Lesson 8: Jack the Ripper: A Comparison to Contemporary Serial Killers and Course Wrapup
A Comparison between Jack the Ripper and Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy may have been Jack the Ripper's modern twin. Though handsome, he suffered from a poor self-image and was crushed by a rejection by a romantic interest, Leslie Holland, which may have set off his killing spree. Bundy was bright, and was studying to be a lawyer. He was clean-cut and had no prior record.
Bundy began his murdering of women in 1974. His main targets were college students. He officially confessed to 11 murders in Washington, 8 in Utah, 3 in Colorado, 3 in Florida, 2 in Oregon, 2 in Idaho and one in California--30 murders in all, though the count may be much higher.
He often broke in and attacked victims in their bedrooms at night. He also was known to abduct victims by preying on their sympathy by wearing a cast or pretending to be hurt. He was also known to have impersonated a policeman. The crimes ceased, then started up again as he moved from area to area.
Bundy first came under suspicion after an attempted kidnapping where the victim escaped. He was jailed but escaped to Florida and murdered again, this time killing two women and seriously injuring two more at the Chi Omega sorority house. Kimberly Leach, his last known victim, was only twelve when he abducted and killed her.
Shortly after that he was recaptured; forensic evidence used to convict him included bite marks left on one of his victim's flesh.
Even at the trial he displayed a fatal kind of charm. Groupies attracted to him attended his trial and he also married Carole Ann Boone, a woman he had been dating. She had his child while he was incarcerated. Bundy was executed Jan 23, 1989, after attempts at a stay of execution to spare his life failed.
Like Jack the Ripper, Bundy's victims were all women. He sexually violated, tortured, and sometimes dismembered his victims. Unlike Jack, who targeted middle-aged prostitutes, Bundy's victims were young and attractive and many bore an uncanny resemblance to the woman who had jilted him.
Bundy's crimes grew bolder and more savage. For a long time he killed at night and managed to maintain a semblance of normalcy during the daytime. He had a steady girlfriend, Beth Archer, who was unaware of his crimes.
However he soon began to kill in the daytime as well. In Seattle, Bundy abducted two women the same day from a crowded park and murdered them, reminescent of the "double event."
Unlike the Zodiac killer and Jack the Ripper, Bundy tried to lay low and did not write letters about his crimes. However, after he confessed, he became boastful of his conquests.
Forensic evidence that was not available at the time of Jack the Ripper's crimes was Bundy's undoing. It makes one wonder if Jack the Ripper would have gotten away with his crimes had fingerprinting, DNA, and other methods been at the police's disposal. However, it is possible, for despite the marvels of modern forensic techniques, many serial killers still go unapprehended.
Food for Thought: How do you think the Ripper case like the case of Ted Bundy?
Ted Bundy: True Crime Serial Killers, Editors of Time Life Books. Alexandria, VA, 1992
