Ted Bundy is one of those serial killers that people know as a sinister face on the earth. A true reincarnation of a monster. However, the most disturbing part of him was the seemingly normal life he dealt with. When it came to the marital journey while in the death penalty, it was also normal. Like two people falling in love. So, who was Ted Bundy’s wife? A scapegoat, a character witness from the defendant, or –
Two people fall in love with each other and get married. Or is it?
As we explore more into the world of this woman and her journey with one of America’s most vicious serial killers, it never manages to stun us.
Let’s dive into the dark marital chapters of the most notorious criminal in history.
Who Was Bundy?
Ted Bundy, in the 1970s, became a notorious and one of the most infamous American serial killers, kidnappers, rapists, and necrophile.
His criminal notoriety preceded him, starting from killings of young girls throughout Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa, among others.
However, alongside his heinous deeds, he stood out as a very charismatic and handsome man, which drew his victims closer.
He built whole characters to lure them, even stealing a police uniform and an identity card to get the woman.
Even though this man’s life has been a mural of murders, he didn’t just charm his victims. He charmed the woman in his life (with whom he had serious relationships) and his wife.
When we explore the rabbit hole of his crimes, we often forget about Bundy and Carole Ann Boone’s marriage.
However, it has undoubtedly left many unanswered questions regarding their relationship, which is how the past remains an enigma.
However, some recent developments have clarified the mystery of how this relationship’s story has survived (until it didn’t).
So, without further ado, let’s get into Ted Bundy’s wife, demystifying the enigma!
Woman Before His Wife
It wasn’t shocking to learn that Bundy’s wife wasn’t the only person he charmed. Other significant women took a special place in Ted’s life.
Over the course of his lifetime, he has shown glimpses of intelligence and charisma, yet he has also been peculiarly mischievous, which some women found very charming.
With time, he continued to stay away from the family. Especially after he found out, his sister was his mother.
His priorities shifted towards getting success and charisma, hoping to overcome his internal darkness.
Bundy had his first private relationship in college with his serious girlfriend, Diane Marjory. However, she had generational wealth and got into a reputed law school after college, so the two did not last long.
He graduated a few days later and moved on to Washington to start his job at a suicide hotline for a crisis center. This role allowed him to find his future victims.
Bundy Meeting Carole Ann Boone
Boone had made Bundy think about what the word “ideal” meant. A man who is smart, kind, and calm.
She’s been working next to him at the emergency phone line. Their relationship gained momentum when they found common ground for their love of psychology and literature.
Bundy crossed paths with Carole Ann Boone throughout his life while working at the Washington State Department of Emergency Services.
At that point, Ted was already being accused of kidnapping and assault, but his behavior always matched his charming manner that deceived most in his surroundings. The shocking part was that Boone was aware of his criminal story. Not only did she not believe them, but she also fell in love with him.
Boone even risked her life defending him from those who knew the ugly truth behind that polite and hospitable façade.
The most sickening part was her changing her image by dying her hair blonde like most of Bundy’s victims.
There were even rumors that she took part in the murders, but there was no proof of it.
Their Marriage
Ted Bundy: Ted Bundy in front of the judge in court
The two got married on February 9th, 1980, and Ted Bundy even defended himself during his second trial for murders.
The Florida government refused their appeal to get married in jail.
So, Bundy, the smart man, already made himself and Boone sign a marriage license. He then said something shocking about the courthouse’s history. He said his vows while they were all on trial. Making the judge, attorneys, and audiences their witness.
There was no question about the perpetrator during the murders of the sorority sisters at Florida State University. He was even sentenced to death for them at that point.
This happened in July of 1980 while Bundy was on trial for the murder of the Chi Omega girls. It didn’t deter Boone from falling in love with him and publicly testifying as his character witness.
The Media Frenzy of Ted Bundy’s Wife
The public was curious about Ted Bundy’s marital status. For many, it was either horror or shock.
The idea is incomprehensible!
More so because he presented a sane and loving relationship outside his crime.
To begin with, when their marriage was made open, it unleashed a lot of negative reactions.
Some thought he was so skillful in concealing all the sins from Boone that she could just be his next victim, and it would be too late until she realized how terrible those acts were.
The other side of the argument was people believed she was a willing partner in his crimes.
However, as more facts came out, the truth was simple. They were both a normal couple who fell in love and wanted to marry. There was no other truth to it.
Based on firsthand reports from friends, family members, witnesses, and others close to Boone and Bundy, Boone was clearly in love with Bundy.
When she was witnessing his kindness and charm, his alleged crimes were still a foreign word to her until he confessed everything to her just before his execution.
Ted Bundy’s Transgression
“Guilt is this mechanism we use to control people. It’s an illusion. It’s this kind of social control mechanism and it’s very unhealthy.”
There are many who have often asked how Ted was able to charm so many with a flick of his hands.
The answer is quite simple, it was his lack of guilt, which (in his own words) is an enviable trait for others. According to Bundy, there is a lot of people can achieve if they stop feeling remorse for what they are doing.
Guilt was always an illusion for him. He never compartmentalized his crimes and placed them deep in the back of their head. Bundy remembered everything.
But, for a sane person, this would be a matter of obvious disgust, and horror. So, why did Carol Ann Boone seem so excited? Alongside studying the complications of Bundy’s mind, there were many psychologists who even showed interest in understanding the psychology behind Ted Bundy’s wife.
Let’s discuss this a little further.
However, Carol Ann Boone didn’t forgive Ted for his heinous crimes, as many believed she did. In fact, she could have been under the delusion that Ted didn’t commit these crimes. According to Boone, Ted was “warm, kind and patient”, and couldn’t do such acts as described.
She also stood as a character witness when Ted was fighting his own case against the FSU’s Chi Omega sorority house murders in Florida.
So, we could conclude that Anne Boone was also just another victim of his charm. Plus, her thoughts were painted from the Ted she knew when she was working with him (essentially when she fell in love with him), and not Ted who allegedly did all this monstrous crime.
To understand the real charm of a serial killer, we also took some pages out of Ted’s relationship before his life as a serial killer began. That one woman before Ted Bundy’s wife came to the picture.
According to a few statements from his first-ever girlfriend in college Diane Marjorie Jean Edwards, their relationship was quite idyllic.
Ted was just another normal boy, and they did normal couple activities all the time. Diane did mention Ted being a very smooth talker and making every word sound good and believable. A trait he used later to lure his victims.
According to Bundy, Diane was the woman he lost his virginity to, and when officials asked her about the experience, she described it as pleasant.
“He never made me feel like it was just a physical thing. I believe he was in love with me. I was very turned on, but I wasn’t experienced. I didn’t know what I wanted to do.”
Understanding this account gives us a better picture of why Carol Anne Boone would not just be willing to marry this person, but also defend him.
Their Divorce
Ted Bundy’s wife Carol didn’t have that status for longer. In fact their marriage ended in three years.
Carol did find out about all his shocking confessions a few months before his execution. This is when she filed for divorce because she felt heavily betrayed.
Ted and Carol already had their three-year-old Rose at that time, and Carol moved away with their Washington after the divorce.
One could say that Carol felt heavily disturbed upon hearing the unimaginable things Ted did to his victims, however, her testimonial didn’t reflect that. She clearly described the instance as a betrayal, indicating that she was more disturbed by Ted lying to her than his crimes.
In another shocking revelation we also find out that Carol rejected his plea to speak to her before his execution, because she was hurt by another confession.
When Ted was in prison under the death penalty, he was a defended lawyer named Diana Weiner. She was appointed by criminal psychologist Art Norman to break into Ted’s mind, get more confession out of him.
He personally believed that Bundy was likely to open up to a smart attractive woman more. It was said that Diana visited Ted more than 70 times until his execution. He even gave her power of attorney for all his assets and requested his ashes be spread on a mountain.
Diana also had a congenial relationship with Ted, where she felt empathetic towards him. She clarified that she didn’t forgive or forget the crimes of Bundy, but just wanted the public to see the more human side of the man.
It was believed that Ted confessing to his relationship with Diana while he was married to Boone disturbed her and led to their divorce.
Therefore, it still poses the question of why these women were never truly horrified by his crimes but felt betrayed like they were in love with him. Was the verdict true? Were there two sides of this man, and only his victims saw the truly diabolical side of this man?
Can you guess why the charm worked so magically on Ted Bundy’s wife Carol Ann Bonne? Do let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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