Serial Killer Ted Bundy: Are There More Bodies Yet to Be Found 35 Years After His Death?

This summer, private investigator Jason Jensen and his human-remains detection dog, Lily, will search for the graves of four women murdered and buried in Utah and Colorado by notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in the mid-1970s. Before his 1989 execution in Florida’s electric chair at 42, Bundy — who admitted to at least 30 murders — described to authorities where he dumped Debra Kent, Nancy Wilcox, Julie Cunningham and Susan Curtis “well enough that we have target areas to search,” Jensen said.

During Crime Con, Jensen explained that he plans to begin his search on June 20. “These four Ted Bundy victims were never recovered. We are searching for the clandestine graves of three victims in Utah and we added Julie Cunningham from Colorado to the list – we’re in that mindset of adding one more victim and bring resolution and closure for the families,” he shared.

“The search date marks the 50 anniversary of Ted Bundy’s crime spree and it all just fell in place,” Jensen – who cofounded Cold Case Coalition – added about the significance of the investigation.

While authorities previously searched for the victims in the late 1980s, Jensen said he believes new technology and Google Maps can help his team determine the specific locations described by Bundy.

“We have the advantage of Google aerial maps that wasn’t available at the time. Not to mention the fact that his confession is available on the internet,” he continued. “We have access to the things that law enforcement didn’t have in 1989.”

Jensen explained that Bundy’s descriptions of the burial sites were clear and truthful, noting that investigators recovered a knee bone during a 1989 search which was later identified through DNA as belonging to Debra Kent. “So, the description of the clandestine burial sites Ted Bundy gave to law enforcement was accurate,” he said.
“There was speculation he was making stuff up but because he described where to look, and they actually did indeed recover a bone for [Kent] that means he led them to the right spot.”

“Fifty years after Ted Bundy it’s still considered an active case to people like us – we’re avid cold case researchers,” Jensen concluded.

Bundy’s murders have been heavily covered in the media, and was retold in the 2019 movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Zac Efron – who played Bundy in the movie – explained that the film was not a “glamorization” in any way.  “I wanted to make this film for the victims,” he explained to The Guardian while promoting the project.