R.J. Parker - The Serial Killer Compendium

From his home base in Utah, in 1975, Bundy switched his hunting ground to Colorado, and on January 12, Caryn Campbell, twenty-three, a registered nurse, disappeared while walking down the hall of the Wildwood Inn in Snowmass. Her nude body was discovered next to a dirt road a month later. Autopsy reports showed deep cuts from a sharp instrument and blunt force trauma to the head.

The killing continued. Julie Cunningham, twenty-six, Denise Oliverson, twenty-five, and Lynette Culver, twelve, were all killed between March and May of 1975.

The King County Police compiled all pertinent information they had to try to come up with a suspect. Their eventual list of twenty-six suspects included known sex offenders, Volkswagen owners, classmates, and acquaintances of each victim. In the end, Bundy’s name was at the top when word came about his arrest in Utah.

Arrest

A Utah Highway Patrolman in Granger, Salt Lake City, arrested Bundy in August of 1975 after he failed to stop for a routine check. The Patrolman noticed that the front passenger seat in the car was missing, and while searching the car discovered a ski mask, a crowbar, handcuffs, a coil of rope, trash bags, an ice pick, and other items that one would use in the process of committing a burglary. Bundy tried to explain that he’d found many of the items; however, Detective Jerry Thompson remembered the suspect and car description in the attempted abduction of Carol DaRonch, and the phone calls from Kloepher back in December of 1974. In a search of Bundy's apartment, police found a guide to Colorado ski resorts with a checkmark by the Wildwood Inn, and a brochure advertising the Viewmont High School play in Bountiful where Debra Kent had disappeared, but they had nothing adequately incriminating to hold him. He was released under his own cognizance and, without his knowing, placed on 24-hour surveillance.

In February, 1975, Bundy had to stand trial for the kidnapping of DaRonch. Judge Stewart Hanson found him guilty of kidnapping and assault on March 1 and sentenced Bundy to 1-15 years in prison. Also, he was charged with the Colorado murder of Caryn Campbell and was extradited to Aspen in January of 1977.

Escape, Capture, Escape

After electing to serve as his own attorney, Bundy was excused by the judge from wearing handcuffs and leg irons. On June 7, 1977, Bundy asked permission to use the law library at the courthouse to research his case. From behind a bookcase, he opened a window and jumped from the second floor. He then hiked to the southern part of Aspen Mountain while roadblocks were being set up by police.

Bundy broke into a hunting cabin near the mountain summit and stole clothes, food, and a rifle. The next day he continued south but got lost in the woods. Over the next few days, he continued moving around, breaking into camp trailers to steal food, and managed to avoid search parties and roadblocks. Three days later, Bundy managed to steal a car but police caught him weaving in and out of a lane and he was recaptured.

Bundy was sent back to jail in Glenwood Springs where he wasted no time in planning another escape despite the advice of friends and legal advisors to stay put. Over a period of six months, Bundy acquired a hacksaw blade from another prisoner and built up about $500 in cash which was smuggled in to him by visitors; in particular, Carole Ann Boone. During the evenings while other inmates were showering, Bundy sawed a hole approximately one foot square in the corner ceiling of his cell, and after losing thirty-five pounds, was able to move through the crawl space during his practice tries.

On the night of December 30, while most of the jail staff was on Christmas break, and many of the short-term prisoners were released to spend the holidays with their families, Bundy stacked books on his bed under a blanket to make it look like he was sleeping, and slipped into the crawl space. He broke through the ceiling into the apartment of the chief guard who happened to be out for the evening with his wife, changed into street clothes from the guard's closet, and walked out the front door to freedom. The escape was not detected until the next day. By then Bundy had a seventeen-hour head start. He stole a car and drove out of Glenwood Springs; the car broke down and he hitched a ride into Vail, caught a bus to Denver, and a flight to Chicago. He was in Chicago by the time the guards noticed he was missing. From there he bussed to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and five days later stole a car and drove to Atlanta where he caught another bus to Tallahassee, Florida. He rented a room under the alias Chris Hagen at a boarding house near Florida State University.

On January 15, 1978, Bundy entered a sorority house on campus and killed Margaret Bowman, twenty-one, with a piece of firewood while she was asleep, and proceeded to garrote her with a nylon stocking. In the same room, he attacked Lisa Levy, twenty, beat her unconscious, sexually assaulted her with a bottle, literally tore off one of her nipples, and then strangled her. In the next bedroom, he attacked Kathy Kleiner, who suffered a broken jaw and deep shoulder lacerations, and Karen Chandler, who suffered a concussion, broken jaw, loss of teeth, and a crushed finger. Both Chandler and Kleiner survived however, only to suffer a lifetime of physical and emotional stress. The police were called immediately.

Arrest

On February 15, 1978, Officer David Lee was on car patrol when he noticed a yellow Volkswagen Bug idling in an alley behind a restaurant. It was late and the restaurant was closed so it was suspicious that someone was there in a car. Officer Lee went past but watched the car in his rearview mirror as the car pulled out of the alley and headed in the opposite direction. Officer Lee turned around to follow the car, and as he drove he radioed in the car’s license plate number. The plates came back as stolen, and Officer Lee started pursuit of the car, which sped up and began a series of elusive maneuvers. Finally, the car stopped, at which time Officer Lee drew his gun and approached the car with caution.

Bundy was ordered out of the car and advised that he was under arrest. Bundy kicked Officer Lee’s legs out from underneath him and took off at a run. Officer Lee gave chase and tackled Bundy to the ground. Both struggled over the gun but Officer Lee won, subdued Bundy, and placed him under arrest. As Officer Lee was transporting his prisoner to the lockup, he was not aware that he just arrested one of the F.B.I.’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, but he did hear Bundy say, “I wish you had killed me.”

Execution

Ted Bundy’s trial was televised and quickly became a media circus. Bundy did not want a lawyer and once again represented himself. He did a poor job, according to many lawyers, and in July of 1979 was found guilty and sentenced to death. On the evening before his execution, Bundy reviewed his confessed victim tally on a state-by-state basis with officials. He killed;

11 in Washington - 3 unidentified

8 in Utah - 3 unidentified

3 in Colorado

3 in Florida

2 in Oregon - both unidentified

2 in Idaho - 1 unidentified

1 in California - unidentified

Ted Bundy died in the Raiford electric chair at 7:16 am on January 24th, 1989. He managed to live 10 years in prison.

Donald Henry Gaskins

The Redneck Charles Manson

Victims (40 to 181)

Background

Donald Henry Gaskins was born on March 13, 1933, in Florence County, South Carolina. Gaskins spent a great deal of his childhood in reform schools, and because of his short stature, just 5’ 4”, was dubbed Pee Wee, a name which contributed to him being subjected to physical abuse, and later, in prison, sexual abuse. Gaskins did not do well in school and elected to be a petty criminal. He married in 1951 at the age of eighteen, and the following year had a daughter. His marriage did not last long as he attacked a teenage girl and hit her with a hammer. He was arrested and sentenced to six years at the Central Correctional Institution. During his imprisonment, his wife divorced him.