Nice graphic: Rape 101

[Demo_Chris]

24. Perhaps. The problem with Bundy is that he LOVED to spew BS...

Many sociopaths are masterful liars and manipulators, but Bundy took it to an almost preternatural level. he coupled charm, intelligence, and pure evil in a way that has perhaps never been seen since. When it comes to Bundy, the only thing you can reliably say is that nothing he said should be considered credible at all. And yet, remarkably, people believed him -- to some extent because he was gifted at mimicking sincerity and telling people the "truths" that they wanted to hear.

To give you an idea just how extraordinary his ability to bullshit and manipulate was, consider the following quote. This was what the JUDGE in hiw murder trial said to him as he sentenced him to death:

"It is ordered that you be put to death by a current of electricity, that current be passed through your body until you are dead. Take care of yourself, young man. I say that to you sincerely; take care of yourself, please. It is an utter tragedy for this court to see such a total waste of humanity as I've experienced in this courtroom. 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 another way, partner. Take care of yourself. I don't feel any animosity toward you. I want you to know that. Once again, take care of yourself."

Note as well how thoroughly Bundy managed to bullshit James Dobson just hours before his death. This was the infamous "Porn did it" interview.

Ted Bundy killed people because he was evil. He enjoyed it. It's not a leap to say that it made him feel powerful, but even this might be an error. I say this as someone who, in the past, has known and worked with a good number of serial killers and extremely violent sociopaths. It is a huge mistake to believe that you understand them or get where they are coming from, the ONLY correct way to deal with people like this is to treat them like you would a dangerous and hungry animal. The Tiger in the zoo might look relaxed, it might even let it's handler pet it and pretend to enjoy it, but if you make the mistake of forgetting it's a Tiger it will kill you.

In any case, to respond directly to your point, many serial killers start out as serial killers, while relatively few rapists evolve into serial killers. Because of this, I think it's a mistake to draw too many conclusions from this.