Is Serial Sexual Homicide a Compulsion, Deviant Leisure, or Both? Revisiting the Case of Ted Bundy

Abstract

Serial homicide for personal gratification is often commonly assumed to be driven by an underlying psychiatric compulsion, characterized by loss of control. This article briefly summarizes the behavioral science literature on serial homicide before then focusing on such behavior as a potential form of deviant leisure, which, because of the leisure criterion of relative autonomy, presents challenges to assumptions that killing is primarily an uncontrollable compulsion. Specifically, the case of Ted Bundy, one of the most prolific and well-known American serial sexual murderers, was analyzed to explore whether or not leisure concepts were embedded within interview content and forensic case documents; and if so, how such concepts may have functioned within a homicidal behavior process. Analysis focused on identifying potential leisure-related concepts embedded within transcripts of first-person interviews of Bundy conducted by Michaud and Aynesworth (2000), while subsequently using forensic documents from victim cases to classify homicidal activities according to basic categories of the Leisure Behavior Inventory (Ragheb, 1980). Findings provide unique insights into the complex motivations and behaviors associated with serial murder.

Keywords:

• Compulsion
• forensic science
• homicide
• leisure
• serial murder
• Ted Bundy

Acknowledgments

The author graciously acknowledges Doris Booth (Authorlink Press), Stephen Michaud, and Hugh Aynesworth for granting permission to reproduce portions of interview text as part of the findings that are reported herein. Sincere thanks is also extended to Kimberly Leishman, graduate student at Idaho State University, who helped with coding for this study.