A reign of terror shook the United States in the 1970s. More and more female students suddenly and inexplicably disappeared. During a frantic search for the serial killer, investigators failed to find a connection to the perpetrator. Behind this scheme were the striking similarities of the single-minded victims indicated. However, when he was caught, America learned that not all serial killers fit the profile. Ted Bundy, a man known to many as intelligent and scheming, spread his reign of terror throughout the United States by systematically targeting and killing young women; using the perspective of the trial, it is determinable that his confusing and often tumultuous upbringing as a young man influenced his future behavior as one of America's most notorious serial killers. Ted Bundy was born as Theodore Robert Cowell in Burlington, Vermont on November 24, 1946. Bundy, who came from a middle-class family, was a Caucasian male born to his mother, Eleanor Louise Cowell. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Eleanor earned her living by working as a clerk in a department store. His father, who was an Air Force veteran, was not present during Bundy's childhood or thereafter. For the first few years of his life, Bundy and his mother lived with his mentally disabled grandfather in Philadelphia. Bundy would later refer to his grandparents as "mother and father" and his biological mother as his older sister. Bundy grew up believing this to be true. Using this simulation, Bundy's mother would not receive any criticism for being an unwed mother. (Wikipedia, 2005) Soon after moving to Philadelphia, Bundy and his mother moved to Tacoma, Washington. They both lived with Eleanor's uncle, Jack, who taught music courses at the College of Puget Sound. Not long after, Eleanor met John Culpepper Bundy, a hospital cook from North Carolina, at church and married him a few years later. As a result, Theodore Robert Cowell would be known as Ted Bundy. (Wikipedia, 2005) Bundy had four younger brothers who he spent most of his time babysitting. Bundy didn't like his new father at all. John raised Bundy as his own, unsuccessfully, only including him when he went on camping trips and other father-son activities with his other children. Bundy considered himself unique and had his own ideas. Bundy's grandfather was the only man he respected. Bundy felt desperate when the time came to leave his grandfather and move to another distant place, on the other side of the county. (Wikipedia, 2005) As a child, Bundy was very shy and was often the target of bullies in his middle school. Despite the humiliating experiences he endured, he maintained a high grade point average. Bundy, who attended Woodrow Wilson High School, was known to be an intelligent, if not brilliant, young man; his high school friends would later remember him as a cheerful and normal teenager. He was a more popular figure in high school than in middle school. Although he was very shy, Bundy was considered well-dressed and extremely polite. However, no one remembered Bundy ever dating anyone during this time period. He was more interested in other pastimes such as skiing and politics. He was an active leader for his Boy Scouts and was a member of the Methodist Church. Bundy's interest in politics began to blossom in high school. As he grew older, he was an overenthusiastic worker and campaigned for the Republican Party. Bundy also did volunteer work for the Seattle Rape Crisis Center. (Wikipedia, 2005) Bundy felt he had a problemin interacting socially, but never thought of seeking medical or psychological help for this. Regarding his relationship with his parents, he believed that his mother did most of the raising of him and his siblings. Bundy, however, did not speak to his mother in personal terms because he believed that his mother had trouble speaking on an intimate, personal level. He once quoted, “I didn't know what made people want to be friends.” I didn't know what made people attractive to each other. I didn't know what social interactions were about. Bundy once told the authors that he had another side of himself, the side he called "The Entity," which he kept well hidden from others. Regardless, friends will still remember him as a striking and eloquent gentleman. One morning, when Bundy was four years old, he appeared smiling in his aunt's bedroom as he brandished several knives and placed them next to her bed. (Crimelibrary, 2005; Wikipedia, 2005) Although Bundy was friendly, popular, and good-looking, he had very few dates during his high school years. He felt uncomfortable in social situations, and this embarrassment and fear haunted him throughout his college years when he attended the University of Puget Sound and the University of Washington. Bundy had a serious relationship with a college freshman, known by the fictitious name of œStephanie Brooks. Bundy felt that she was everything he had ever wanted and dreamed of in a woman. She was a wonderful and extremely sophisticated woman. Born into a wealthy California family, Bundy couldn't believe that someone of his class would have an interest in someone like him. Although they had many differences, they both loved skiing. It was during their many ski trips together that he thought he had fallen in love with her. However, she was not as infatuated with Bundy as he was with her. She also really liked Bundy, but believed he had no direction in life or any admirable future goals. Bundy did his best to impress her, even if it meant lying, something she despised. At one point, she had ended the relationship because she felt Bundy wasn't motivated enough. Bundy never recovered from the breakup. After their breakup, nothing, including school, seemed to interest him and he eventually dropped out. Depressed by the breakup, he managed to stay in touch with her by writing to her after he returned to California. Their separation lasted about two years. They met again, and that's when Bundy decided to propose to her. Two days after the proposal, Bundy hastily dumped her by not returning her phone calls. Soon after this final breakup, Bundy began his murderous rampage that lasted three years. Criminologists have theorized that œStephanie became the role model for Bundy's victims: young Caucasian women with long, dark hair parted in the center. (Crimelibrary, 2005; Wikipedia, 2005) Life has become messier for Bundy. In 1969 he learned that his sister was actually his mother and that his parents were actually his grandparents. Not surprisingly, this late discovery had quite a serious impact on Bundy. He went from a shy and reserved person to a more focused and prevailing character. Bundy became driven, as if he needed to prove himself to the world. He re-enrolled at the University of Washington and began studying psychology. He became an honors student and excelled in the subject. He became a favorite among his professors at his university. (Crimelibrary, 2005; Wikipedia, 2005)Ted Bundy is classified as a serial killer. In the span of three years, Bundy took the lives of countless people; a number that Bundy took to the grave. Various.