Ted Bundy's Murderous Mysteries

by Kevin Sullivan

  At 6:30 a.m. the phone rang. Ginger and I both answered it. It was Northwest Ski Promotions asking why Lynda wasn’t at work. I went to her room and called out to her. When she didn’t answer, I turned the light on and went in. Her radio was still going and her bed was made, perfectly. I was convinced she hadn’t slept in it as there were no wrinkles and the spread was neatly tucked under the pillow (which is unusual for Lynda to make her bed that way). As I walked back up the stairs to the phone, I noticed her bike was there and the side door was unlocked (which also was unusual.) I told the girl on the phone that Lynda wasn’t there and we hung up.

  A few minutes later the phone rang again and it was the same girl asking if Lynda’s bike was there and I said “no” and we both got a little concerned. (Author’s note: Karen made a mistake here, as Lynda’s bike was there, and Northwest Ski Promotions was actually told by someone else that her bike was in fact still at the house). I then hung up and asked Ginger and Monica if either of them knew where Lynda was and they didn’t. I wasn’t too worried because I thought she could be with her boyfriend and also (redacted), a friend from Olympia was in town. I thought Joanne would know where Lynda was for sure, but Joanne had left for work.

  At 12:30 I saw Joanne on campus and asked if she knew about Lynda and she didn’t. Then I became worried because Lynda always told one of us where she was going. When all of us were home from school we knew something was wrong because her parents were due to be over any time and we know she had planned on being home all day to cook and clean. (I had come home at 2:30 and waited for the rest before deciding what to do.) We decided to wait until the father and brother arrived and tell them the story. When they came, Mr. Healy called his wife in Bellevue and told her not to come for dinner. She wanted to call the police but Mr. Healy said to wait. A few minutes later the phone rang and Mrs. Healy said a police officer would be over to the house in a few minutes. That officer was Officer Marshall, who took the first report.

  The last time I saw Lynda she had on blue jeans and brown scuffed hiking boots. I think she may have had on a white smock-type blouse with blue trim on the sleeves and along the rounded collar. The blouse is an imported type from Mexico. She probably had on knee socks because this is what she always wears.

  Lynda does her laundry about every two weeks (not more than this) at which time she washes everything. But if Lynda has an accident and gets something particularly dirty she washes this by hand.

  February 6, 1974, 2:15 p.m.

  Statement of Monica Louise Sutherland

  The following statement is made of my own free will and is as accurate as I can be.

  On the afternoon of Thursday, the 31st of January, I returned home from school around 1:00 p.m. Linda (Author’s note: Monica will continue to misspell Lynda’s name throughout her statement.) was home at that time. Conversation, (I cannot read the word here) to daily jargon, and I inquired about her health. She said she felt much better, and would wait to see a doctor the following week. At 2:30 I drove her to the university – for her choir practice at 5:00 p.m. I picked up Ginger Heath at the university, and then picked up Linda – and returned home.

  About 6:00, I went upstairs to bed as I was not feeling well. Linda had stated prior to this when we were all sitting around she felt like going over to Dante’s for a couple of beers, and then back home to bed. (redacted) apparently came by, sometime around 6:30 or so, because he knocked on my door – and asked for me but I refused to answer him. He stated that Monica must be asleep. Around 8:30 – the phone rang, it was (redacted) asking for Linda. Upon getting up to answer the phone, I decided not to try and sleep anymore. Came downstairs, fooled around, and turned on the TV. Within about 15 minutes, Joanne, Linda, and (redacted, but this is Pete Neal), arrived home, shortly followed by Ginger. (Redacted, Pete Neal) said goodbye at the door, as he had to catch a bus. Ginger’s brother and friend came by about 9:45 or so. We were all watching the Jane Pittman show and commenting. About 10:30 or so, I went up to go to bed and Linda was talking to (redacted) on the phone. She seemed in very good, relaxed, somewhat jovial mood.

  Friday morning at 6:30, the phone rang. Karen yelled up to see if we knew where Linda was, I yelled down that maybe she went to see (redacted, but it’s Lynda’s boyfriend) after talking with him and everyone said no, she wouldn’t bother to go see him. Went to school, did my laundry, shopping, picked up Ginger at 5:00 p.m. from the U of W. Upon walking in the door, Karen reported still no sign of Linda and her parents were due any time. The house was a mess. Not all the food had been purchased for dinner, and it was beyond us where she was. This was when I realized that something serious was wrong, besides just not showing up for work.

  We started to call her boyfriend (redacted), and also called (redacted) to see if we could locate her. Around 6:00, her father & brother arrived for dinner – no Linda. Mr. Healy, after our talk about Linda, called Mrs. Healy, who I guess called the police and had a dispatch unit sent out. A young officer came (and) took a missing person report and left. The phone rang intermittingly from there on. 3 calls (...). – 7:00 – 9:00 -were dead by the time we said hello. Around 10:30, my sister Donna had called and said we should go around to all stores and bars – she proceeded to do this. When they asked in the Stop N Go on Ravenna and University Way the clerk told them, that a girl had come in around 2:00 Thursday night – and purchased Pepto Bismol. Thinking along the lines that Linda was sick -we took a photo down (for the clerk to look at). The man stated it could have been her (Author’s note: the following few words are illegible and undecipherable, which I have also indicated elsewhere by the use of question marks in those places where the original text cannot be deciphered) he was quite rude and not interested. We then flagged down the patrol car to see if they would try questioning the clerk, they said no, but to call the patrol car in the university area. Sometime after midnight I think this was, another unit came out, got the story, and proceeded down to her room. Within minutes, I followed down to see that they had ripped open her bed, and the blood was visible. I was not present when they pulled back the (????). A sergeant then came through and was downstairs for a time. We talked with the other police (officer) for a time and then they left. Joanne, Karen, Ginger, (redacted,) and I stayed the rest of the time in the living room until (Saturday) morning.

  Concerning Linda’s room prior to the time police came through, I recall being surprised that things were so neat. Not a stitch of clothing anywhere and her bed made to perfection. Usually her bathrobe, shirt, or books (????) were within the room – not messy but a lived-in look. And her bedspread just thrown up over the pillow. I believe Linda’s curtain is usually open during the day just to bring some light into the room. Also she attends to her plants almost every day, and so she was likely to have the curtain open to observe the (????) on the window.

  Pertaining to the habits of our backside door. The door is used almost primarily for transferring our bikes outside, in fact that is the only reason, because it is too difficult to lock from the outside. Ginger and I had been driving to school that entire week so we did not ever use our bikes. Ginger and Karen are the two who are the most concerned about locking the doors, and they are the ones who often have (????) and locked it. I never check it. Neither Karen nor Ginger could recall if they had locked it Thursday night.

  I don’t think that any of us can stress how unlikely it would be for Linda to have left by herself that night. It just isn’t her. I don’t believe I have had many good friends as basic and good of a (????) as Linda was. She is a reliable, considerate - (no temper) jovial person – it just doesn’t add up that she would go out alone after dark.

  I believe it was a month or so later (after Christmas though) that I was alone and had just come home and undressed for bed. Our neighbor’s dog started barking considerably, much more so than usual. I grabbed a robe and ran downstairs not being fully dressed & looked through the door, and saw a young man standing on our lower step and
holding this little dog around the neck shaking it fiercely.

  I rushed out – and found many neighbors already outside & yelled at him - he replied something like this dog was attacking me and then fled on foot – I believe he was dressed in dark blue sweatshirt and pants – white male- 21 -25.

  In reference to Linda’s clothing, I can only be positive about her navy jeans, (????) and brown hiking boots of a plastic leather look. Two rings, one on the ring finger of each hand. Her hair was down straight shoulder length that night. In reference to the white smock type blouse I can recall vaguely seeing it but am not sure if Linda had it on. A triangular patch was across the right side of the jeans on the lower tip of the pocket. I can’t describe the top though as I feel I remember it but I think it is just what everyone else has said I think.

  I would be more than happy to take a polygraph test concerning my knowledge of Linda Healy, and her whereabouts. As stated before, the previous knowledge is absolutely true as I recall.

  February 6, 1974, 2:15 p.m.

  Statement of Ginger Renee Heath

  The above and following information is all correct and given freely.

  On Friday morning, February 1, 1974, I was awakened by a phone call from Lynda’s work, saying she hadn’t shown up, two minutes later they called again wondering if her bike was gone. Karen then checked for her bike, which was still there, she also checked Lynda’s room, the room was very neat and the bed was made, something Lynda rarely does before going to work.

  I left for school at 8:00 a.m. and came home at 5:00 p.m. Lynda had still not come home. She had plans for a special dinner for her family and boyfriend at our house, at 6:00 p.m. or so. She was planning on being home all afternoon to clean house and to cook the meal. Since it is so unlike Lynda to miss making dinner for her parents and to not call and tell us, we waited for her dad & brother to come to the house about 6:00, the police were then notified. In the meantime, we made calls to all her friends that may have seen her that day. No one had seen or heard from her.

  Around 8:00 p.m., after Lynda’s dad and brother had gone home and after the first report was made, we got a phone call which Monica answered, there was no one on the other end. We got two others similar to that within the hour. Later that evening, Monica’s sister and friend went to the Stop N Go market, a block or so away from our house, asking if possibly someone had stopped in Thursday night or Friday morning. The man at the store said someone had come in around 2:00 a.m. Friday morning and bought some Pepto Bismol. Monica, her sister, and I then took a picture down to see if he would recognize it, he didn’t seem to recognize the face.

  We got in the car afterwards about midnight Friday and saw a patrol car so we stopped them and showed them Lynda’s picture, thinking maybe they saw her walking somewhere late Thursday or early Friday morning. One officer said he thought he recognized the picture but he couldn’t remember where, they then referred us to the district officers.

  We then went back home and called the district police. They came by our house and got the picture of Lynda and took it back down to the Stop N Go market, they got the same response from the man at the store. The district officers then asked if they could see Lynda’s room. On showing them her room, they went through the waste paper basket and pulled back the bedspread and blankets on Lynda’s bed finding blood. The first thing I immediately noticed was the missing pillow case. Also the bed was made differently from the way Lynda usually makes it. The bedspread was tucked under the pillow whereas usually she just throws it over the pillow without a crease under the pillow. Also the bedspread was so perfect, in that there were no wrinkles on the bed. I thought too, that when the officers pulled back the blankets, the sheets were folded in such a fashion that the blood wasn’t as visible.

  The blood was in the upper right-hand corner, if you were looking from the foot of the bed. Also, there was a spot of blood on the pillow on the right side, and there was blood on the opposite side, somewhat in the center. I later went down to her room to see about clothing missing, this is still on Friday night & early Saturday morning. I then found her nightie draped across the bottom pole in her closet, finding a smear of blood on it on the shoulder. I think the curtains were slightly opened, but I don’t know if possibly one of the officers had opened them.

  I remember Karen saying Friday morning that the side door was unlocked. We usually try to make a habit of locking it, but I don’t remember checking it Thursday night to see that it was locked. The door is primarily used for taking our bikes in and out of the house. I didn’t ride my bike that Thursday, so the side door was not used by me at all. Usually if someone does ride their bike they take it out the side door and then go back in the house through the side door.

  On this night (on Thursday night) we were all watching TV and Lynda was wearing waffle stomper boots, navy blue jeans, a white smock peasant-like top with multi-color fringe on the sleeves and around the neck (blue was a predominant color). She also had on two rings on each ring finger.

  All of Lynda’s coats were still at our house, also, her wallet and all of her purses were still there. Her red backpack was missing, but most of her books were still at the house.

  We had thought that possibly the person that bought the Pepto Bismol could have seen Lynda because she had been complaining of stomach pains, also she was saying she was having trouble focusing on various objects.

  On Thursday evening I came home from my night class just as Lynda, Joanne, and (redacted – Pete Neal) were coming back from Dante’s. We watched TV, then my brother and his friend came and visited at about 9:45. I went to bed about 10:30. Between about 9:30 and 10:00, Lynda was talking to (redacted – her boyfriend). Joanne last talked to her.

  The above statements were given to the detectives on my own and in my own handwriting.

  The following information from this same report is a bit interesting, as it brings up a “possible” connection between Ted Bundy, Lynda Ann Healy, and Bundy’s cousin, Edna Cowell. Also, you will notice that the detectives often place material within the report that offer dates of events, and they do not appear in chronological order. Why this occurred is unknown, it is probably due to the compilation of a great deal of material that was formed into the reports over time, and not all of it was done “neatly” as it were. This was an unimportant aspect to the investigators, as they were absorbing the material before them and their understanding of the case was not diminished in any way by having the report appear this way. Because it is the official report, I have left it all as is.

  During the months of June through August 1972, Lynda Healy lived with Karen Covach and Kathy Henderson at a house on Ravenna Blvd. That June, Edna Cowell, a good friend of Karen Covach, came to visit. Edna Cowell is also Ted Bundy’s cousin. Edna Cowell related she had met Lynda Healy while visiting Covach at Ravenna. Neither Karen, Kathy, nor Edna recall Ted meeting Lynda Healy. Edna recalls discussing Lynda’s disappearance with Ted in 1974, but she thought the content of the conversation was that it was a “terrible thing.”

  In the fall of 1972, Kathy and Karen moved to 816 N. 47th Street, in Seattle, while Lynda remained on campus.

  Karen Covach recalled seeing Ted in the Greenwood area in the summer of 1972, and also at 816 N. 47th during the summer after Lynda’s disappearance.

  Karen Covach and Kathy Henderson last saw Lynda Healy on January 29, 1974, at 816 N 47th. Lynda had come over to invite them to her party the next weekend.

  In the summer of 1974, Enda moved in with Karen and Kathy. Edna’s previous address for two years was 905 NE 43rd Street. This address is about two blocks south of Northwest Ski Productions where Lynda Healy worked. Edna knew that Lynda worked at Northwest Ski but did not know if Ted knew. Ted was a skier and had taken Edna skiing. Ted’s address was about four blocks from Northwest Ski.

  Ted Bundy frequented the Safeway store at 49th and Brooklyn where he often cashed checks. Also, Lynda Healy shopped at
the same Safeway store. In fact, she wrote a check to Safeway on January 31, 1974, the day she disappeared.

  During the month of January 1974, Ted Bundy had been going to night school at University of Puget Sound Law School. Normal class times were on Monday (1700-2245), Wednesday (1700-2130), and Friday (1700-2130). Healy was missing after 11:00 p.m. on January 31, 1974, which was a Thursday, a night when Bundy was not in class.

  Since about XXXX, Bundy had been living at 4143-12 NE, Seattle. At the time of her abduction, Lynda Healy lived approximately fourteen blocks away from Bundy at 5517-12 NE. Bundy’s girlfriend (Author’s note: redacted here, but this is Liz, and this is her address, usually redacted in previous reports), lived at 5208-18 NE, six blocks from Healy.

  The chance that Bundy either met or saw Healy prior to her abduction is significant.

  In 1972, both Healy and Bundy were enrolled at the University of Washington (redacted), where both were majoring in psychology. When comparing their transcripts for the winter quarter of 1972, investigation revealed that both were enrolled in similar classes, Psych 498 (Readings in Psych) and Psych 499 (Undergraduate research). These classes were not the type that met in a typical classroom setting. For these courses, the student would arrange with an advisor or instructor regarding specific readings to be completed or approval for a topic to be researched. No investigation has yet affirmatively concluded that Healy and Bundy met each other regarding these Psychology classes, or even in the building.

  CHAPTER TWO