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The docuseries and biopic have both been criticized for essentially going too soft on Bundy, with EWSEAV debuting at Sundance to mixed reviews. In response to the criticism, Joe Berlinger, the director of both the Zac Efron biopic and The Ted Bundy Tapes, told Buzzfeed News that the biopic "is a serious portrait of how Bundy deceived the people closest to him and his manipulation of the American media allowed him to flourish and evade detection and capture for so long." He also made clear that "our film in no way glorifies Bundy or his atrocious acts."
And his acts were nothing short of atrocious-Bundy raped, strangled, and bludgeoned his victims to death. He severed the heads of his victims and kept them in his apartment to "admire" and had sex with their dead bodies. There is arguably no bigger monster than Bundy in U.S. history, but to this day, his charismatic personality seems to have a way of masking exactly what he did.
Its hard to read about the women who lost their lives in such grisly and, frankly, depraved ways. But its important to remember the victims here, especially when so much attention is directed at the perpetrator.
So if you can stomach it, take the time to read about 26 of Ted Bundy's victims (far from the total body count, which is estimated to be at least 30 killed), some of whom survived. The list is incomplete, in part because Bundy also confessed to murdering hitchhikers whose names are unknown. And one more thing: The dates listed here generally refer to the dates that the women went missing. In some cases, its believed that Bundy raped and tortured women for days before killing them.
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Joni Lenz
Age: 18
Survived attack: January 4, 1974
Lenz, a student at the University of Washington, was raped with a bedpost but survived the attack.
Lynda Ann Healy
Age: 21
Died: February 1, 1974
A fellow University of Washington student, Healy was kidnapped from campus during the night and killed. According to the History Network , her murder marked "Bundys entry into the ranks of serial killers as he had recently attacked his first victim." Her body was found in 1975 on Taylor Mountain, near Issaquah, Washington.
Donna Gail Manson
Age: 19
Died: March 12, 1974
Friends last saw the Evergreen State College freshman on her way to a jazz concert. After confessing to Manson's murder, Bundy said he burned her skull in his girlfriends fireplace, per an AP report .
Susan Rancourt
Age: 18
Died: April 17, 1974
Abducted on campus at Central Washington State College, Rancourt's skull was later found near Taylor Mountain. (This is said to be Bundys "graveyard.")
Roberta Parks
Age: 20
Died: April 17, 1974
Parks was abducted from Oregon State University, reports ABC News . Her skull was found during the same search of Taylor Mountain where Susan Rancourts skull was identified. Bundy said he raped and killed her.
Ted Bundy left the world with more questions than answers. Here are some of them:
Kimberly Leach
Age: 12
Died: February 9, 1978
One of Bundy's youngest victims, Leach was in seventh grade when she disappeared in the middle of the school day, per NBC News. Her body was found two months later in a shed behind Suwannee River State Park.