Review: Michaud & Aynsesworth, Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer

Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer by Stephen G Michaud

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Transcripts of the interviews Michaud & Aynesworth conducted for their biography of Bundy, Only Living Witness. Interesting for two reasons: (1) Bundy, an intelligent and articulate man, trying to describe what it's like to be a serial killer; (2) the slow reveal that Bundy has been lying to Michaud & Aynesworth all along, both in relatively small ways, like denying his necrophilia, and in the biggest: he told them there was exculpatory evidence that proved he wasn't the "Ted" killer and sent them on wild goose chase after wild goose chase trying to find it. Even when Aynesworth confronts him head on, Bundy continues to claim his innocence. As is also evident in The Stranger Beside Me with Rule's relationship with Bundy, Bundy continued to try to manipulate Michaud & Aynesworth long after they were on to him. I particularly like him complaining that they aren't holding up their end of the bargain. Bundy was very good at gaslighting and moving goalposts, and without the transcripts of these interviews, he might have been able to string Michaud & Aynesworth along a lot longer, because it's the transcripts that allowed them to go back and compare what he actually had said with what he claimed he said.



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