16: Ted Bundy: We Know What He Did. But Where Did It Start?

About this episode

This episode investigates the early behaviors and psychological patterns that shaped Ted Bundy before his infamous crimes.

Ted Bundy didn’t begin with murder. Long before the headlines, before the trials, before the mythology took hold, there were patterns—behaviours that escalated, fractures that widened, and warning signs that, in hindsight, feel impossible to ignore. In this episode of UNMARKED, we step back from the crimes themselves and examine Bundy at the point of origin. Drawing from psychological analysis, original records, and the work of those who studied him closely, this isn’t a retelling—it’s an investigation into how someone like Bundy takes shape. Because the public story often begins at the moment of violence. But the real story starts much earlier. Through the lens of his psychologist, we look at the early formation of control, manipulation, and detachment, traits that would later define one of the most studied serial killers in modern history. This episode doesn’t mythologize Bundy. It strips the story back to behaviour, evidence, and pattern—so you can see where it actually begins. If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including…

People in this episode

Host: UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast

Topics covered

• Ted Bundy
• serial killers
• psychological analysis
• crime origins
• manipulation
• control

Keywords

• Ted Bundy
• true crime
• psychology
• serial killer
• crime investigation
• manipulation
• control

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UNMARKED: Case Files

Books & works: Charles Manson: The Last Words

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