Looking Into His Angel Eyes Part 1

There is an ABBA song with the words „don’t look too deep into his angel eyes”. Well, unfortunately, women looked into this killer’s angel eyes and as a result, they were murdered.

Mixed up family life

Is a person, who becomes a murderer any different at first from everyone else? As a rule, no. It seems that eventually, something does go wrong even very wrong. Theodore Robert Cowell (he would later take his stepfather’s last name Bundy) was born on November 24, 1946, to Louise Cowell in Vermont at a home for unwed mothers. So that his mother wouldn’t be criticized by society Ted was raised thinking his grandparents were his parents and his mom was his older sister. He attended university and was a brilliant student. Had a devastating relationship with a girl from California and later became involved with a divorcee named Elizabeth Kendall. He became involved in politics and worked for the Washington Republican Party.

Bloodstained sheets and a missing girl

Lynda Ann Healy was a 21-year-old senior at the University of Washington, majoring in psychology. She shared a house near the university with four other young women. On January 31, 1974, she went out to drink beer with a few friends at Dante’s, a tavern popular with university students. She returned home to watch TV and phone her boyfriend. Lynda would get up at 5:30 each morning in order to get to her job at a radio station. The following morning her roommate heard Lynda’s alarm start buzzing. When the alarm continued buzzing she went into Lynda’s room to turn it off and then the phone rang. The radio station called to inquire why Lynda wasn’t at work. The roommate noticed that her bed was made and since nothing had been disturbed she assumed that Lynda was on her way to work.

However that same day Lynda’s parents called to find out why she hadn’t shown up for dinner as expected. At this point, her parents called the police. It was then discovered that Lynda’s well-made bed was missing a pillowcase and the top sheet. Small bloodstains which proved to be Lynda’s blood type were found on the pillow and the bottom sheet. There was also blood on her nightgown which had been hung in the closet and an outfit was missing. The other thing that was amiss was that a door that the girls always made sure was locked was found unlocked. The police figured that Lynda had been carried out of the house wrapped up in the top bed sheet. The most important thing was that she had vanished.

More girls go missing

Then during that spring and summer, more women students vanished without explanation. All the missing girls were white, slender and had long hair parted in the middle. They all disappeared in the evening. Interviewing college students the police learned that during or around the time of the disappearances a strange man had been seen wearing a cast on either his arm or leg. He would be struggling with books and would ask any young woman nearby for assistance. This same man was also seen in the campus parking lot asking for assistance with his VW bug which he couldn’t get started.

The man with a cast and remains found

Then in August of 1974 in Washington’s Lake Sammamish State Park the remains of some of the missing girls were found. Later two were identified. They were Janice Ott and Denise Naslund. Both girls had disappeared on the same day, July 14th. A couple who had been picnicking nearby remembered that Janice had been approached by a handsome young man. From what the couple could hear of their conversation the young man had said that his name was Ted and that he had difficulty loading his boat onto his car since his arm was in a cast. Janice agreed to help him and that was the last time anyone had seen her alive.

Denise Naslund was spending the afternoon in the park with her boyfriend and friends. She was last seen alive walking toward the restroom. Being a girl who was always kind to people in need she would definitely have helped a young man with an arm in a cast.

Beaten with a crowbar

On October 18, 1974, in Midvale, Utah, the 17-year-old daughter of Police Chief Louis Smith disappeared. Melissa was found 9 days later strangled, sodomized and raped. Then 13 days later on Halloween, 17-year-old Laura Aime disappeared. She was found on Thanksgiving Day in the Wasatch Mountains lying dead by a river. Aime had been beaten with a crowbar, raped and sodomized. The police figured that she had been killed elsewhere and later her body dumped by the river since there was no blood at the crime scene.

Similarities between murders in Washington and Utah

The police in Utah became aware of the similarities of the murders with the Washington State murders. They contacted the Washington State investigators and soon it appeared likely that one man had committed the crimes both in Washington and Utah. They came up with a composite of the would-be killer who called himself “Ted”. Then a close friend of Ted’s girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall saw the composite sketch in the paper and just knew that Ted Bundy had to be the man. Elizabeth had to agree.

First, the sketch did resemble Ted, he drove a VW bug similar to that seen by witnesses and she had seen crutches in his room even though he had no leg injury. Elizabeth then anonymously called the Seattle Police Department in August of 1974. She stated that her boyfriend may be involved in the recent murder cases and called again that fall giving more information that might help the investigators assigned to the case. Elizabeth also presented pictures of Ted but unfortunately, none of the witnesses could make a positive ID and her report was filed away.

Escape from the murderer

The killer continued operating in different states and later those women who escaped his advances would recognize him and provide the police with valuable information. A break in the case came on November 8th 1974. That Friday evening Carol DaRonch an 18-year-old woman was approached in a book store at a Utah mall by a strange, handsome young man. The stranger told her that he had seen someone trying to break into her car and asked her to go with him to the parking lot to see if anything had been stolen. Carol decided that the man must be a mall security guard and followed him to the car. She then checked her car and said that nothing had been stolen.

The man, identifying himself as Officer Roseland wasn’t satisfied and wanted to take her to police headquarters so that she could file a complaint. When he led her to a VW bug she became suspicious and asked for an ID. He flashed a gold badge and helped her into the car. However, then he drove in the opposite direction of the police station and a little later stopped the car. Carol DaRonch started getting scared. The so-called police officer suddenly grabbed her and tried to put on handcuffs. Carol began screaming and he pulled out a gun and threatened to kill her if she didn’t shut up.

She fell out of the car and was pushed up against it by the madman who had a crowbar in his hand and was about to hit her in the head. Terror-stricken she kicked him in the genitals and managed to break free. Running toward the road she caught the attention of a couple driving by. They stopped and Carol jumped into their car. Crying hysterically she told them about the madman who had tried to kill her and they took her to the police station. Carol still had the handcuffs dangling from her wrist when she told the police about her ordeal. The police drove to the scene of the struggle but of course, the madman had long disappeared. However, now the police had a description of the man and his car and a few days later they got a blood type from the girl’s coat. The blood type was O the same as Ted Bundy’s as the police learned later.

Two more disappearances and the discovery of a body

That same evening the director of a play at Viewmont High School was approached by a handsome man seeking assistance in identifying a car but being busy she refused to help him. Watching the play that evening was Debby Kent with her parents. She left early to pick up her brother at the bowling alley and told her parents she would return for them later. Debby never made it to the car which was left standing alone in the school parking lot. The police found a small handcuff key in the parking lot and when they tried to fit it into the handcuffs worn by Carol DaRonch they discovered that it was a perfect fit. It was almost a month later when a man called the police to tell them that he had seen a tan VW bug speed away from the high school on the night of Debby’s disappearance.

On January 12, 1975, Caryn Campbell and her fiancé Dr Raymond Gadowski and his two children took a trip to Colorado. Caryn would spend time with the children while Raymond attended a seminar. One evening relaxing in the hotel lounge with Gadowski and his son and daughter Caryn returned to her room to get a magazine. She never came back to the lounge. Gadowski went to look for her but she was nowhere to be found. By mid-morning becoming quite concerned he informed the police of her disappearance. The police searched every room in the hotel but found no trace of Caryn.

A month later just a few miles from where she had disappeared, a recreational worker found Caryn’s nude body. Even though animals had ravaged her body it was still evident that she had received crushing fractures which may have been fatal. As with the other murder victims Caryn had received repeated blows to the head. There was evidence of rape as well. Another body was discovered a few months later ten miles from where the bodies of Naslund and Ott were found. This was the body of Brenda Ball. Who had been one of the seven women who had disappeared earlier that year. The cause of death was a blow to the head by a blunt object.

Bodies found on Taylor Mountain

Searching the Taylor Mountains where the bodies were found the police came upon the body of Susan Rancourt and two more bodies would be found later that month one of them being the body of Lynda Ann Healy. All of the victims suffered from severe head contusions. The killer was still on the loose and five more women would be found dead in Colorado under similar circumstances. Ted’s killing spree was in full swing.

Bundy arrested on suspicion of burglary

On August 16, 1975, while on patrol Sergeant Bob Hayward spotted a suspicious-looking tan VW driving past him just outside of Salt Lake County. Knowing the neighborhood and its residents well the tan VW stuck out like a sore thumb. He put on his lights to get a view of the license plate but the driver turned off his lights and started speeding away. Sergeant Hayward gave chase. The VW sped through two stop signs and finally pulled into a nearby gas station. Hayward pulled up behind and watched as the driver got out and approached the police car. The young man’s registration and license was issued to Theodore Robert Bundy. Two other troopers pulled up behind the tan VW. Hayward noticed that the passenger seat was missing. Inspecting the VW further the police found a crowbar, a ski mask, a rope, handcuffs, some wire and an ice pick. They placed Bundy under arrest on suspicion of burglary.

The evidence mounts

On October 2nd, 1975 Carol DaRonch, the director of the Viewmont High School play and a friend of Debby Kent’s were asked to a line-up of seven men one of them being Bundy. They all one by one pointed to Bundy. Soon after this, a full investigation was begun on the man known as Ted Bundy. During the fall of 1975, the police again approached Elizabeth Kendall and in an interview on September 16th, 1975 Elizabeth told them that Bundy was into sexual bondage and when she informed him she didn’t want to participate he became very upset with her. In a later interview, she also informed investigators that she had noticed that Ted had plaster of Paris to make casts in his room and a hatchet in his car. The most important thing Elizabeth recalled was that Ted had gone to Lake Sammamish Park in the July Janice Ott and Denise Naslund disappeared. As the evidence against Ted Bundy mounted Bundy himself still professed his innocence.

Continued in Looking Into His Angel Eyes Part 2

Bodies found on Taylor Mountain

Searching the Taylor Mountains where the bodies were found the police came upon the body of Susan Rancourt and two more bodies would be found later that month one of them being the body of Lynda Ann Healy. All of the victims having suffered from severe head contusions. The killer was still on the loose and five more women would be found dead in Colorado under similar circumstances. Ted’s killing spree was in full swing.

Bundy arrested on suspicion for burglary

On August 16, 1975, while on patrol Sergeant Bob Hayward spotted a suspicious looking tan VW driving past him just outside of Salt Lake County. Knowing the neighborhood and its residents well the tan VW stuck out like a sore thumb. He put on his lights to get a view of the license plate but the driver turned off his lights and started speeding away. Sergeant Hayward gave chase. The VW sped through two stop signs and finally pulled into a nearby gas station. Hayward pulled up behind and watched as the driver got out and approached the police car. The young man’s registration and license was issued to Theodore Robert Bundy. Two other troopers pulled up behind the tan VW. Hayward noticed that the passenger seat was missing. Inspecting the VW further the police found a crowbar, a ski mask, a rope, handcuffs, some wire and an ice pick. They placed Bundy under arrest on suspicion of burglary.

The evidence mounts

On October 2nd, 1975 Carol DaRonch, the director of the Viewmont High School play and a friend of Debby Kent’s were asked to a line-up of seven men one of them being Bundy. They all one by one pointed to Bundy. Soon after this a full investigation was begun on the man known as Ted Bundy. During the fall of 1975 the police again approached Elizabeth Kendall and in an interview on September 16th, 1975 Elizabeth told them that Bundy was into sexual bondage and when she informed him she didn’t want to participate he became very upset with her. In a later interview she also informed investigators that she had noticed that Ted had plaster of Paris to make casts with in his room and a hatchet in his car. The most important thing Elizabeth recalled was that Ted had gone to Lake Sammamish Park in the July Janice Ott and Denise Naslund disappeared. As the evidence against Ted Bundy mounted Bundy himself still professed his innocence.

Continued in Looking Into His Angel Eyes Part 2