The Hunt for Ted Bundy

Does the world need yet another documentary about Ted Bundy? Probably not, but this one is unique because its central character is Robert Keppel, the young detective who was given the task of hunting a possible serial killer in the Pacific North West. Now long retired, not mentioned here is his academic career. Also playing a prominent role is Kathleen McChesney who was part of the original team.

There is plenty of archive footage, including of the monster himself, and a brief clip of his disbelieving mother.

A couple of statements stand out for their foolishness. This was not the first time a computer had been used in a criminal investigation; computers have been around for a long time including in law enforcement. And forensic science in its infancy in the 1970s? Forensics in one form or another goes back to the ancient world, and the use of fingerprints well over a hundred years.

Two other statements stand out for other reasons. The first serious suspect in the Pacific North West Murders was John Paul Knowles, a serial killer far less notorious than Bundy though nearly as odious. Also, mobile phones! When Bundy, using his real name was walking around or limping around trying to pick up girls on the beach and on campus, the police had precious little to go on. Nowadays, he would very likely have been snapped or even recorded on several phones, and that's before we mention CCTV.

Keppel confirms that Bundy didn't rape his victims, he raped their corpses. That's if we can belief anything he said, apart from in a very general way his stomach-churning confessions made after his conviction in a desperate attempt to stave off his date with Old Sparky. Burn in Hell, Ted.