It took roughly 50 years for authorities to solve the Ted Bundy case thanks to the advancements of DNA technology. And moving forward, more cases are expected to be solved.
It will be recalled that in early April, investigators were able to close the case involving one of the serial killer's victims, Laura Ann Aime. The 17-year-old was last seen on 31 October 1974 and her body was found a month later.
Bundy made a vague verbal admission of guilt before his execution in 1989. However, the lack of evidence prevented investigators from closing the case and giving the family of Aime closure. With the advancements in DNA testing, all that is expected to change moving forward.
Justice, Closure, and the Debate Over Time Limits
Given the privilege to discuss Ted Bundy with civil rights attorney Shari Karney, the advocate believes that justice should have an expiration date. Further, she believes it is essential for families to get the closure due to them.
'Justice should have an expiration date. I think for families, it is important for them to get closure. I think for families, it's very important for them to get closure,' Karney said in an exclusive talk with this writer. 'It's very sad, it's like reliving another loss of a loved one,' she added.
Karney admitted that the admission of Bundy to killing Aime was relevant. And while the Vermont native was executed for his crimes, she believes that for families, the admission and execution were not enough.
'There's a certain ability to move on or put it to rest when you know who the perpetrator was,' she stated. 'I think that families will always have some part in their heart that's not sure. You just can't take a serial killer's confession. It wouldn't be right for justice and for families to take their word for it.'
Aside from DNA technology, Karney believes that investigators and law enforcement should be given credit as well for preserving evidence even after so many years. The civil rights lawyer believes that if they were not kept in good condition, the evidence would have been useless.
'I think that we give a lot of credit to the police, the FBI, and the sheriffs because they preserved the evidence in pristine condition,' Karney said. 'Had they not preserved it properly, we couldn't test it fifty years later.'
Serial Killing Is An Obsession, Here's Why
Given the multiple innocent girls and women Ted Bundy preyed on, Karney was asked why such people existed. She believes that while there are many serial killings reported, not all countries are affected. Either that or serial killings are not reported publicly.
'It seems to be in democratic countries like the UK and the United States and Canada. I haven't heard of serial killers in Italy, France, China, Taiwan, Singapore or the Philippines. Now maybe they don't report it. Maybe it's not tied to one person,' she explained. 'But there's always the question. This is an obsession. This is an addiction.'
She expounded on the obsession and addiction part which doctors talk about. Once any paedophile or any perpetrator of sexual assault against children or girls or young women does it over and over, it all stems from that person getting sexual pleasure from a murderous act or a paedophilic act, that rewires the brain.
'And so you need that stimulation to feel that same pleasure,' she quipped. 'It's very terrible.'
Pornography, AI Making Things Worse
Relating the Ted Bundy case to the present day, Karney believes pornography and AI-generated pornographic images could spur more sex-related crimes moving forward. She believes that what people see could end up pushing them to get sexual gratification regardless of whether it is abusive, illegal or violent.
'That's why pornography is so bad. That's why AI-generated pornography is so bad. Whether they're avatars or they're simulated or they're AI-generated, we're rewiring the brain of the viewer to get sexual gratification from illegal, violent, abusive, rape, child abuse, and torture. It's not good,' she explained.
One of the last questions Karney was asked was why Bundy never revealed where the bodies of his victims were. She feels that Bundy treated his victims as prizes that he didn't want anyone to find or touch.
'I'm not sure other than control and power and wanting his possessions, his women victims to be untouched by authorities. Like, those were sort of prizes or his ownership,' she suggested. 'I think it was about power and control. Because why wouldn't he say where the bodies were?' she added.
The only thing certain moving forward is that with the advancements in DNA testing, unsolved crimes could be getting closure soon. While some feel that solving some cases is no longer irrelevant, the essential thing is to give families of victims closure and the burial they deserve.
