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My name is Lindsay Caddell. I am a junior at HTHS. I've always loves watching shows like CSI and Criminal Minds and I am very interested in the many differnt types of serial killers. Theodore Robert Bundy is one of the most famous serial killers known to man. I find it fasinating that he managed to rape and kill over thirty women and escape from jail twice. I will hopefully find many interesting things to share about this criminal.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Interview with Stephen Michaud


I was unable to get in touch with the author or the novel i read, but luckily I did reach Mr. Stephen Michaud,via telephone the author of Ted Bundy: Conversations With A Killer. I wish that I had read Michaud's book instead of Ann Rule's, because he seemed to be more knowledgeable about the topic and he has slightly different opinions than Rule does. Ann thought more along the lines that Ted was a normal guy when Stephanie broke his heart then he went crazy, but Stephen discussed how one occurrence doesn't make someone want to kill. It is a gradual process that normally begins at the adolescent stage. And the reason a lot of his victims had the same hair style as Stephanie Brooks? It was simply the popular style at the time to have long straight hair parted in the middle. Ted has described it as a "community standard". He went after average looking women, and most women had their hair that way. Another thing that Michaud didn't entirely agree with is the fact that pornography had a lot to do with Ted's killing. Apparently, the man who interview Ted before his execution (Dobson) had already begun a type of campaign against pornography at the time and it would do great things for his career is Ted Bundy would place some of the blame on pornographic videos. Of course, Ted didn't lie, he was addicted to pornography, but maybe it didn't twist his mind in ways we are led to believe. Stephen agreed with my conclusion that Bundy's confidence had a lot to do with his great success as a killer but he mention a few things a didn't really think about. Ted was a sociopath- which means he has absolutely no remorse or guilt. If you don't feel bad about doing something, why would you stop? Also, Ted spread his crimes around and didn't act over and over again in the same place. It was more difficult for authorities to connect all his crimes this way. Michaud also agreed with the fact that sociopath serial killers are incapable of love. Ted never loved Stephanie and he never loved Meg either. He only loved himself, and having a girlfriend was only for sexual pleasure and to make him seem like a normal part of society. My final question to ask Stephen Michaud was why were women so entranced with Ted when they knew what he had done? While he was on death row for horrible crimes, why were women writing him love notes, and sending care packages? Michaud made the analogy that it was like seeing a huge, deadly animal at the zoo. Like that excitement you get when you see the gorillas, knowing they could tear you to shreds if they weren't behind bars. It's still a little confusing why this would turn some women on. Stephen also made the point that "Women reading about Ted Bundy is like Bambi reading a book on deer hunting." Why would this excite him? Why does a serial killer excite some women? It's an answer that's different depending on the specific person.

I am so glad that I interviewed Stephen Michaud instead of Ann Rule. Not necessarily because I think he is right and she is wrong, but now I have two authors opinions on Ted, and I can take in what they both told me plus the other material I've learned and form my own opinions. It's a little frustrating not knowing the answers to all the questions about Ted, questions only he knows the answer to. Like how many women did he actually kill? How many attempts were there? WAS he capable of feeling love? Did pornography or Stephanie Brooks have anything to do with his killing? Was his first murder Ann Marie Burr when he was only 14 years old? There are so many questions that I will unfortunately never know the answer of. The bright side is, my main question was answered. How was Ted Bundy such a successful serial killer? Easy. His confidence, lack of guilt, and knowledge on how NOT to get caught.


Michaud, Stephen. Personal Interview by Lindsay Caddell. 07 May 2010.