Imagine waking up next to the man you think is your soulmate, only to realize years later he was spending his nights hunting women. It sounds like a cheap thriller plot. For Elizabeth Kendall, it was Tuesday.
Honestly, we’re obsessed with the "monster" version of Bundy. We see the courtrooms, the escapes, and that smug, punchable face. But the real story—the one that actually tells us something about how predators operate—is tucked away in a quiet house in Seattle where a single mom was just trying to build a life.
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Elizabeth Kendall (born Elizabeth Kloepfer) wasn't just a "girlfriend." She was the person who lived in the shadow of the most notorious serial killer in American history for six years without seeing the blood on his hands. Well, she saw it. She just didn't know what it was.
The Night Everything Changed (And Why She Stayed)
They met in 1969. Sandall’s, a bar in Seattle.
Liz was a shy, divorced mother with a young daughter named Molly. She felt out of place and lonely. Then came Ted.
He didn't look like a killer. He looked like a savior. He was charming, he was stable, and he seemed to adore her daughter. You’ve probably heard people call Bundy "handsome" or "charismatic," but to Liz, he was just hers. He was the guy who cooked dinner and helped her navigate the terrifying world of 1970s single motherhood.
Why did she stay? It's the question everyone asks.
The truth is, he groomed her. Not in the way we usually think of the word, but by creating a dependency. He was her "Phantom Prince." When things were good, he was perfect. When things were bad, he’d disappear or go cold, leaving her to wonder what she had done wrong. It’s a classic domestic abuse tactic, but it was happening while he was simultaneously committing mass murder.
The Red Flags We All Missed
Looking back, the signs weren't just red—they were screaming.
But Liz lived in a world without the internet or 24-hour true crime networks.
- The Marriage License: In 1970, they actually went to the courthouse and got a marriage license. Liz was ecstatic. Then, Ted got angry and tore it up. Just like that.
- The Hatchet: She once found a hatchet in his car. His excuse? He was just "clearing brush."
- The Crutches: He had a pair of crutches in his room even though he wasn't injured. We now know he used those to lure victims by appearing helpless.
- The "Ted" Sketch: In 1974, a police sketch of a suspect named "Ted" with a Volkswagen Beetle started circulating. Liz saw it. Her heart dropped. It looked exactly like him.
She actually called the police. Not once, but three times.
"I'm Liz Kendall, and I think my boyfriend might be the guy you're looking for." Basically, that was her message. The police? They brushed her off. They had thousands of leads, and Ted was a law student with a clean record. He didn't fit the "profile" of a monster back then.
The Chilling Survival of Molly Kendall
If you’ve seen the Amazon docuseries Falling for a Killer, you know that Elizabeth’s daughter, Molly, has her own scars.
Ted wasn't just a boyfriend; he was a father figure. He tucked her into bed. He played hide-and-seek. But there are stories that make your skin crawl now. Molly recalls a game of hide-and-seek where she found Ted under a blanket, completely naked. As a kid, she tried to rationalize it. As an adult? It’s a terrifying glimpse into his lack of boundaries and potential grooming.
There was also the time they were rafting on the Yakima River. Ted pushed Liz into the water and then just... watched. He didn't laugh. He didn't help. He just stared with "dead eyes" as she struggled.
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It makes you wonder: why didn't he kill them?
Molly once said she thinks they were like his "pet mice." He liked the power of letting them live while he destroyed everyone else.
Life After the Execution
When the truth finally broke, it didn't just end the relationship. It shattered Liz's reality.
She wrote her memoir, The Phantom Prince, in 1981 while Ted was still on death row. For decades, she lived in total anonymity. She changed her name. She struggled with alcoholism. She tried to reconcile the man who loved her with the man who murdered at least 30 women.
It wasn't until 2020 that she finally stepped back into the light.
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The updated edition of her book and the documentary series weren't about "Bundy the Legend." They were about the women. They were about the fact that a man can be a "good" boyfriend and a "prolific" killer at the same time. That’s the part most people get wrong—they think evil is always visible.
What We Can Learn from Elizabeth's Story
Honestly, the "Elizabeth Kendall Ted Bundy" saga is a masterclass in gaslighting.
If you’re looking at this story and thinking, "I would have known," you’re probably wrong. Predators don't lead with their fangs. They lead with a warm smile and a helping hand.
Practical takeaways from Liz’s experience:
- Trust your gut over your heart. Liz felt something was wrong years before she acted, but she let Ted's "kindness" talk her out of it.
- The "Good Guy" mask is real. A person's public reputation or career (like being a law student) has zero bearing on their private morality.
- Domestic behavior is a precursor. The "small" outbursts—like tearing up the marriage license—were symptoms of the same entitlement that led to his crimes.
If you want to understand the psychological reality of this case, stop watching the Hollywood dramatizations for a second. Go find a copy of the 2020 updated The Phantom Prince. Read Molly's chapter. It’s not a "fun" true crime read, but it’s the most honest account of what it’s like to love a ghost.
Next Steps for Deeper Understanding:
- Watch the Documentary: Check out Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer on Amazon Prime. It’s told entirely through the lens of the women—Liz, Molly, and the survivors.
- Read the Source: Find the 2020 expanded edition of The Phantom Prince. It includes photos and context Liz was too afraid to share in the 80s.
- Analyze the Patterns: Research "coercive control" to see how the tactics Bundy used on Liz align with modern understandings of domestic abuse.