The Forsaken Victims of a Handsome Monster

Look at these pictures. What words come to mind? What thoughts or feelings do they provoke?

For many, fleeting mixed emotions of sadness and anxiety because they are dead and remain voiceless. Many with bright futures ahead. When these women and girls unknowingly got into a car with a man they assumed was harmless because he was good looking and well-spoken. He often wore a sling or a cast on his arm to lure unsuspecting young women and girls. They pitied him, so at that moment the psyche of the women and girls remained frozen, thus letting the instinct to help take over and not run.

This man was Ted Bundy. This was a man of many faces. A well-spoken and likable, good looking law student. What many overlook. Even today, 30 years since he was sentenced to death in the electric chair, Ted Bundy remains a pop culture phenomenon while the lives he destroyed are forgotten and were never given a proper burial so they can rest in peace. Ted Bundy was a monster. Ted Bundy was a master of deceit who brutally slaughtered and destroyed countless lives—his victims, as well as their families.

Imagine if you came across Ted Bundy and he asked you to help him carry his books to his car. Would you help? Of course. Would your immediate response be to get help? Well, no because he seemed harmless with a ready smile and was easy to talk to. The truth is he was and is a monster with the intent to kill. If you managed to escape his evil, would you still admire and respect Ted Bundy? Chances are that this is a man you would wish to forget. But everyday is a reminder of his savage nature. When news footage appears you feel sick. Lucky to be alive, the world hears of your ordeal. However, everyone is still fascinated by a man who almost took your life.

This is why we need to celebrate the victims. Those who survived and those that perished. Our society needs to stop celebrating Ted Bundy. If Ted Bundy were not handsome and charismatic, would the public still swoon over this serial killer?

The answer is probably not. If the public got to see the side of Bundy, before he took the life of 12-year-old Kimberly Leach, before her terrifying last minutes on Earth?

Ted Bundy would be forgotten because he would remain infamous. Sadly, he is famous and his victims are forgotten. The general public's fascination with this brutal psychopath has endured for so many reasons. He was handsome, ambitious, and very charming. The world is still craving more of him. We all want to be able to articulate why a man with so much potential to live a full and productive life, chose a life of destruction and malice.

The truth is that there is no clear reason why Bundy did what he did. There will never be. Many children come from abusive homes, and as a result, may fall prey to a number of addictions: Drugs, alcohol, and pornography. In his last interview, Bundy said that it was pornography that fueled his fantasies. He said this is what drove him to kill. Many have addictions to sex and pornography. However, they do not not become mass murderers. Many individuals growing up may be misfits and social outcasts, but they are still able love and have compassion and regard for human life.

What happened to Ted Bundy will remain a mystery, and as a society that keeps trying to articulate this mystery will serve no real purpose.

The promising lives of Bundy's victims will never be seen because they are dead. Dead, but hopefully soon not forgotten. This is the real tragedy. The many lives taken by a handsome monster who showed no mercy for his victims. Why should Ted Bundy be called a hero or a legend? Bundy deserves no mercy, but as the public fascination continues, he is given mercy and fame. His victims remain voiceless and forgotten without mercy because of the flawed society we live in. We need to remember that these young women and girls were human beings. It's their legacies we need to keep alive because they are innocent. This was and is someone's sister, wife, daughter, and mother.

They mattered a lot more than Ted Bundy. Society needs to change and give mercy and validation to those who truly deserve it. Mercy should never be given to Ted Bundy, who had no remorse or regard for human life. No mercy toward any of his unsuspecting victims.

Ted Bundy's fame and legacy need to be finally buried and put to rest so those affected by his crimes have a chance to heal. We, as a society, need to learn that making an infamous serial killer into a pop culture phenomenon is vile, and we need to understand the true nature of Ted Bundy. Murderer. Psychopath. Rapist.

I remember watching a lifetime movie about Gary Ridgway, "The Green River Killer." At the end of the film was a brief slideshow of Ridgway's victims to honor their lives.

I hope this post will encourage other filmmakers to do the same when making a film about any serial killer.