Ted Bundy, the notorious serial killer, corresponded with his cousin Edna Martin during his time on death row, writing a series of letters that she describes as ‘patronizing.’ Bundy, who confessed to the brutal murders of over 30 women throughout the 1970s, maintained this correspondence until his execution on January 24, 1989, at Raiford Prison in Florida.
These letters, regularly concluded with the unexpected sign-off ‘love, Ted,’ started with a single letter but continued for years as he awaited execution.
In an interview with PEOPLE magazine, Edna, now 74, shared details from these letters. “He was pretty patronizing,” she explained, citing a message where Bundy wrote, “you don’t know me anymore and you need to get to know yourself first before you can know me,” suggesting she lacked the full story.
Bundy’s revelation, “I have no guilt, remorse, or regrets over anything I’ve done,” further demonstrated his chilling lack of remorse.
Edna perceived Bundy as having dual identities: “Ted was two people. He was one person to his family and friends, and obviously he was something altogether terrifyingly different to his victims.” She believed he never showed his true self to her.
Bundy criticized Ann Rule’s book, “The Stranger Beside Me,” as containing ‘falsehoods and half-truths,’ and referred to periods of his life as ‘BC’ (before court, cops) and ‘AD’ (after damnation).
Despite their correspondence, Bundy never detailed his crimes, even when Edna directly questioned his motivations for killing. In response to her inquiry about his deep-seated rage, Bundy denied his crimes, writing, “I have not killed anyone,” and included a Bible verse.
A documentary titled “Love, Ted Bundy,” which explores these letters, is set to premiere on Oxygen on February 15.