TED BUNDY: A STRANGER BESIDE ME

"When I started writing true police stories, I promised myself that I would remember that I write about the loss of human beings. I hope that my work can somehow save potential victims, warn of danger." - Ann Rule Ted Bundy: A Stranger by My Side, was published in 2019 here in Brazil, by the Crime Scene label of our beloved DarkSide Books. Talking about my experience with this reading, and in general, about Ted Bundy is very easy. With all my respect for the victims and their families, of course, I say easy when it comes to "knowledge" about the case, and in no way taking away or diminishing in any way whatever the value of the lives that were taken in the process. Since I was very young I have been interested in the human mind and in subjects with dissonant traits in their personalities. Later, clutching myself through the world of psychology, I discovered many more biases about the human psyche, and more passionate about Mental Health, it would be impossible for me to stay. And among my studies, the most researched and hard-hitting name was Ted Bundy. Bringing to real life, a friend, Kennya, and I developed a project to read the Crime Scene label books in 2020 (with an active group on WhatsApp). And since January, we have been gradually going through the stories of the most remarkable crimes that terrified the world, that brought sadness and devastated countless people. Thus, March was the month we chose to read Ted Bundy: A Stranger by My Side, by Bundy's author and friend, Ann Rule Bundy to Ann Rule: "I think they have a crazy idea that I'm connected to some cases in Washington." I was simply delighted with the book's style of approach, as I still didn't know any written work about a serial killer, which was written by someone close to me. At least I had never read anything like that. And we find ourselves there in the dualities of life. We often see ourselves in Rule's place, wondering what it was like to strip naked in front of the readers, when in his heart, Ted had a place. In this way, we will have a ‘close’ of the life of one of the most sympathetic and charismatic serial killers in history. With a captivating smile, and always very well groomed, Bundy easily attracted his victims. The impression that is left when reading these 592 pages is that Bundy's representation as a person really removed any suspicion from him. Who would have guessed that that prodigy boy was behind such horrific murders? Nobody! Ann Rule, back in 1968, wrote for magazines and tabloids about real crimes. After a few years, she volunteered to volunteer on a suicide hotline. Her co-worker, a young man of 24, was none other than Theodore Robert Bundy. She and Bundy formed a team that was really interested in the cases, and that together, they saved lives. What could be seen as a great irony, after all, because as someone who took so many lives, also saved them? Ted was a living incongruity. This is just one of its facets that fascinated me to always study his behavior. Bundy was a good friend. He was a good boyfriend for some time for Liz Kloepfer and a good father for his daughter, Molly. But, there during this relationship, he was also the monster that kidnapped, tortured, killed and desecrated the remains of countless women. To read this book, in the first place, is to be constantly confronting the antithesis between being extremely human and totally inhuman. In other words, Ann had no way of knowing the real Ted. He was always very present as a friend in Rule's life. He called at different times, made appointments to talk, sent cards on holidays. Ted opened his heart, and talked to Ann about his illegitimacy (he didn't know his real father). Something that seems to have probably triggered the sociopath's life of crimes. The boy had his own style, and attacked women who had long, dark hair and parted in half. This apparently has to do with a relationship that Bundy had, but it didn't work out. The author reveals situations about this novel that I did not know until I read her work. In fact, I came into contact with a lot of new material when I read Ted Bundy: A Stranger by My Side. In the course of the murders, Bundy's name was indicated by some people for having "recognized" him in the sketch, or as his own ex-girlfriend later reported, for suspicious items he was taking home as a souvenir. Ted also used crutches and plasters to carry out his attacks. And he was caught carrying that kind of thing, which made him get in the way of justice. However, not much, right? Because he continued to travel with his 1968 Beetle, leaving a trail of despair wherever he went. Through his friendship with Rule, back in the mid-70s, Ted discovers that he is among about 1200 people suspected of crimes. Ann confesses that she was slow to believe that her friend was really guilty of those dark accusations. She gave him the benefit of the doubt, until they proved that he really was guilty. And one of the interesting points of this work, is the way Ann Rule describes Ted's case, talking about his crimes, how they were committed, where and in what way. At the same time you can do a search on Google and get to know the places she describes and see how the author was very descriptive. She managed to separate the story itself, from her friendship and her beliefs about Bundy's innocence. It is very satisfying to read something so intimate and revealing, but of course, we are already sure that Ted Bundy was the criminal. While she was swimming in this sea of uncertainty. In conclusion, know that when arrested, Rule and Bundy always maintained communication through letters. She also sent him some checks in prison for a long time. I couldn't understand if Rule felt sorry for the then friend who was in prison, if she didn't want to let the source of access to one of the most notorious serial killers in history dry up, or if she just didn't believe in the guilt of that guy who sat next to her and helped her advise so many people, with suicidal instinct, over the phone wires. Ted Bundy confessed to murdering more than 30 women. But, the authorities believe that number was exponentially higher. There are countless bodies never discovered. 🖤📚 Note: ☆☆☆☆☆| Title: Ted Bundy: A Stranger Beside Me | ISBN: 978-8594541543 | Year: Darkside; 1st edition (March 21, 2019) | Specifics: 520 pages | Editor: DarkSide Books| Genre: Nonfiction| Finishing: Hardcover| Measurements: 16x23cm|Cutting: Unpainted Ann Rae Rule (born Stackhouse; October 22, 1931 - July 26, 2015) was an American author of books and articles on real crimes. She is best known for The Stranger Beside Me (1980), about serial killer Ted Bundy, with whom Rule worked and whom he considered a friend, but was later revealed to be a murderer. Rule is also known for her book Small Sacrifices, about the Oregon child killer, Diane Downs. Many of Rule's books focus on homicide cases in the Pacific Northwest and in Washington, his adopted home state. Ann Rae Stackhouse was born on October 22, 1931, in Lowell, Michigan. She was one of two children by Sophie Marie (Hansen) and Chester R. Stackhouse. His mother was a teacher, specializing in children with mental disabilities, and his father was a football and athletics coach. As Rule did during young adulthood, his family members had careers in law enforcement. Rule's grandfather and uncle were sheriffs in Michigan. Another uncle was a coroner and a cousin was a prosecutor. Rule spent summers with his grandparents doing volunteer work at the local prison. She graduated from Coatesville High School in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and later graduated from Highline Community College in Des Moines, Washington. Rule also attended the University of Washington, studying creative writing, criminology and psychology. Rule's career included working as a police officer for the Seattle Police Department, as well as writing for women's publications. Beginning in 1969, she wrote for the magazine True Detective under the pen name "Andy Stack". 🖤📚 Ann Rule (Twitter Official Page)