Notes of Von Drehle’s conversation with Jerry Blair & draft version of Michael Mello’s essay “On Metaphors, Mirrors, and Murders: Theodore Bundy and the Rule of Law”

I am sharing on Internet Archive a pdf file from the Von Drehle Papers, courtesy M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York. This pdf file contains notes of Von Drehle’s conversation with Jerry Blair, about how Blair prosecuted the Leach case, and about his impressions after having witnessed Bundy's execution, and also a draft of Michael Mello’s essay “On Metaphors, Mirrors, and Murders: Theodore Bundy and the Rule of Law”.

https://archive.org/details/jerry-blair-mello

Michael Mello was a criminal and constitutional law professor, and consulted with Bundy’s lawyers and with Bundy himself, personally. When Florida Gov. Bob Martinez signed a death warrant for Bundy on Jan. 17, 1989, scheduling his death by electric chair seven days later, Bundy’s attorney James Coleman headed down to Florida to get appeals started, and he and Mello began a series of telephone discussions.

Mello first became involved in death-row cases while a law clerk with a federal appeals court judge in Birmingham, Ala., after graduating from law school. He taught at Vermont Law School since 1988. He taught criminal law, capital punishment, criminal procedure and legal profession courses. He served as both pro bono and court-appointed counsel for numerous death-row inmates. He also informally advised Theodore Kaczynski’s defense team.

Mello contended that Bundy did not receive a fair trial due to a variety of circumstances which are outlined in the essay I’m sharing on Internet Archive.

Mello was also convinced that Bundy’s end-of-life confessions were devastating to his legal case, and were absolutely sabotaging his defense. According to Mello, Bundy’s confessions were offensive because it looked like he was trading on the bodies of his victims to save his own life.

Photo of Michael Mello by Stephanie Wolff, which accompanied an article published in Valley News on Feb. 13, 1989

Michael Mello pictured in the 1970s, courtesy the Facebook page of Vermont Law School Alumni Office

Michael Mello as a student, courtesy University of Mary Washington, from a collection of archival items donated to UMW by Mello himself. Mello was an UMW alumn who championed issues related to the criminal justice system and the abolishment of the death penalty. During his time at Mary Washington, Mello was active in political issues and served as the managing editor of the student newspaper, the Bullet. After graduating from UMW in 1979, he went on to study, practice, and teach law.