A Psychological Profile of Ted Bundy and What it Means
Ted Bundy is a serial killer who killed at least 30 women over a span of 5 years. The last few killings he committed after escaping during his trial for the other murders. Both times, Bundy was caught for traffic violations and forensic evidence helped tie him to the murders he had committed.
Bundy was a sexual psychopath.
Ted Bundy was a textbook psychopath is a person suffering from a chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior. A sexual psychopath is a condition of a psychopathic personality that manifests itself through sexually sadistic behavior – i.e. hurting victims sexually.
Bundy was a highly intelligent man who was also very insecure – partly because of a feeling of inferiority because of his lack of wealth while being surrounded by wealthy classmates. He was acutely shy and a psychological evaluation done later showed that he had a strong dependency on women; that he had a fear of being humiliated in his relationships with women.
Psychopaths get a thrill from excitement and danger; Bundy started his crime spree with shoplifting, then burglarizing homes. He also sexually assaulted a woman before moving on to assaulting and killing them.
What Bundy’s victims revealed about him:
Bundy’s victims were all white, thin, single women. This made it highly likely that he was also white looked non-threatening and respectable. Women are less likely, especially in the 1970’s to go out or help a man of a different race or someone who looked dangerous. Also, most serial killers kill victims in the same ethnic group as them.
His victims spanned different states which showed that he had access to a vehicle.
Bundy’s trigger
A trigger is something that sets the killer off. It may be what prompts them from moving from the act of fantasizing and planning to actually committing a crime. Bundy’s triggers were thought to be being dumped by his sophisticated, charming college sweetheart which caused him to sink into a deep depression. Then, he found out that the woman he thought was his sister was actually his mother. There were rumours also that his father was also his grandfather.
Bundy was an organized serial killer
Serial killers are criminals who do the planning. They charm or trick their victims into following them – Bundy used crutches or arm slings, have knowledge of police procedure – Bundy was attending law school when he was apprehended- and don’t leave weapons or evidence behind. Though Bundy did leave some forensic evidence behind – blood, type O- most of his crime scenes were pristine. They hide their victims bodies – 6 of Bundy’s victims have not been found- and had a car to travel and transport victims.
