efron is playing Ted, the most suitable candidate in my eyes for the role. So, who was Ted Bundy? You know he was a serial killer but there is more to it, much more – The man was the very definition of heartless evil – so, what transpired him to take the left-hand path and sign a pact with the devil? Let us find out.

A Devil in God’s Country

Theodore Robert Bundy, affectionately known as Ted was born on 24^th November, 1946 to Eleanor Louise Cowell. While the identity of his father is unknown, it is speculated that he was a sailor who seduced his mother – guess that is where Ted got his seduction traits from. If Mr. Bundy’s word is to be believed, he had a perfectly normal upbringing. He was raised chiefly by his grandparents who used to take him to the Saabath every weekend.

It was not long before it was discovered that the young Bundy stood out – not for the right reasons though. His grandmother once found him standing next to her bed, holding kitchen knives in his hands and affording a nefarious smile.

Generally speaking, there are 3 primary reasons that can drive a person to become a mass murderer:

1. A culmination of physical and sexual abuse during childhood.
2. An undetected psychological illness – such as Schizophrenia or Bipolar disorder that can drive a person to commit heinous crimes.
3. Lastly, Poverty, of course. When you are broke and life shuts all its doors on you, the only way to make ends meet is by coercion and violating the sanctity of human life.

Unfortunately, Bundy was plagued with psychological illness which went undeterred throughout his life, plunging him into a life of crime.

Eluding Law and Striking Revelations

Bundy was a very shrewd operator, he made sure no traces of his crimes were left behind. Initially starting out as a delinquent, Bundy committed his first murder (killing and mutilating) 2 women in the state of New Jersey. What followed next was a gruesome spree of mutilation, rape and necrophilia. What lured victims to him was his good looks and charisma. Victims who managed to evade him told police that he had an eloquent way of expressing himself – a certain vivacity with which he carried himself.

Without going into the details of his crimes, one can say without reasonable doubt that Mr. Bundy was a cold, heartless criminal who loved to have complete authority over his victims. In his own words, “I am the most cold-hearted son of a b*&%# you’ll ever meet.”

Even the most cunning of criminals leave behind a trail and so did Bundy. He was captured by the police and went through a lengthy process of interrogation, during which he made striking admissions. However, Bundy was not going to go down without a fight, he somehow managed to escape from prison twice before being captured for the last time.

Bundy confessed to 30 homicides, however, experts estimate the number could be as high as 100-125. He was executed via the electric chair on the eve of 24^th January, 1989. Let us look at the case of Bundy from a medical angle.

A Medical Perspective – The Dark Triad

Bundy manifested what psychologists call a ‘’dark triad’’. It constitutes of undesirable behavioral traits such as aggression, sexual deviancy and impulsivity. As mentioned above, Bundy had problems during his childhood that went unchecked. He wanted attention and the fulfilment of his darkest desires.

The Dark Triad constitutes of ‘’Narcissism, Machiavellianism and Psychopathy”. It does not come as a surprise that almost all serial killers and miscreants for that matter, manifest these traits. The problem is, people do not treat mental illness in the same way they treat Cancer or Hepatitis. Mental illness is equated with mood swings and people assume it only stems for social pressure, which is a complete travesty and pseudo-science.

If you identify a troubled youth or someone who deviates from the norms of our society, sit down with them, talk to them and listen to them with an open mind. Prevention is better than cure – with the advancements made in science, we can certainly avoid the likes of Ted Bundy, Javaid Iqbal (Our own version of Ted Bundy) in the future. Remember, mental illness is real, it can compel individuals to do Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile things.