Ted Bundy: Verified Facts and Official Sources

Few names in crime history still land with the same chilling weight as Ted Bundy. Decades after his execution, the case continues to raise uncomfortable questions—about how he evaded capture for so long, and about the true scale of his crimes.

Born: November 24, 1946, Burlington, Vermont ·
Died: January 24, 1989, Florida State Prison ·
Confirmed victims: 36 confessed; likely more ·
Arrest dates: First arrest August 16, 1975; final arrest February 15, 1978 ·
Execution method: Electrocution

The table below summarizes six key facts confirmed by official sources.

What is the latest verified information about Ted Bundy?

FBI archival updates

• The FBI placed Bundy on its Top Ten Fugitives list in February 1978, leading to his final arrest on February 15, 1978, in Pensacola, Florida (Biography).
• A compilation titled Ted Bundy: The FBI Files exists in archive copy, containing 310 pages of material (90 pages of narrative) from FBI Headquarters (Internet Archive – FBI files).
• Bundy’s full DNA profile was reportedly entered into the FBI’s national database for potential case linkage, though the timing remains unclear (CBS 48 Hours – Facebook post).

Florida Department of Corrections records

• Execution date and manner (electrocution) are confirmed by Florida state records (Wikipedia).
• Bundy was executed at Florida State Prison on January 24, 1989 (Britannica).

Recent DNA evidence developments

• Posthumous DNA re-examinations of evidence have been reported, with Bundy’s DNA profile entered into the FBI database, but no official confirmation from a Tier 1 source has been published as of 2025 (CBS 48 Hours – Facebook post).

The pattern: What is “latest” in Bundy’s case is often decades old—the real update is the availability of primary records to the public, not new crimes.

What should readers know first about Ted Bundy?

Core biography

• Born Theodore Robert Cowell on November 24, 1946, in Burlington, Vermont (Wikipedia).
• Grew up with his grandparents and mother in Pennsylvania; learned of his illegitimate birth as a young adult (Britannica).
• Attended the University of Washington, where he studied psychology and later worked at a suicide crisis hotline (Britannica).

His method and pattern

• Pretended to be injured or disabled to lure women, then overpowered and abducted them (Britannica).
• Cross-state offending, spanning Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Florida (Britannica).
• His first known murders are dated to 1974 in Washington and Oregon (ABC News).

Legal outcome

• First arrest on August 16, 1975, in Utah for suspicious behavior (Biography).
• Escaped custody twice in 1977 (Britannica).
• Final arrest on February 15, 1978, in Pensacola, Florida (Biography).
• Convicted in 1979 for the Chi Omega murders and sentenced to death (A&E).
• Executed on January 24, 1989, at Florida State Prison (Britannica).

The implication: Bundy’s biography is well-documented, but the psychological explanations remain contested. No single theory—whether abuse during childhood, personality disorder, or neurological factors—is accepted by all experts.

Which official sources confirm key claims about Ted Bundy?

Government documents (FBI, FDLE)

• The FBI Wanted Poster and arrest report serve as Tier 1 primary evidence of his fugitive status (Biography – citing FBI records).
• The FBI file compilation at the Internet Archive contains 310 pages of investigative material (Internet Archive – FBI files).
• Florida Sheriffs Association records confirm Bundy was charged in the Chi Omega murders (Florida Sheriffs Association).

Court records

• Florida Supreme Court appellate records document Bundy’s appeals and death sentence (Wikipedia – citing court records).
• Utah and Colorado court records also exist from his trials for related charges (Britannica).

Established reference works (Britannica, Wikipedia)

• Britannica provides a verified biographical summary with editorial oversight (Britannica).
• Wikipedia offers a cross-referenced timeline of Bundy’s crimes (Wikipedia).

The table below compares three key sources and their confirmed claims.

The trade-off: Official records confirm what authorities knew, but the gap between what Bundy confessed and what he actually did remains the most contested area.

What is still unclear or unverified about Ted Bundy?

Exact number of victims debated

• Bundy confessed to 36 homicides, but authorities suspect the actual number is higher (Britannica).
• Some victims have never been identified; cases remain open in multiple jurisdictions (A&E).

Disputed locations of some murders

• Bundy reportedly confessed to murders in states where no remains were found (Britannica).
• Some potential victim locations have not been confirmed with physical evidence (A&E).

Psychological profile limitations

• No single definitive psychological explanation is accepted by all experts (Britannica).
• Bundy’s claimed influences—including pornography and childhood trauma—are contested (Britannica).

The implication: With research confidence rated “low” overall, readers should treat any exact victim count beyond 36 as unverified. The strongest claim is the confessed number; everything else is inference.

What are the most common user questions on Ted Bundy?

How old was he at death?

• Born November 24, 1946; executed January 24, 1989 — he was 42 years old (Wikipedia).

Where was he born?

• Burlington, Vermont, USA (Britannica).

How many escaped his attacks?

• At least two known escapes from custody (1977) (Britannica)
• Multiple known survivors of attacks, including Carol DaRonch in Utah in 1974 (ABC News).

The catch: The questions people ask most often about Bundy have straightforward answers. The questions that remain unanswered are the ones that truly matter for understanding him—and those have no resolution decades later.

“Bundy’s full DNA profile was entered into the FBI’s national database, giving investigators a new tool in ongoing case linkage.”

— CBS 48 Hours (citing the FBI database entry) (Facebook post)

“Ted Bundy confessed to 36 homicides across multiple states, but local law enforcement agencies believe the actual number is higher.”

— Britannica biographical entry (Britannica)

“The FBI placed Ted Bundy on its Top Ten Fugitives list in February 1978, a classification that helped lead to his final arrest.”

— Biography.com (citing FBI records) (Biography)

The pattern across these sources: All three—FBI records, Britannica’s editorial oversight, and CBS reporting—converge on the core facts. But they diverge on interpretation, especially around victim totals and psychological motivation. For readers, the lesson is that Bundy’s case is well-documented in its basics and unresolved in its depth.

For those interested in how popular culture distorts criminal history, the Ed Gein myth offers a detailed debunking of the claim that Ed Gein helped catch Bundy.

Frequently asked questions

For journalists, researchers, and true-crime readers, the Bundy case offers a stark lesson in source verification: The confessional number (36) is confirmed. The speculation (any number beyond that) is just that—speculation. The decision to cite a “higher estimate” without a Tier 1 source is a choice that affects credibility.