9781422271049

Washington. The year was 1950, and Louise marked the event by legally changing her name to Louise Nelson. Surrounded by her cousins in a healthier environment, Louise eventually began dating. She met Johnny Culpepper Bundy, a cook who worked at an area hospital, at a church social in 1951. Bundy provided the type of man she’d never known—caring and sweet. The smitten Louise and he married after just a year of dating. Bundy adopted young Ted, providing him with love, support, and the Bundy last name. Johnny Bundy attempted to create a normal household environment for both Louise and Ted. He and his new wife showed their love for one another by having four children together during the first few years of their marriage. Ted found himself the big brother. Like many posthumous accounts of an individual’s life, the facts of Ted and his stepfather’s relationship varies, depending on the interviewee. Some say that Ted found his stepdad poor and unintelligent. Others provide photos of Johnny and Ted coming home from a fishing trip or posing for other father-and-son photos. Most people agree, though,

that from his youth, Ted Bundy experienced periods of extreme moodiness. Teddy, as his mother lovingly called him, could swing from sweet to seething quickly. He sometimes distanced himself from the rest of the family. Always a study in contrasts while growing up, he earned

In 1950, Ted and his mother moved to Tacoma, Washington.

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Introduction