Article entitled “The Bundy Manhunt” published in The Aspen Times of June 9, 1977

On my archive.org channel I am sharing an article published in The Aspen Times, June 9, 1977, entitled “The Bundy Manhunt”: it is about the circumstances in which Ted Bundy managed to escape from the Aspen courtroom.

Here is the link to the article: https://archive.org/details/the-bundy-manhunt

Despite the police department policy that Ted should have always been guarded by two officers, there was only one deputy in the courtroom, and Ted wasn’t shackled (the sheriff had argued that he should be shackled in the courtroom, but Judge Lohr overruled him)...

From the article: “From 9 am until 10:30, Colorado Chief Public Defender James Dumas argues against the death penalty. At 10:33, Lohr calls a recess before the prosecution begins its arguments. The judge retires to his chambers. The half-dozen attorneys in the courtroom leave through the main entrance and descend the stairs to the lobby of the courthouse. Three reporters, a single member of public who has been observing the trial, and [Deputy Dave] Westerlind, step out into the hall.

“Through the glass doors of the courtroom, Westerlind can see Bundy pacing back and forth near the defense table at the front of the courtroom.

“But then, the deputy becomes preoccupied with something in the hall. He takes his eyes off the suspect.

“When Aspen Times reporter Bill Rollins re-enters the courtroom moments later, it is empty. He turns and looks at Westerlind, Rollins makes a gesture with his hands that ask ‘where is he?’

“The deputy sticks his head into the open door of the courtroom and looks toward the front, toward the bench and the office of court clerk Shirley Dills.

“’I think he’s in there,’ he responds and points to Dill’s office.

 “’I hope so,’ Rollins says.

“Minutes elapse and still the deputy does not search the vacant courtroom or the law library at the rear, its tiers of bookshelves obscuring most of the library interior and the windows that open onto Main Street.

“At that same time, the best estimates are between 10:40 and 10:45 am, an unidentified passerby on Main Street sees a man jump 30 feet out of the second story window of the courthouse. It is the window nearest the west corner of the building.

“He lands hard; his feet make deep imprints in the lawn and the impact throws him forward onto his hands, which leave more imprints.”

The lack of necessary security precautions facilitated Ted’s first escape attempt.

 

Another surprising discovery for me - but then I might have to get used to such surprises from now on: this article too has been put up behind a paywall on Patreon, despite the fact that the Aspen Historical Society sends it to researchers free of charge.