The passage describes the life and crimes of Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers in American history. Bundy's modus operandi was to use his charm, good looks, and feigned disability (often wearing an arm sling) to lure young women into his Volkswagen Beetle, where he would then attack and kill them. The passage recounts several of his crimes, including the abductions and murders of multiple women in the Pacific Northwest, Utah, and Colorado.
Despite numerous tips and eyewitness accounts, Bundy was able to evade capture for years, partly due to his ability to blend in and his lack of a prior criminal record. However, in 1975, a woman who had dated Bundy recognized him from a police sketch and contacted the authorities. Eventually, Bundy was arrested and put on trial for kidnapping and assault, but he escaped from prison twice before being recaptured.
Bundy was eventually linked to multiple murders and was sentenced to death. He confessed to 30 murders, although some estimates put the number of his victims at over 100. Bundy was executed in the electric chair on January 24, 1989, at the age of 42.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. A young woman was walking home from college when she was approached by a man, Ted Bundy, who asked for her help.
2. Bundy hit the woman over the head with a tire iron and left the scene.
3. Bundy's modus operandi was to use his good looks, speaking skills, and educated demeanor to lure people into his trap.
4. He would often put his arm in a sling or use crutches to give his victims a false sense of security.
5. Bundy was a serial killer who confessed to 30 murders, but there may have been more.
6. He was known for his brutal and depraved crimes, which included bludgeoning and strangling his victims.
7. Bundy was a con artist who played confidence tricks and was very good at it.
8. He was a law student and worked at the Department of Emergency Services, where he talked about missing women and how to find them.
9. Bundy's victims were mostly young white women in their late teens or early 20s, who were intelligent and gifted students.
10. He would often target women at colleges, particularly where construction work was going on.
11. Bundy's crimes were not limited to one area, as he moved around and committed crimes in different states, including Washington, Utah, and Colorado.
12. He was eventually caught after a traffic stop in Florida and was found to have a collection of suspicious items in his car, including a ski mask, trash bags, handcuffs, and a crowbar.
13. Bundy was sentenced to 1-15 years in prison for kidnapping and assault, but escaped twice before being recaptured.
14. He was eventually executed in the electric chair on January 24, 1989, at the age of 42.
15. Bundy's last words were "I'd like you to give my love to my family and friends."