How Forensics Solved the Case: TED BUNDY

Forensic Evidence: Ted Bundy’s Murder Kit

How Forensics Solved the Case: TED BUNDY

Forensic Evidence: Ted Bundy’s Volkswagen

- Ted’s Volkswagen was a stolen vehicle from Pensacola, Florida. (Rachael)

- An Officer patrolling the Pensacola area saw an orange Volkswagen at 10 p.m. on February 15th, and he was curious of the vehicle because he has never seen it before; he entered the license plate number and found out it was stolen. (Rachael)

- After struggling to capture Ted, he was finally caught. This arrest was the final capture of Ted Bundy and the trials to come. (Rachael)

- When Ted was captured, they found very suspicious objects: a box of large green plastic garbage bags, and ice pick, a flashlight, a pair of gloves, torn strips of sheeting, a pair of handcuffs, and a strange mask made from a panty hose, and a crowbar behind the driver’s seat. The passenger seat was also removed and was placed in the back seat. (Olson)

- These items were later examined by forensic examiners and were found to be substantial evidence for the Ted Bundy cases prior.

• In 1975, items such as gloves, handcuffs, flashlight, ski masks, crowbar and many more were found from Bundy’s car. The handcuffs were most likely used by Bundy to kidnap his victim(s).

• The handcuffs are believed to be used on one of the victims named Carol DaRonch, when Ted Bundy pretended to be a Security Guard named “Roseland”.

• Forensic serologists were able to extract blood from Carol’s coat using the ABO system, which involves examining the surface of the red blood cells for two antigens known as A and B, with blood type being named after the type of antigens it contains, including A, B, AB and O. The blood type that was found was blood type O, which was the same as Ted Bundy’s.

• Blood typing helps pinpoint individuals and their relation to the crime, and can provide irreplaceable piece of testimony in the criminal court

• A few months after the Carol DaRonch incident: Caryn Campbell, Susan Rancourt and Lynda Ann Healy’s body was found in the following months and all of the victims suffered from severe head contusions from a blunt instrument, possibly a crowbar.

(Rachel )

Who was Ted Bundy?

Second Trial: Chi Omega

INFOGRAPHIC

FORENSIC EVIDENCE: THE FIBER EVIDENCE

Modus Operandi

Theodore Robert Cowell

Born: Nov. 24, 1946 in Vermont

Died: Jan. 24, 1989 in Florida; executed by electric chair

American serial killer known for his vicious raping

and murdering of young women in the 1970s

Victim count: Known =36; experts believe

he was involved in 100 or more murders

("Ted Bundy")

Second Trial: July 30th, 1979 in Florida

- Sentenced to death for the Chi Omega murders

- On January 15, 1978 Bundy entered the Chi Omega sorority house in Florida and attacked its residents. Students Margaret Bowman, Lisa Levy were strangled and beaten to death, and Kathy Kleiner and Karen Chandler survived with serious injuries.

- Evidence included eye witness testimony of a Chi Omega house resident, bite marks left on the victims, and his attempt to flee from officers after the attacks.

- He was arrested on February 15, 1978 after being stopped by a police officer for car theft and attempted to flee when the officer was handcuffing him, he was then fired and taken into custody.

- A testimony provided by a forensic dental expert included the bite marks on Levy’s body, which were found to match Bundy’s teeth due to his very unique bite mark. Another forensic dentist was asked for a second opinion and subsequently had the same opinion.

This evidence was accepted in court to convict Bundy and he was sentenced given two death sentences for the murders of Bowman and Levy.

- (Bundy v. State, 1984)

Definition: Modus operandi means "operating method" in Latin. In terms of forensic science, it means the specific manner or pattern in which a criminal operates. (Encylopedia Britannica)

THIRD TRIAL- Kimberly Leach Murder

FIRST TRIAL : CAROL DARONCH

MODUS OPERANDI continued

WORKS CITED

COURT TRIALS

• According to Locard’s Exchange Principle, whenever two objects come in contact with each other, a transfer of material will occur. Therefore, evidence can be used to associate people, places and objects. (Durham, Lyndsay. (2014). Evidence and Fibers. PowerPoint slides)

• Fibers are involved by associative evidence, which means they form a link: person one, intermediate point, weapon, person two and crime scene. (Durham, Lyndsay. (2014). Evidence and Fibers. PowerPoint slides)

• Forensic Expert Examiners analyzed the fibers using stereomicroscopic examination, which is a process that if a fiber exhibits the same microscopic and optical properties as a known fabric, the fiber could have originated from that fabric. (Forensic Science Communications)

• After the examination, the results were that the fibers from Kimberly Leach's clothes were found in the van and on Ted's clothing that he had allegedly worn on the day of the crime. (Rachael)

This suggests that Ted and Kimberly were in close contact with each other in the time of her death.

1. Bell, Rachael. "Ted Bundy." The Kimberly Leach Trial — — Crime Library. 12th

Feb. 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

2. Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.biography.com/people/ted-bundy-9231165>.

3. Bundy v. State. 455 So. 2d 330. Supreme Court of Florida. 1984. Google Scholar.

Web. 20 Oct. 2014.

4. Bundy v. State. 471 So. 2d 9. Supreme Court of Florida. 1985. Google Scholar. Web.

20 Oct. 2014.

5. Durham, Lyndsay. “5-Law.” Crime and Science.1 Sept. 2014. PDF file.

6. Irving, Clifford, and Richard Suskind. “10 Famous Criminal Cases Cracked by

Forensics." Criminal Justice. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

7. Jim, Fisher. "Jim Fisher True Crime." Bite Mark Identification in the Ted Bundy

Serial Murder Case. 4 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

8. Melissa, Smrz. "Forensic Science Communications." FBI. FBI, 1 Mar. 2011. Web. 12

Nov. 2014

9. "modus operandi". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online

Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2014

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/387437/modus-operandi>.

10. Montaldo, Charles. "Ted Bundy Profile - Serial Killer Ted Bundy." Crime and

Punishment Home Page. N.p., 15 May 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

11. Rachael, Bell. "Ted Bundy." Tribulations — — Crime Library. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/bundy/10.html>.

12. "Ted Bundy; Court Footage {part One}." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Oct.

2014. <

13. "Ted Bundy." Crime and Investigation. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/ted-bundy>.

14. "Ted Bundy Part 2 of 2." FBI. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. <http://vault.fbi.gov/Ted%20Bundy%20/Ted%20Bundy%20Part%202%20of%202/view>.

15. "Ted Bundy's (Second) Escape (December 30) | This Day in History #39." YouTube.

YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014. <

16. Smith, Susan. "Blood Typing and Modern Day Forensics - Loyola New Orleans

Online.”Blood Typing and Modern Day Forensics - Loyola New Orleans Online. 13 Jan. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

A

Ted Bundy underwent a 3 main trials, two of which resulted in death sentences.

(Bundy v. State, 1985)

- First trial: February 23, 1976 in Utah

- Sentenced to 15 years in prison for the kidnapping and harassment of Carol DaRonch

- One of the biggest pieces of evidence was the eye witness testimony given in court by Carol DaRonch herself.

- While he was in jail, police began linking Bundy to the murders of Caryn Campbell and Melissa Smith

- Detectives found both victims hair in Bundy’s Volkswagen as well as a crowbar, which was used as evidence because Campbell’s skull was found to have been hit from a blunt object, which matched the crowbar.

- Charges were filed against Bundy for the murder of Caryn Campbell.

- While awaiting his trial he was moved to Aspen, Colorado from where he escaped.

- (Bell 10)

Third Trial: January 7th, 1980

Sentenced to death for the murder of Kimberly Leach.

On February 9th, 1978, Kimberly Leach, age 12, was reported missing from her junior high school in Salt Lake City.

Her naked, deteriorating body was found two months later, in a hog pen on April 7, 1978. She was found to have suffered violence to her neck region and semen was found on her clothing indicating she may have been raped.

Bundy was tried for this crime by Supreme Court of Florida, which ruled that he was guilty. The final verdict of Bundy v. State (1985) was the

death penalty.

Evidence used to incriminate Bundy included eye witness accounts and his intention to flee was used to prove his guilt.

(Bundy v. State, 1985)

Ted Bundy's modus operandi consisted of using his charm to lure women into his car by asking them help him as if he was injured.

His victims were also known to resemble his college girlfriend, Stephanie Brooks, who was an attractive girl with long, dark hair.

His pattern of killing consisted of often raping his victims before beating them to death.

He was later found to have bitten his victims, which further helped to incriminate him.

("Ted Bundy")

Documents kept by the FBI show the multiple times Ted Bundy tried to escape, which gave police another reason to convict him. Through these sanctions against him it became easier to pile up evidence to incriminate him ("Ted Bundy Part 2 of 2").

("Ted Bundy's (Second) Escape (December 30) | This Day in History #39.")

HYPNOTIZATION

Timeline of Events: TED BUNDY

Ted BUNDY's BIRTHDATE

24 November 1946

FLEEING THE SCENE

Third Conviction

7 February 1980

First Arrest

16 August 1975

First Conviction

30 June 1976

Second Conviction

30 July 1979

Second Arrest

15 February 1978

Theodore Robert Cowell was born on November 24th, 1946. He was born in Vermont to a home for unwed mothers. He was initially raised by his grandparents. His mother, Louise Cowell married his stepfather, Johnnie Bundy in 1951, thereafter; Theodore was known as Ted Bundy.

Ted grew up to become popular and did well in school. In 1967, Ted met Stephanie Brooks, a classmate who came from a wealthy family. Ted fell madly and deeply in love with Stephanie, who then ended up breaking his heart a year later.

The trauma of Stephanie leaving his life led to Ted Bundy’s misery. It has been proposed that the majority of Ted’s victims all resembled Stephanie Brooks physically. Stephanie Brooks became a lifelong obsession for Bundy. He dropped out of college and proceeded to become a violent serial killer.

During Ted Bundy’s first arrest, a Utah highway patrol officer had pulled over Ted Bundy’s car. The patrol officer was suspicious due to the vehicle’s appearance as well as the erratic driving. The officer did a thorough search of the vehicle and discovered rope, handcuffs, an ice pick, nylon stockings, and various other items that were in the trunk of Ted Bundy’s car.

THE VICTIMS

1977

1976

After Anderson had submitted this account he was asked to be hypnotized to refresh his memory, after which he added more information to his testimony.

Bundy asked for the hypnotized testimonies to be excluded from evidence.

The court decided that although hypnotized testimonies were known to be unreliable, the witnesses submitted eye witness accounts prior to being hypnotized as well, which were allowed as evidence and were enough to incriminate Bundy.

Bundy v. State, 1985)

1979

1989

1980

1976

1975

1946

1980

1979

Seattle, Washington

Salt Lake City, Utah

1978

FIRST TRIAL

23 February 1976

Ted Bundy Escapes

30 December 1977

2 October 1974 - Nancy Wilcox, 16

18 October 1974 - Melissa Smith, 17

31 October 1974 - Laura Aime, 17

8 November 1974 - Debby Kent, 17

Third Trial

7 January 1980

Second Trial

25 June 1979

31 January 1974 - Lynda Healy, 21

12 March 1974 - Donna Manson, 19

17 April 1974 - Susan Rancourt, 18

6 May 1974 - Roberta Parks, 22

1 June 1974 - Brenda Ball, 22

11 June 1974 - Georgann Hawkins, 18

14 July 1974 - Janice Ott, 23

14 July 1974 - Denise Naslund, 19

Executed

24 January 1989

Ted Bundy had his first trial in Utah for kidnapping Carol DaRonch from a shopping center. He was found guilty and sentenced in Utah State prison. This had given police their first major break, providing additional validation of Bundy’s identity, as well as his blood sample that resulted from his struggle with DaRonch.

Tallhassee, Florida

Aspen, Colorado

12 January 1975 - Caryn Campbell, 23

15 January 1978 - Margaret Bowman, 21

15 January 1978 - Lisa Levy, 20

9 February 1978 - Kimberly Leach, 12

If a person wanted for a crime is caught fleeing when asked to stop by a police officer, it could possibly be used as evidence to prove guiltiness based on the defendants behavior (Bundy v. State, 1985).

If a police officer has probable cause, meaning facts and circumstances that would make a police officer believe that a crime might have been committed and that this person may be responsible, they are allowed to stop you (Durham, "5-Law").

On two accounts, Bundy was stopped by a police officer, due to probable cause. He was stopped once six days before Leach's murder, and another time two days after she was missing, which was the same time he was caught in relation to the Chi Omega murders, both times he fled.

In court, this became evidence of his guilt due to his

attempting to flee from the police. In one of the occurrences, he was handcuffed and tried to run, but was shot at and caught again. (Bundy v. State, 1985).

Eye witness accounts are known to be flawed due to

the effects of interview techniques and influences on

memory (Durham, "5-Law"). Eye witness accounts were some of the key pieces in the trial Bundy v. State (1985).

A pair of siblings had been approached by Bundy in 1978 and gave an account of his description, they were then hypnotized in order to conjure a sketch of Bundy. This information was used as evidence in court.

In the trial regarding Kimberly Leach, Clarence Anderson submitted an eye witness account on July 18, 1978, several months after her body was found. He had seen a man with Bundy's description with a young girl by the school.

(Bundy v. State, 1985)

("Ted Bundy; Court Footage {part One}." )