Ted Bundy for the Defense - The Myth on Trial
Ted Bundy is often remembered as charming, intelligent, and dangerously persuasive—a serial killer who outsmarted investigators and manipulated everyone around him. But how much of that story is myth?
In this introductory episode of Ted Bundy for the Defense, we set the stage for a three-part series that examines Bundy not through the lens of legend, but through the courtroom—where his greatest gamble wasn’t murder, but his decision to represent himself.
Bundy believed he was smarter than his attorneys, smarter than prosecutors, and smarter than the system itself. That belief would lead him to take control of his own defense in multiple trials across three states—Utah, Colorado, and Florida—with consequences he never fully grasped.
We’ll begin by debunking some of the most persistent myths surrounding Ted Bundy, including his so-called charisma, his alleged brilliance, and the idea that he was always one step ahead of law enforcement. We’ll also preview the most disturbing and surreal moments from his trials—moments where Bundy used cross-examinations to force witnesses to describe the aftermath of his crimes in graphic detail, stunning jurors and revealing far more about Bundy than he intended.
This series isn’t about glorifying a killer. It’s about exposing how arrogance, control, and self-delusion helped lead Ted Bundy to the electric chair.
Coming Up in This Series:
Part One:
We trace Bundy’s crimes from the early 1970s through his 1976 Utah trial for the attempted kidnapping of Carol DaRonch—the first time Bundy insisted on defending himself in court, and the first major crack in his self-image.
Part Two:
As investigators in the Pacific Northwest quietly connect the dots between multiple murders, Bundy is arrested in Colorado for the murder of Caryn Campbell. Given access to a law library while preparing his own defense, Bundy makes a decision that allows him to escape—again—and flee to Florida.
Part Three:
We follow Bundy to Florida, where his violence escalates with the Chi Omega sorority house murders, the attack on Cheryl Thomas, and the murder of twelve-year-old Kimberly Leach. The series concludes with Bundy’s capital murder trials in 1979 and 1980, where his courtroom performances ultimately become his undoing.
Ted Bundy for the Defense explores what happens when a defendant becomes his own worst enemy—and when belief in one’s own brilliance proves fatal.
Sponsors:
This episode was brought to you by:
Completing the Puzzle - Go to CompletingthePuzzle.com and use code OUAC for $10 off your first puzzle subscription box or gift card. Because no one’s been murdered while doing a puzzle.
See a list of all our sponsors and discount codes on our website:
https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/sponsors/
Links:
Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime
Our Website - www.truecrimepodcast.com
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast
Visit the new OUAC MERCH SHOP!
Shop now at onceuponacrime.dashery.com.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
