Ted Bundy’s Trial Made History — and It Had Nothing to Do With His Sentence

Ted Bundy was on trial for murder in Colorado when he made his first escape from a courthouse. He was back in custody after eight days on the run, and then managed to escape again six months later from prison. We get to see these escapes play out in Netflix's Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, with Zac Efron as Bundy. unlike his other crimes and murders. His final trial is the centre of the film, and the way it went down in real life was notable for multiple reasons.

It Was 1 of the First Televised Trials

Nowadays, we're used to access into all sorts of major occasions. From royal weddings to funerals, you don't have to physically be somewhere to see events take place. However, in 1979 when Bundy stood trial for the last time, the case being televised was a big deal. The month-long trial was one of the first, if not the first, to be televised.

"It's obvious the media's already convicted Ted before he's had his day in court," Bundy fed Carole Ann Boone (played by Kaya Scodelario in the film) lines to say to the press. "To broadcast it on a national stage, it's the first step in undercutting the judicial system, because it makes it about getting ratings, not about getting the truth."

Bundy Played an Active Part in His Defence

After graduating from the University of Washington in 1972 with a degree in psychology, Bundy enrolled in law school at the University of Puget Sound. However, in 1974, he moved on to the University of Utah. It's not clear if he ever actually became an attorney, but he's referred to in the film as a "former law student."

Bundy was good with words and had the charm to match, which was a big piece of how he was able to lure his victims. His legal performance in his own defence wasn't half-bad, and was even controversially complimented, in a way, by the judge who tried his case.

"You're a bright young man. You'd have made a good lawyer and I would have loved to have you practice in front of me, but you went the other way, partner," Judge Edward D. Cowart (played by John Malkovich) said to Bundy after he was found guilty.

Bundy Got Married During the Trial

You would think that marriage would be the furthest thing from a person's mind when they're facing the death penalty. However, Bundy turned his trial into a wedding with Carole Ann Boone, who he began a relationship with after Liz Kendall (aka Elizabeth Kloepfer).

The marriage legally took place due to a loophole in a Florida law. It states, "a public declaration, properly phrased, in an open courtroom in the presence of court officers would make the [marriage] ceremony legal."