Who was Carole Ann Boone, the woman who married a serial killer during his murder trial? In this article, we take a look at the little-known true story of Carole Ann Boone, the wife of Ted Bundy and mother of his child Rose Bundy.
The Woman Who Fell In Love With a Monster
Despite being accused of the brutal slayings of at least 30 young women, serial killer Ted Bundy attracted the romantic interest of many women during his heavily publicized murder trial. One of these women was the twice-divorced single mother Carole Ann Boone, an ex-coworker of his.
Ted Bundy and Carole Ann Boone married in 1980, during the midst of his legal proceedings. While incarcerated on death row for the rape and murder of 12-year-old Kimberly Leach, Ted Bundy fathered a daughter with Carole Ann Boone. The couple divorced in 1986, three years before Ted Bundy’s execution by electric chair in 1989.
Ted Bundy was a person of public interest during his trial because of the gruesome and shocking nature of his crimes partnered with his polished, charming public image. Bundy is known for having used his charms and good looks to get his victims to trust him prior to murdering them.
The shocking story of his murderous perversions continues to be the subject of movies, books, and media to this day. One person who has a unique perspective on who Ted Bundy was is his ex-spouse and mother of his child, Carole Ann Boone.
How Carole Ann Boone Met Ted Bundy
The couple met at work six years prior to their marriage in 1980, while they were both employed by the Department of Crime Prevention in Olympia, Washington. Bundy even wrote a pamphlet on rape prevention while working for DCP.
Boone was still struggling to obtain a divorce from her second husband when the two met at work, and although Bundy expressed a romantic interest in her, she declined his advances in favor of maintaining a professional relationship.
Their friendship at work flourished and they became closer than most of their coworkers. Meanwhile, Bundy’s murder spree of young women had already begun. He kept his work life separate from his personal life, and none were the wiser that their charming coworker was regularly kidnapping and butchering women in his off-hours.
One of the things that made Bundy attractive to the women in his life was the mysterious air that he had about him. Little did they know how deep his secrets went. Many chalked up his stoic persona to his republican political beliefs and conservative attitude about life.
Bundy came off to others, including Carole Ann Boone, as a masculine, patriotic man who was respected by his peers. In contrast to Bundy’s dignified stoicism, Boone was described as free-spirited.
Little is known about the early life of Carole Ann Boone before she met Ted Bundy, besides the fact that she had been married twice before and had a son from a previous marriage. Some people have speculated that her relationship with Bundy may have been influenced by a tragedy in her childhood.
Boone always felt guilty about the death of her 15-year-old brother, who drowned when she was young. Feeling guilty that she was not able to save her brother may have been one of the reasons why she felt inclined to stay by Bundy’s side throughout his time on death row.
Did Carole Ann Boone Help Ted Bundy Break Out of Prison?
After Ted Bundy’s arrest in 1975, Carole Ann Boone’s loyalty to him never wavered. Bundy was arrested in Florida for the murder of two Chi Omega sorority girls, and in the months that followed, Boone would make many trips to the peninsula to visit him as he awaited trial.
Boone was just one of many women who became infatuated with Bundy during his trial. A crowd of groupies would gather whenever he made a court appearance, with some of the women even mimicking the appearances of his victims to try to gain his attention.
She described Bundy as being her “buddy” and stated that she believed he was innocent in multiple interviews. Their friendship may have even gone as far as Boone sneaking cash into prison to help him escape in 1977, although this has never been confirmed.
Out of all of the women who sought Bundy’s affections, Boone was the only one who managed to get close to the killer during the trial. Their relationship grew into something beyond friendship during their visits. Eventually, Boone moved herself and her son to a home in Gainesville, FL in order to be closer to where Bundy was incarcerated.
How Carole Ann Boone Married Ted Bundy
Carole Ann Boone married Ted Bundy during his murder trial. Just moments after the jury heard the details of how Bundy abducted and killed 12-year-old Kimberly Leach, Carole Ann Boone took the stand to defend her friend.
Bundy, who was acting as his own attorney, began his questioning of Carole Ann Boone by first asking her if she had ever observed him be violent or destructive in the time they knew each other. Her answer was no.
His second question was if she wanted to be his wife. She said yes, and with a judge and notary present (paid beforehand by Boone), their marriage was official with Bundy’s proclamation of, “I do hereby marry you”. According to an old Florida law, a proclamation of marriage in front of a judge was legally binding.
The courtroom proposal was recorded on video and the real footage is featured in Netflix’s documentary about Ted Bundy, The Ted Bundy Tapes. The anniversary of their wedding was also the two-year anniversary of the murder of Kimberly Leach.
The Birth of Ted Bundy’s Only Child
Carole Ann Boone’s devotion to Bundy seemed to know no bounds. There were rumors of her sneaking drugs into prison vaginally for him. She was completely smitten with Bundy and wanted to bear his child.
Despite the fact that he was in prison and was not allowed conjugal visits, the couple found opportunities to engage in intercourse. A statement by Boone implied that a friendly prison guard had looked the other way during their visits.
Found guilty on the counts of multiple rapes and murders, Bundy was on death row when Boone became pregnant with their daughter Rose. Rose Bundy is more frequently referred to as “Rosa”.
According to friends of Boone, even after his guilty conviction, she maintained her stance that he was innocent. When pressed by media outlets who were fascinated with the woman who married and had a child with a known serial killer, she stated that she had nothing to explain to anyone.
Carole Ann Boone and Ted Bundy Divorce
As the years went on, Carole Ann Boone and Ted Bundy’s relationship became more strained. She became increasingly disillusioned with Bundy as his narcissistic and overbearing personality became more obvious during his time in confinement. Rumors of an affair between Bundy and one of his lawyers, Diana Weiner, could have also contributed to their breakup.
Boone had been one of Bundy’s number one advocates both during the trial and after his conviction. She spent years trying to get his death sentence overturned. Bundy’s constant demands and moody temperament began to take a toll on his relationship with Boone.
Their relationship ended when Bundy admitted to Boone that he was guilty of the murders. Throughout his trial, conviction, and time spent on death row, she had maintained her belief in his innocence. With his execution date swiftly approaching, Bundy became desperate to buy himself more time.
He asked Boone if she thought it was a good idea for him to confess to some of the other murders and help the police locate the bodies in order to buy himself more time. Boone was heartbroken to hear that the man that she had defended so vehemently had been guilty all along. She stopped bringing her daughter to visit him and they officially divorced in 1986, three years before his death via electric chair.
Where Is Carole Ann Boone Today?
Little is known about what came of Carole Ann Boone and her daughter Rosa Bundy following her divorce from Ted Bundy. Allegedly, she never spoke to him again following his murder confession.
After the public spectacle of their marriage during the trial, it is unsurprising that Boone opted to raise her child out of the spotlight following her split from Bundy. Some have speculated that Boone and her daughter may have changed their names and identities after the divorce to escape the scrutiny of the public eye.
Rose “Rosa” Bundy is a mystery to the public, but those who know her describe her as a shy, kind, and caring woman. Carole Ann Boone passed away in a retirement home in 2018 at the age of 70 from septic shock, taking Ted Bundy’s secrets to the grave with her.
