Bundy's Final Interview: What the Killer Said Before Execution

Ted Bundy, one of America's most notorious serial killers, sat across from Reverend Dr. James Dobson on January 23, 1989, for what would be his final recorded interview. The evangelical psychologist and conservative public figure spent approximately one hour speaking with the 42-year-old killer in the hours before his scheduled execution.

Bundy had been convicted of murdering more than 30 women and girls—crimes that had captivated and horrified the American public for over a decade. As he awaited death in a Florida prison, the killer chose to grant this last substantial interview, seemingly attempting to explain himself to a wider audience through Dobson's platform.

The conversation centered on what Bundy identified as the antecedents to his violent behavior. In what many observers viewed as an attempt to shift responsibility, Bundy attributed his crimes largely to pornography consumption. He claimed that pornographic material "was the fuel for his fantasies," presenting it as a primary driver of his murderous impulses. This narrative—whether sincere reflection or calculated deflection—would become one of the most discussed aspects of the interview, particularly among researchers and criminologists studying serial killer psychology.

Dobson, a prominent figure in evangelical Christian circles and founder of Focus on the Family, brought his own agenda to the conversation. The interview would later be cited by some conservative commentators as evidence supporting their arguments against pornography, though the circumstances of Bundy's claims—made by a convicted multiple murderer on death row—complicated their credibility.

On the morning of January 24, 1989, Bundy's interview remained fresh in public consciousness as he was led to Florida's electric chair. At approximately 7:15 a.m., roughly 40 witnesses gathered to observe the execution. Prison Superintendent Tom Barton asked Bundy if he had final words to speak. When given the opportunity, Bundy's voice quavered, and he hesitated before responding—a moment of apparent human vulnerability from a man convicted of inhuman acts. Yet the exact nature of his final words remains incompletely documented in the historical record.