re: 35 Years Ago (1/24/89) - Ted Bundy Was Executed

quote:

---

I also found it odd that for a guy who seemed intelligent, heading all the way across the country to mass kill in a death penalty happy state seemed like a really dumb move

---

He initially flew to the North (Michigan) and left a trail of breadcrumbs because he wanted the authorities to think he had fled to Canada. He was active in outdoor activities where he grew up (PNW) and had spent time in Canada. Then he headed to the deep south because he figured they would be the least informed about his case.
Not that dumb of a strategy - get as far away from the local news of your crime and the authorities hunting you while also making them think you went somewhere else. It worked for Whitey Bulger.

Plus most states still had the death penalty back then. Obviously Texas and Florida became different beats when it came to enforcing it but he didn't know that at the time (1978) because the Supreme Court had just re-instated the DP after a 10 year national moratorium.

He claimed his plan was to "go legit" and work a regular job under a false name, but he couldn't get a job without a valid ID and SS# so he just said screw it and went on a murder rampage. I think that's BS. His mind was so twisted he was always going to keep killing.