Rose By Any Other Name

News clipping

A lot of people have asked me about Ted Bundy’s daughter with his wife, Carole. Rose Bundy was born in October 1981 and was the spitting image of her father. Raiford prison does not allow conjugal visits, so a lot of people have posited theories regarding how Carole got pregnant. The most popular theory is that Bundy bribed a prison guard who allowed him to have a conjugal visit with his wife either behind a vending machine or in a bathroom. The movie “Bundy” (2002) plays out this scenario. The most plausible theory, in my opinion, came from a comment made by a Raiford prison guard. He advised that Carole passed Bundy a condom through a kiss and he passed it back the same way with his sperm in it. That strikes me as more realistic, especially coming from one of the guards who was working in that prison in 1981-82.
With Rose
It seems strange that Bundy would want a family in prison after having been so reticent to have one in his earlier days. I believe there were a couple of reasons he wanted a wife and child. First, he wanted to appear normal to the general public. There was nothing more “normal” to him than a family. He even told Robert Ressler that he dreamed of having a perfect wife and perfect family before his killing spree began. Another reason was to make himself more sympathetic to those who were planning his execution in Florida.

Personally, I find it ironic that his child was a girl. Bundy admitted to killing more than 30 women during his murder days. He stole the daughters of myriad parents and here he was, the father to a daughter himself. One can only imagine what life would have been like if he had been free from that point on.

Comparison

Previous to Ted’s execution, Carole left him and changed their daughter’s name. No one knows if she’s aware of her parentage, but theory goes that she probably knows some of her father’s family. It would be hard to keep this secret from her in that situation. Crime writer, Ann Rule has noted that the young woman, who would be in her early 30’s now, is doing well and succeeding in the world. In the words of the immortal Shakespeare, “A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

11 thoughts on “Rose By Any Other Name”

Add yours

  1. I agree with your two reasons why Bundy wanted to have a child. I think you are absolutely correct in both reasons- he wanted to look like a normal family man (to manipulate the public)…and he wanted more sympathy for possible execution delays.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thank you for the photos of Bundy and his daughter – amazing resemblance. Ted’s picture on the bottom (youngest image) is truly scary. Such evil in those eyes! Thank goodness little Rose doesn’t have that threatening expression.

      Like

      Reply

  2. You know, I don’t find it so ironic anymore, that Ted Bundy had a daughter.

    I don’t know what exists in this world, but I’ve been around enough to have my fair share of coincidences. I don’t have the answers now, but…there is something very strange about how ‘life’ works that fascinates me, and is both sad, cruel, and beautiful all at once.

    Here’s a man who murdered, tortured, mutilated, and desecrated women and girls. The nightmare of anyone who wonders about the ways in which certain male figures enact their psychological thoughts out on women…and life gives him a daughter.

    As you said, he stole others’ daughters. And yet, he gave a hand in creating one. If there is a supreme intelligence, it must have a sick sense of twisted humor in my humble opinion.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. You’re welcome. I don’t say much about my thoughts to be honest, and sometimes I think people find me to be a bit cruel.

        Like I said, I don’t know what exists in this world, in this whole universe. Our species is rather mysterious, and there are things I am not clear about, if we don’t necessarily have the answers for right now or the answer is too difficult for us to accept…

        Whatever is happening around us, I try to look, and listen, and take a step back. I don’t want to blah blah blah too much but…I think there’s a lot more going on in the world beyond what, for some reason, we are taught to think, the way ‘faith’ or whatever structures us to experience things, but I’m sure this is obvious as we get older.

        I wish nothing bad for Bundy’s daughter, if she’s still alive, wherever she may be, but it does make you wonder.

        Why?

        Like

      1. Also being normal was always part of his well – crafted facade . There’s nothing more normal than having a family so I agree with EJ and all who say this is his reason . His daughter is a cutie and I assume she knows her paternity . Ted didn’t like not knowing his paternity then having to find out on his own . His poor daughter didn’t do anything wrong so I would hope those around her wouldn’t treat her badly if they knew. Oswald’s daughters were told all about their dad although Their mom did change their last name to Porter when she married her second husband . Don’t want to start a JFK debate but you get what I mean . Whether he was involved or not , Oswald was the most hated man in America. His daughters shouldn’t suffer because of his actions

        Liked by 1 person

  3. I think after Cobain and Francis “The World” would be just fine. But again there goes poor girls remnants of a ‘normal life’. But maybe life isn’t ALWAYS meant to be normal….then in the flash of a bulb and a silent page dropping slow lotion in the back somewhere normal has become nostalgia and old time.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑