Ted Bundy's Murderous Mysteries

by Kevin Sullivan

  On February 19, 1978, I talked to William Dale Sconyers, who was the desk clerk at the Holiday Inn on February 8, 1978. He checked in the subject, Ralph Miller (Author’s note: this was Bundy using the stolen credit card of Ralph Miller) on February 8, 1978. His hair appeared to be greasy, dark, and dirty, about collar length, a Fu Manchu-type mustache, about 12- or 13-day beard. He had a slender face, looked weird, high forehead, acted doped up, slow speaking, slow filling out forms, medium slow voice, eyes appeared to be dilated, he was slow answering questions posed him, such as when he was leaving and vehicle information. He had a green army jacket, sleeves appeared to be short or ¾ sleeves. He had a flat forehead. Mr., Sconyers stated that he may be able to identify this man in a live lineup.

  That same night I talked with Randy Alton Jones, who was also a desk clerk on February 8, 1978, at I-75 and US 90. He was present when the subject checked in. He observed a white male, a day or two old beard, hair dirty, not washed for a day or two, he looked either drunk or spaced out, he acted funny, slurred his words, his clothes were rough, may have had on Levis, the clothes went along with his shabby appearance. His hair was a little below his ears, dark hair. The desk was very busy at the time. Showing him a six-photo spread, he positively identified Bundy as the subject that checked in under the name Ralph Miller.

  Joseph Rucinski is a porter at the Holiday Inn. Mr. Rucinski states that he was unloading a tour bus around 9:00 p.m. on February 8, 1978, at the Holiday Inn at I-75 and US 90, and noticed a white Dodge van with white bumpers and windows in the rear doors. He did not think it had hubcaps. The truck appeared to be brand new. He did not notice a tag. The next morning on February 9, 1978, he had to load the same tour bus between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m., and the truck or the van was still there. The reason for him noticing the van was because he was sort of into vans and wondered if the van had been bought for customizing. He notices all vans and imagines how he could fix them up by painting and customizing them, etc. He also had to walk around this van in order to get into the bus properly. This van was located on the northeast side of the parking area at the northeast corner of the Holiday Inn property, being very close to room 443, used by the person who we later identified to be Bundy.

  In closing out Bundy’s final murder, the killing of little Kimberly Leach, I would like to pass along some reflections of Robert J. Cook, a minister that was on staff at Parkview Baptist Church in Lake City at the time of the murder. Kimberly Leach was a member of the church, and her funeral was conducted at Parkview. Indeed, Bob told me when we first started communicating, that the murder of Kim Leach hit both the church and the city very hard. The funeral for Kim Leach was the second largest in attendance, being surpassed only after the death of a police officer. Indeed, the reverberations of her murder can still be felt today in this small Floridian city.

  When I asked Bob about the mood of the church after Kim Leach went missing, he spoke of “a mixture of fear, confusion, and hope for the best.” Of course, after her remains were discovered, the effect on the church was devastating. Speaking of it recently, he said, “There was great sadness, grief for the family and friends, shock and horror at the way she was treated, a general fear for personal safety, and a great hatred for Ted Bundy. The mood of the church and the entire city became very dark. Great fear and hatred gripped a town formerly known for its love and forgiveness.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  A Letter from Bundy’s Roommate

  John E. Muller

  This is the testimony of John E. Muller, a roommate of the Rogers rooming house in Seattle, Washington, who knew Ted Bundy and had some interactions with him. The following letter, which has been sitting deep within the official record, has never before (to my knowledge) been published in whole or in part, and is addressed to Detective Roger Dunn, King County Police, 516 3rd Avenue, Seattle, Washington, 98104.

  Mr. Dunn,

  I am writing this letter in regard to your investigation of Mr. Ted Bundy. I met Mr. Bundy when I moved into a rooming house at 4143 12th Street NE, Seattle, Washington. I moved in during the month of August 1973. I moved out of the house approximately June of 1974. During my stay there, I, on occasions, had conversations with Mr. Bundy as well as the other two roommates. Ted left the house late fall of 1973 (Author’s note: this is incorrect. Bundy left for Utah on September 2, 1974) heading for Utah to attend law school. Thus, I knew Ted for only five months, if that. Most of our conversations dealt with politics and courses we took at school. Recollecting my brief acquaintance with Ted, I do not feel that I’m a very good judge of his total character or personality.

  I was shocked to hear that Ted was being investigated as a suspect in the “Ted” murders. During the time I knew him, he was easy to get along with, very spirited, kind, and intelligent. In my opinion, he led a very normal life at that time, for a student. He studied hard and maintained a normal social life. Most of the time I lived in the house, Ted was very busy at school in Tacoma or visiting with his fiancée. Occasionally, once or twice a week, I had a chance to talk with him, and on rare occasions we played racket ball at the University’s IMA building. That was the extent of my contact with Ted Bundy.

  Ted left the house late fall of 1973 (incorrect) and returned only once in 1974, five or six months later. He mentioned that he was transferring to a law school in Utah because it offered a better academic program and his fiancée’s parents who resided in Utah recommended the school. He had mentioned too, that he might marry her after law school. Ted returned to the house on 12th in 1974 to clear up some long distance phone calls with Freda the land lady and to sell an old bicycle (broken down) that had been in the garage for several years. Mainly he stopped by just to visit. He got along well with everyone in the house. I only saw and spoke to him once, for a brief time, during his return to Seattle. He stayed with his fiancée or his folks during that stay. I haven’t heard from Ted since.

  As far as characteristics go, he had none which seemed odd or abnormal. I recall he is left handed from the racket ball games we played. He was always well mannered and very friendly. At no time did Ted ever seem anything but a gentleman. He liked all sports, particularly, bicycling, snow skiing, and tennis. Socially, he liked to have a beer once in a while. Twice we went out for a beer. Once at the Northlake Tavern, another time at the Pipeline Tavern. He smoked once in a while but not heavily enough to classify him as a smoker. Ted almost always wore turtleneck shirts, they were his favorite style. Once during the time I knew him he grew a beard but shaved it off no sooner than he grew it. The events and facts above are all that I recall at this time. I am sorry I can’t be more specific but it’s been a while. I hope they can provide some help to you in this investigation. As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Bundy occupied most of his time studying or with his fiancée, and with my own schedule being very busy I could hardly say I know him well.

  Mr. Dunn, again I am quite surprised to hear of Ted’s arrest in this case. I would appreciate any information you could give me regarding his arrest and the progress of the investigation. If there is any way I could help you further in this investigation, please feel free to call. I would be very glad to help. Hope this letter will be of some help.

  Sincerely,

  John E. Muller

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Interviews and Testimonies of Other Witnesses

  I. Kathy Kleiner

  Kathy Kleiner was born Kathy Nordin, in Miami, Florida, on December 22, 1957. And while we know her life became quite tumultuous with her encounter with Ted Bundy in the early morning hours of January 15, 1978, her early years were tumultuous as well. From a young age, she was forced to face unpleasant and, in fact, life-changing events that young people should never have to experience. Her father, Jackson Nordin, passed away after experiencing his third heart attack when Kathy was only five years old. At the age of thirteen, she was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; a life-long and sometimes debilitating disease.
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  Despite the death of her father and having to learn to cope with the unexpected disease, Kathy again found happiness when her mom married Harry Kleiner. As she explained to me in a recent phone call, Harry Kleiner was a good man, and their home became a very loving one. Life became good again for Kathy and her two siblings, and as the years stretched forth, the children grew into strong adults.

  A native of Florida, Kathy enrolled at Florida State University in the fall of 1976, and almost immediately made it known that she wanted to become part of Chi Omega sorority. Living in the all-female Reynolds Hall at the start of school, she’d become a “Pledge” of Chi Omega by December of that year; and by the spring of 1977, had achieved her dream of becoming a full-fledged member of Chi Omega.

  Although Kathy was busy with school activities and with Chi Omega, she also had a life outside of the university realm. A Christian, Kathy joined the Wesley Chapel as soon as she arrived in Tallahassee, and this church atmosphere provided friendships and fellowship seemingly at every turn. Kathy told this writer that she attended activities (such as pot-luck dinners) often and, in fact, found herself going to church-related functions a great deal. Indeed, in the afternoon of January 14, 1978 (and only hours before the attack), she attended a wedding at the Wesley Chapel before returning home sometime after 6:00 p.m. As she walked into Chi Omega that late afternoon, she had no idea that evil that would be visited upon them in the wee hours of the following morning. Kathy said she believes she got to bed between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.

  Ted Bundy, who’d been trying without success to abduct someone throughout the evening of the 14th, would soon decide on a course of action that finally brought him the results he was looking for. Records show he chased a woman down the street, only to have her outrun him. The woman, Cheryl Rafferty, an FSU student living in Reynold’s Hall, gave a description that fit Bundy and identified the type of clothes he was wearing that night, which matched what Nita Neary, a Chi Omega sister, said the assailant was wearing when she saw him leaving Chi Omega. Rafferty also identified Bundy from photos after his arrest as the probable suspect who chased her that night.

  Bundy also spent part of the evening at Sherrod’s, the disco next door to Chi Omega, but came off weird to most of the women who, in turn, managed to avoid or rebuff him. The following is taken directly from the record and consists of an interview with a Ms. Black:

  According to Ms. Black, at about 12:30 a.m. on January 15, 1978, she and a sorority sister of hers, Valerie Stone, went to Sherrod’s. They entered into the premises and, eventually, after getting a drink, she was standing around the area in the northeast portion of the building, the area that has an exit directly adjacent to the Chi-O House. Ms. Black’s attention was drawn to a subject who appeared out of place, that is, he did not fit the typical college crowd. His dress and age along with his appearance, i.e. greasy looking appearance, made him stand out to her. Moreover, this subject kept staring at her and she was afraid he was going to ask her to dance. Ms. Black states that he kept staring at her, along with many other persons, and that his mannerisms seemed to be more a “rude type of looking,” “that he appeared to be smirking,” or “that he felt superior,” or a “I know something that you don’t know attitude.”

  Given his state of mind, his current inability to abduct women as he once had, and his complete lack of concern about entering occupied homes at night, there wasn’t any way the Chi Os were going to be left alone, and Kathy Kleiner’s life, and the lives of others at the sorority that night, was about to change forever. It was approximately 3:00 a.m., and Bundy knew what he needed to do.

  Before entering Chi Omega through an unlocked door, Bundy grabbed a log from a stack of logs and, barely able to contain the frenzied madness within, walked into the quiet of the sleeping sorority house and made his way upstairs.

  In what would be the height of irony, given what was about to happen, Kathy had previously remarked to a Chi O sister that perhaps she should lock their bedroom doors at night. The young woman’s response, purely rhetorical, was, “What do we need to do that for?” The bedroom doors stayed unlocked.

  Bundy’s attack upon the sleeping coeds of Chi Omega would kill two of them – Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy—and seriously injure two—Kathy Kleiner and Karen Chandler. Kathy and Karen roomed together, and Margret Bowman was in the room next to them. Kathy and Karen’s room faced the rear parking lot, and having their room situated here may have played a part in their survival. What follows is Kathy’s version of the attack, both from her original recollection and then what came forth after the authorities brought in a hypnotist. It must also be noted that Kathy’s attempted statements to police soon after the attack are disjointed, and because of the confusion, may include contradictory statements, which is not unusual given her head injury. However, as memory started to return, and with the aid of the hypnotist, a fairly clear picture of the attack in their room came to the fore:

  Because Kathy was not in a deep state of sleep, she said she remembered hearing the door but did not open her eyes. However, when she heard what sounded like a foot kicking the footlocker that sat between Kathy and Karen’s bed (her eyeglasses were sitting on top of this foot locker as well), she opened her eyes and saw what looked like a black shadow and a club coming down at her. After Bundy struck Kathy several times with the log he’d picked up outside the sorority, Karen woke up and Bundy attacked her as well. And then, out of nowhere, it abruptly stopped when Bundy saw the car lights of what turned out to be Nita Neary’s boyfriend bringing her home. Still holding on to the log (which by now had lost most of its bark), he exited the bedroom and started down the steps. Unknown to Bundy, he was spotted by Neary as he left by way of the front door.

  What follows is from my book The Tail of Ted Bundy: Digging up the Untold Stories:

  EMTs Gary Mathews and Charles Norvell arrived in the ambulance called to the Chi Omega house. Met by a sea of cops and distraught coeds, they were quickly ushered upstairs. As they reached the top of the steps, Mathews broke off from Norvell and entered one of the bedrooms, where he found Kathy Kleiner and Karen Chandler. The light was on, and he saw immediately that both women were bloody and in a daze. There was blood on their faces and heads, as well as on the bed. What Gary Mathews couldn’t see as he worked on the women and prepared them for transport to the hospital, were three of Kleiner’s teeth that were left on the bed. Both women also had broken jaws. Kathy also suffered the loss of a number of her teeth which were found on her bed.

  Kathy told this writer she remembers one of the EMTs telling her she’d been shot in the face. After placing her on a gurney, she was transported to an ambulance. She said she remembers hearing people talking, the crackling of a walkie-talkie, and how cold it was outside. Both her injuries and Karen Chandler’s were severe.

  Things were a bit of a haze for Kathy as doctors and nurses attended to her, and the pace of activity in and out of her room never seemed to slacken; at least at the beginning. Of course, all victims had twenty-four-hour police protection, and anyone entering her room, outside of hospital staff, had to be approved. Twelve days after entering Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Kathy was released to her family. Soon she’d be heading home to Miami to be with family, but first she stopped by her room at Chi Omega. Once inside, she discovered her blood and Karen’s blood was still present. It’s very unlikely the university had already received the go ahead from the authorities to hire a crew to clean up the blood-spattered rooms. At this point, investigations were continuing and clean up probably occurred the week following Kathy’s last visit. The reason for the visit was two-fold. Not only was she intending to pick up those things she needed, but the police had asked her to see if anything was missing, as killers will very often take items from a crime scene as one might pick up a souvenir, and only Kathy would know if something had been removed which might indicate such a thing had happened.

  When she reached Miami, she settled in
with her parents, and it must have felt very good to her to have made it through the madness and still be alive and on the road to recovery. As Kathy told this writer, she was “taken to see an oral surgeon to correct the misalignment of my wired jaw performed in Tallahassee. My jaw was rebroken, three pins were inserted into the jaw bone, and it was wired shut for an additional nine weeks.”

  To ensure her recovery continued without incident, two-man police teams were stationed at her house around the clock. Having survived the attack at Chi O, authorities were determined that whomever did this would not be able to get to her a second time. Kathy remembered one officer would often be seen sitting on the front porch, while the other patrolman sat in the car. Kathy said her mother would often give these men food and drink. During her recuperation, she received numerous cards and letters from around the world wishing her well. Rather surprisingly, she even received a marriage proposal from Saudi Arabia.

  Kathy would see Ted Bundy face-to-face one more time. During the trial, she came to court to tell the jury and the court her account of what she had experienced. When I asked her if Bundy had avoided her eyes, she said no, he stared straight at her, and she stared right back at him.

  Kathy also mentioned that she was angry each time Bundy was granted a stay of execution. She remembers thinking, when that day finally arrived on January 24, 1989, that she was glad he went away, “just as Margaret and Lisa were taken away.”

  II. Francine Bardole

  In my book, The Bundy Murders, I cover the story of Bundy’s relationship with Leslie Knutson, whom he had met at a party in Salt Lake City. When I was writing this section of the book, I did not have any contact with Leslie, but I did have the official record (Utah and Washington State records), and the police investigated this relationship and reported on it thoroughly; even so much as interviewing Leslie’s ex-husband, David Knutson. Before bringing you up to speed with the new information, I must return to what the record states about that time, and about Leslie Knutson’s relationship with Ted Bundy. What follows is information I originally obtained from Utah police reports which I previously included in The Bundy Murders: