es for a great deal of time now. Serial killers "Typically commit their murders over a considerable span of time - sometimes years," (Serial Killers). Serial murderers tend to have a bit of down time between murders. They also tend to target a certain type of victim and commit their murders in similar places (Serial Killers). "Serial murder has become one of the central concerns in homicide investigation…" (Keppel 3). There are two distinct reasons for this. One is because it happens so frequently. The other is because it befuddles investigative agencies with its unique problems (Keppel 3). Ted Bundy grew up in what today's society would call "a dysfunctional home." For the first 23 years of his life, Ted believed that his grandparents were his parents and his mother was his sister. He was born Theodore Robert Cowell on November 24, 1946 to 22- year-old Eleanor Louise Cowell (Bell 2). Throughout his entire life, Ted never knew his real father, Lloyd Marshall. The confusion that Ted lived his life through came into play shortly after his birth. He and his mother moved back to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to live with her parents. Soon enough, Ted began referring to his grandparents as mother and father, not knowing the truth. His mother allowed this because it aided her in escaping "…any harsh criticism and prejudice for being an unwed mother," (Bell 2). Not knowing otherwise, Ted only knew and thought of Eleanor as his big sister, not his mother like she truly was. Ted did not get too much time to settle in his new surroundings in Philadelphia. He was just four years of age when he and his birth mother moved again. This time, the move was across the country, to Tacoma, Washington. Ted was severely distraught by leaving his beloved grandfather, who he thought was his father. This "was a traumatic experience, from which Ted never quite recovered," (Sears 2). Again they moved in with relatives, except this time they changed their names. "Ted became Theodore Robert Nelson and his mother Eleanor became Louise Cowell," (Bell 2). It was here, in Washington, where Eleanor would wed again. She married a man "…by the name of Johnnie Culpepper Bundy, whose last name Ted would assume for the rest of his life, a name that would later become synonymous with murder," (Bell 2). Ted never really liked the idea of being a Bundy, "…he thought of himself as more of a Cowell…" (Bell 2). Ted attributed not feeling socially adept to what he referred to as, "…the 'lack of IQ' of the entire Bundy clan," (Sears 3). He grew up as a very shy child. During gym classes in junior high, "…he insisted on showering in privacy," (Sears 2). He was often teased and bullied (Bell 2). However, unlike most adolescents who are continuously tormented, Ted was able "…to maintain a high grade average that would continue throughout high school and later into college," (Bell 2). His high grade point average was fueled by an overwhelming interest in politics. Ted constantly kept up on current events and religiously read up on political events. In fact, some of those who knew Ted while he was in school, thought he would one day aspire to be governor. Around the age of twenty, he seemed to develop "…a preoccupation with sex and violence and sought out pornographic materials that centered on the use, abuse, and possession of women as objects," (Sears 3). During the same time period, Ted broke out of his social enclosure and took part in his first sexual experience. The woman's name was Stephanie Brooks who attended the University of Washington along with Bundy. It was obvious that Ted was overcome by her beauty and was "…deeply infatuated…" with her (Sears 3). However, these feelings were not exactly mutual. Following her graduation from the university, Stephanie broke off the relationship with Bundy and basically crushed him. Ted's life would never be the same. The only other true love that Ted had had by his side throughout his life was school, but now,

Some topics in this essay:
Ted Bundy, Stephanie Stephanie, Ted Bundy's, Cowell… Bell, Robert Bundy, Joni Lenz, Washington Ted, Kathy Devine, Florida Prison, Oregon Utah, ted bundy, bell 2, theodore robert, bell 3, victims 1, sears 5, sears 4, hair middle, serial killers, mother moved, eleanor louise cowell, parents mother sister, theodore robert cowell, grandparents parents mother, theodore robert bundy,