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People Are Praising New Ted Bundy Documentary For Giving A Voice To His Victims

People Are Praising New Ted Bundy Documentary For Giving A Voice To His Victims

The powerful documentary tells the story of the women who survived Ted Bundy, in their own words.

Joanna Freedman

Joanna Freedman

Ted Bundy: Falling For A Killer landed on Amazon Prime on Friday, and already the documentary is being hailed for the "powerful" way it highlights the stories of his victims, rather than his own.

In the new five-part documentary, the serial killer's long-term girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall opened up on their passionate yet turbulent relationship for the first time on screen - recalling living with him, unaware that he had murdered 30 women across multiple states.

Plus, the programme also featured interviews Liz's daughter Molly (who saw Bundy as a father figure) and a number of his survivors.

Many people will already be familiar with Liz's story after watching Netflix's Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, starring Zac Efron, or any of the plethora of Bundy docs that have aired.

Ted Bundy and Liz dated at the same time he committed the majority of his murders (
Amazon Prime)

But this new series made a pointed effort to recall his crimes in a much more feminist way, giving a platform to the women he victimised instead.

In the important doc, Liz, who is also known by the last name Kloepfer, says: "This story has been told many times by men. Now is the time to talk about our own story from beginning to end, because we lived, and so many people didn't."

Bundy's ex girlfriend goes on to tell how she met Bundy in a Seattle bar in 1969, and fell for him instantly, quickly integrating him into her day-to-day life with daughter Molly.

Liz's daughter Molly speaks out for the first time (
Amazon Prime)

"We were like a family," Molly recalls.

While Liz later reflects: "I just didn't think he could do these things".

However, when Liz moved in with Bundy suspicions begun to mount, and eventually, she ended up calling the police on him.

"I fell in love with him from day one, but there were all these coincidences," she admits later, in the revealing interview. "I couldn't let it go."

Bundy's close bond with Liz and Molly is chillingly recounted (
Amazon Prime)

The testimony from the women who narrowly escaped Bundy's clutches is also chilling and essential viewing.

One such account comes from Bundy's first known attempted murder, University of Washington student Karen Sparks, who speaks of her harrowing near death experience for the first time, recalling how he broke into her dorm room back in 1974.

Bundy used a metal rod from Karen's bed frame to sexually assault her after violently smashing her skull with it, leaving her bleeding for 20 hours before being found, with her bladder split in half.

While she counts herself lucky to survive, Karen is now permanently brain damaged, has lost 40 per cent of her vision and 50 per cent of her hearing.

Karen Sparks is still brain damaged following Bundy's attack (
Amazon Prime)

"I have terrible ringing in my ears, it's just constant," she says in the footage. "I had epileptic fits. Luckily I was able to overcome those."

Meanwhile, his other survivor, Carol DaRonch remembered her brush with Bundy all too vividly, too.

"I remember him pulling out a gun and saying, 'I'll blow your head off,'" she says, "I was angry at him for him thinking he could do something like that to me. I remember thinking, 'My parents are never gonna know what happened to me.'

"I might have never been found. And that was my feeling -- to fight and I just had to get away with all my strength."

We certainly won't be forgetting these accounts any time soon.

Ted Bundy's violent attacks are vividly retold by his victims (
PA)

Murderous Bundy met his end in Florida on the electric chair in Florida on January 24th, 1989, after being convicted for killing a pair of sorority co-eds and horrifically abducting, raping and murdering 12-year-old Kimberly Diane Leach.

Bundy's ex previously remained quiet about her story for many years following the release of her memoir The Phantom Prince: My Life With Ted Bundy back in 1981, refusing all press interviews, and declining all opportunities to speak on film, until now.

Speaking to Women's Health, the series' director explained why she felt it so important to get Liz, Molly and Bundy's surviving victims on board.

"It's time we stopped talking about him. I think everybody knows his name. Nobody knows who the women were," she said.

"And I think that any future endeavours like this should focus more on the people who survived and who can talk about the culture in which it happened."

Certainly, viewers at home seemed to agree.

This is the first time Liz Kendall has spoken out on film (
Amazon Prime)

"Amazon's new #TedBundy docuseries (Falling for a Killer) is one of the most powerful things I've watched in a long time. Be sure to check it out," one person wrote after watching the series over the weekend.

While another agreed: "'Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer' is being released on Amazon Prime today. It's a documentary that's unlike anything I've ever watched or read about Bundy.

"So many women, so much attention paid to his victims and survivors. Such respectful tributes to the lives he took. Bravo".

A third also appeared to be impressed with the film's unique standpoint, chipping in: "If you have amazon prime, watch Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer !!!! One of the best docuseries ive ever seen".

As a fourth wrote: "The best thing about Ted Bundy: Falling For a Killer is that I haven't heard Bundy's voice at all.

"He's not in control, he's not narrating this, and while he is featured in the story, it's not about him anymore - it's about the survivors and the people whose lives he destroyed."



Amen to that.

We're pleased that Bundy's victims are reclaiming the narrative around his horrific crimes.

Ted Bundy: Falling For A Killer is available to watch on Amazon Prime now.

Featured Image Credit: Amazon Prime

Topics: True Crime, TV News, Ted Bundy, TV Entertainment, Amazon, amazon prime