Ted Bundy: A Lost Resource

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Ted Bundy, the man who violently stole the lives of more than forty women, does not easily fit into any compartment of criminal theory. An outwardly intelligent, responsible and gregarious person, Bundy's killing spree went unchecked over a period of years, because his personality and lifestyle did not fit with any previously established profile of a serial killer. It contends that Bundy, had he lived out his life in prison, may have provided the world with extraordinary insights into one of the most perplexing criminal minds in American history.

From the Paper:

"In Dr. Charles Whitfield's 2004 book, The Truth About Mental Illness, he demonstrates a very strong link between mental illness and childhood trauma. Complex childhood post-traumatic stress syndrome is an area that is being explored in depth during this decade. However, during Bundy's incarceration, although childhood trauma was considered as a factor, it was not well understood. Born in Burlington, Vermont in 1946, Bundy was the illegitimate child of a woman whose family was so ashamed of his mother's unmarried status when she gave birth, that his grandparents claimed him as their own child. They led Ted and others to believe that his mother was his older sister. When he was thirteen, a cousin proved to Ted that his "older sister" was actually his mother. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Durkeheim, Emile, 'On the Normality of Crime,' in Theories of Society, edited by Free Press. pp. 872-75
• Foreman, Laura, Ed. Time-Life, Editors Serial Killers Time-Warner, New Jersey: 1992.
• Graham, Irene. http://libertus.net/censor/rdocs/candle.html Brisbane, AU 2004.
• Greek, Dr. Cecil E. Criminological Theory http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/week6.htm
• Kendall, Elizabeth The Phantom Prince, My life with Ted Bundy Madrona Publ, Seattle: 1981.

More papers on Ted Bundy: A Lost Resource:

• Research Paper # 72044 : "Ted Bundy: Study of a Serial Killer"
• Analytical Essay # 4422 : "An Analysis of Ted Bundy through the Lens of Information-Processing Theory"
• Analytical Essay # 22583 : "A Lost Lady"

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