The Time Ted Bundy Got His Ass Kicked in a U-M Bar
Just finished watching the excellent Netflix documentary series about Ted Bundy, "Conversations With a Killer." I never knew about his U-M connection before - and a new tidbit was revealed in the documentary.
Bundy escaped from jail in Colorado on December 30, 1977. It's apparently well-known (although I didn't know this) that after he took a flight from Denver to Chicago, he hopped on a train to Ann Arbor and on Jan. 2, 1978, he was in a bar in Ann Arbor to watch Washington play Michigan in the Rose Bowl. (We won't talk about that game.)
Here's the tidbit that came out in the documentary: While in that bar, he either ALMOST got his ass kicked or DID get his ass kicked by some of us. Here's the way it was described in the documentary by a journalist who got the story straight from Bundy:
“He took the bus to Denver, got a flight to Chicago. In Chicago, he got on an Amtrak train and went to Ann Arbor, and was there to watch his alma mater, the University of Washington, play the University of Michigan in the Rose Bowl. He got drunk watching it in a college bar, and almost got beat to shit by a bunch of Michigan fans.”
So, whichever Michigan fans almost beat the shit out of Ted Bundy, good on you.
February 17th, 2019 at 10:57 PM ^
Remember that too. My mom (and everyone's mom) was, as you said, freaked out with fear.
February 18th, 2019 at 12:41 PM ^
Collins had all of Ann Arbor and Ypsi (he favored EMU students as victims) freaked the fuck out. He dumped one of his victims in a gravel pit 1/4 mile from my best friend’s house. He and I, being 16 at the time, had been driving around the dirt roads drinking beers that same night. It was scary times.
February 17th, 2019 at 9:43 PM ^
I read the title real quick and thought that Al Bundy had gotten his ass kicked on a live taping of Married With Children in Ann Arbor!!!
February 17th, 2019 at 10:06 PM ^
I believe it was at Frazier’s
I remember one of the owners telling me it was there
February 17th, 2019 at 10:52 PM ^
I believe Madonna worked there as well.
What if she served him that night? (mindblown).
February 17th, 2019 at 11:05 PM ^
Madonna used to frequent the old Rubiyat. Not sure if she worked there, or just liked the dance-bar vibe. My creative-writing prof, early 80s, was friends with Madonna's dance instructor.
February 17th, 2019 at 11:13 PM ^
The NetFlix documentary is amazing, really captivating and chilling. I’ve always been an armchair criminal psychologist and found the True Crime genre fascinating.
I had read about Bundy previously, but this documentary really illuminated a lot more about him and it made him even more intriguing. As others have said, and as seen in the documentary, he was just so “normal” in outward appearance. He wasn’t, “crazy” like Charles Manson, and yet he exhibited aberrant behavior that was pure evil. He himself said it wasn’t something that he necessarily wanted to do, but something that he was compelled to do by, the “Entity” as he called it.
He spoke about Entity in such a matter of fact manner that it’s easy to forget that this man walked among us while being tormented with a voice that compelled him to kill. He said that he wanted to it to stop, and that every time he killed he hoped that THIS time would satisfy and satiate the Entity. Absolutely and terrifyingly amazing.
There is brain scan research out now that details how the “empathy center” of the brain in psychopaths is near completely inactive when shown disturbing images that evoke strong emotions in “normal” people. I’m certainly not sympathetic, but I do find it interesting in the context of the “Nature vs. Nurture” debate.
Mind Hunter was a pretty interesting show as well, and detailed some other high profile cases. It reminds me of Prof. Williams’ Seminar “The Question of Evil” back in the 1994 — very interesting.
February 18th, 2019 at 12:28 AM ^
Ok, since we’re talking about serial killers:
There haven’t been many significant serial killer cases in more recent times. A lot of the worst serial offenses date back decades; many of the most famous span the 70s and 80s and many were caught then.
Other than the disembodied feet that still turn up on Vancouver Island from time to time, I can’t think of a single outstanding serial murder case that is currently outstanding.
But we do have a different issue: mass shooting killers. We have a whole lot of those.
Laying aside touchy political questions for a moment, some people suggest there’s a contagion aspect to this post-Columbine trend. It’s interesting (and horrifying) in that context to consider that, at least in terms of public attention, spree killers have arisen as serial killers have receded.
Is it possible that there’s an actual change in trends? Are today’s spree killers the successors to yesteryear’s serial killers? Is it possible that some of those guilty of one would have instead been guilty of the other in a different era?
There are unresolved issues with such a hypothesis, of course. The sexual assault aspect is significant with many serial killers and obviously isn’t a component of mass shootings. But I’d be interested in the perspective of people who actually study this stuff
February 18th, 2019 at 5:52 AM ^
Not outstanding anymore, but there was an active serial killer in Tampa recently. My theory on the decline in serial killings is that it's just harder to get away with a lot of killings due to advances in technology. DNA testing, computer algorithms that assist with profiles and maybe most simply, the fact that there are a ton of cameras everywhere.
February 18th, 2019 at 6:05 AM ^
having been involved with or at least paying attention in one fashion or another with a fair number of these cases back when they were a 'thing', i will opine that the most gruesome killers tended to be motivated by sexual excitement. it is the same with arsonists. it makes no sense. there is a thrill that must be done again and again.
today's shooters are almost exclusively single incident, more spur of the moment, many of whom are on or have used prescription or other drugs. i think the story nobody wants to touch is that the drugs that are supposed to 'help' people have a huge capacity to send a certain group of people racing over the cliff with tragic results. and please, nobody start taking this thread into political places that will burn it down.
February 18th, 2019 at 9:19 AM ^
There are still active, non-gun related serial killings taking place. A simple and all too horrific google search will turn up dozens of these current cases.
Here's a disturbingly informative article on the MAP project that was started by a former Scripps Howard journalist to detect and track serial killers/killings:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/27/the-serial-killer-detector/amp
February 18th, 2019 at 5:46 AM ^
Which bar, I wonder? Bicycle Jim's?
February 18th, 2019 at 9:26 AM ^
Done some research on this and most are pretty certain it was Fraser's.
February 18th, 2019 at 10:56 AM ^
Brain chemistry is destiny
February 18th, 2019 at 11:14 AM ^
They can make as many documentaries about Ted Bundy as they want, but they will never really know or understand his psychology. The man was a 100% self-serving individual who was incapable of telling the truth. All his interviews were basically pointless as a result.
The only lesson from his story is that bad people doing bad things come in all types and forms, and vigilance is always called for.
February 18th, 2019 at 12:03 PM ^
Was first to the the overly popular news story "Florida Man..."
February 18th, 2019 at 4:09 PM ^
So we have a connection to Bundy and the Unabomber.
Go Blue.
February 19th, 2019 at 2:04 PM ^
His mother was disappointed Ted didn’t turn out like his older brother al. Four touchdowns in one game
TB was calculating and manipulative. there is so many things about him we do not know and i suspect his trip to AA was more then just coincidence. He was on trial in Colorado at the time for the Murder of Caryn Campbell at a Ski Resort in Aspen at the time. She was a nurse from AA Michigan. Not much evidence and looks like he could of won an acquital in that trial if he stuck around. They claim they found strains of hair in his car that "matched" Caryn Campbell but back in the 70s all they could do with strains of hair is determine sex and race of the person. There was a suppossed eye witnessed who claims to of seen TB in the Ski resort at the time of her abducition and murder. I wonder if this supposed witness was someone who was on vacatio nwith Caryn at the time and who was originally from AA Michigan. Maybe he was heading there to eliminate a witness thinking it would increase his chances of acquital. Does anyone know have any more information about this. I repeat this is complete speculation on my part but ive been right about him before and later proven correct with other aspects of his actions. Anybody can shed light on this for me??
Its funny my kid asked me about this the other night and I wasn't aware of that close a connection. That was my freshman year and Dooley's was my bar of choice. Knowing this my son was "Dad,did you help beat up Ted Bundy?" While I would have loved to say yes, we were still on break and I was at my parents house watching the game with family.