Latest news with #Bundy
7NEWS
3 days ago
- 7NEWS
Why do we obsess over serial killers but tune out war crimes?
It is often said that an average person unknowingly walks past 36 murderers in their lifetime — a chilling statistic that fuels Reddit threads, true crime podcasts, and Netflix documentaries. From the likes of Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, society has developed a near-obsessive fascination with serial killers. But while these individual criminals captivate millions, mass atrocities and war crimes — such as Israel's devastating war in Gaza, the civil war in Syria, the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya in Myanmar, the mass internment of Uyghur Muslims in China, or the ongoing violence in Sudan's Darfur region — often receive far less emotional engagement from the public. So why does a single killer enthrall us more than state-sanctioned violence that claims thousands of lives? University of Sydney criminologist Helen Easton the says the answer lies in cultural proximity and perceived relatability, not just of the killer but of the victims too. 'Part of our culture' 'We tend to be fascinated by serial killers who are part of our culture,' Easton told It feels close to home because victims of serial killings are people who live in the same cities and cultures as us. 'There's this idea of proximity, they feel close to us. They might look like us, live where we live, or share our language.' Easton said victims of serial killers — particularly when perceived as 'random' or middle-class — generate public empathy. In contrast, victims of war crimes in distant or less culturally familiar regions often do not. 'There's a subconscious way we categorise people's value. In the case of the Rwandan genocide or violence in parts of Africa, there's often a language and cultural barrier that distances us,' she said. Easton said with Palestine and Israel, the engagement is higher because of Israel's connection with the western world and strong ties with the US but, even then, it lacks the sense of sensationalised focus we see with serial killers. Even fewer people know or are interested in learning about what's going on in Sudan. But serial killers such as Bundy and Dahmer — whose crimes sprees rocked suburban America in the 1970s — continue to fascinate even years after their deaths and captivate the public through documentaries, books, and movies. Bundy kidnapped, raped and killed dozens of young females — many of them students he abducted from their homes., college campuses or from public places by pretending he needed help — across Washington, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Florida from 1974 to 1978. Serial killer and sex offender Dahmer — known as the Milwaukee Cannibal — killed and dismembered 17 young males from 1978 to 1991, with many of his horrendous crimes taking place inside his suburban home. The enduring interest in both those cases compares with UK serial killer Steve Wright, whose five victims in 2006 were sex workers. Easton's own research into Wright, who was convicted in 2008, underscores this selective attention — saying in many cases, it is the worth of the victim rather than the brutality of the crimes that shapes public interest. 'He fits the definition of a serial killer but there was no morbid fascination,' Easton said. 'That tells us something, we care about who the victim is. Prostituted women are seen as vulnerable and society often blames them for their victimisation.' This phenomenon also extends to how justice is pursued. Serial killers, who often lack social or political power, are easier targets for legal accountability. War criminals, on the other hand, are frequently shielded by political and economic interests. 'Serial killers tend not to be powerful people,' Easton explains. 'War criminals often are, and that structural power protects them. While a serial killer may have power over their victims, they don't have power in the broader sociopolitical system.' Psychological fatigue is also something to consider, Easton says. The scale and horror of genocide and war can be emotionally overwhelming, causing many people to disengage. In contrast, serial killers offer narratives that are both terrifying and digestible — and sometimes hit close to home. 'We get fatigued hearing about war and genocide, it's so horrific that I think that we can't grasp it,' Easton said. 'Serial killers are close to us, they're culturally similar to us, physically, perhaps in the same countries, but they're also distant enough from us for us to be interested in them. The chance of being killed by a serial killer is very low.' Despite the disturbing nature of serial killings, many reports on them are packaged for entertainment — from bingeable documentaries to Halloween costumes. Meanwhile, ongoing conflicts involving mass suffering are frequently reduced to headlines or statistics or buried in global news cycles. These media trends reveal deeper truths about our collective empathy and its limitations.
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
What does smelting have to do with Ted Bundy? A lot, argues ‘Murderland' author
The first film I saw in a theater was 'The Love Bug,' Disney's 1969 comedy about a sentient Volkswagen Beetle named Herbie and the motley team who race him to many a checkered flag. Although my memory is hazy, I recall my toddler's delight: a car could think, move and communicate like a real person, even chauffeuring the romantic leads to their honeymoon. Nice Herbie! Or not so nice. A decade later, Stanley Kubrick opened his virtuosic 'The Shining' with fluid tracking shots of the same model of automobile headed toward the Overlook Hotel and a rendezvous with horror. Something had clicked. Caroline Fraser's scorching, seductive 'Murderland' chronicles the serial-killer epidemic that swept the U.S. in the 1970s and '80s, focusing on her native Seattle and neighboring Tacoma, where Ted Bundy was raised. He drove a Beetle, hunting for prey. She underscores the striking associations between VWs and high-yield predators, as if the cars were accomplices, malevolent Herbies dispensing victims efficiently. (Bundy's vehicle is now displayed in a Tennessee museum.) The book's a meld of true crime, memoir and social commentary, but with a mission: to shock readers into a deeper understanding of the American Nightmare, ecological devastation entwined with senseless sadism. 'Murderland' is not for the faint of heart, yet we can't look away: Fraser's writing is that vivid and dynamic. She structures her narrative chronologically, conveyed in present tense, newsreel-style, evoking the Pacific Northwest's woodsy tang and bland suburbia. Fraser came of age on Mercer Island, adjacent to Lake Washington's eastern shore, across a heavily-trafficked pontoon bridge notorious for fatal crashes. Like the Beetle, the dangerous bridge threads throughout 'Murderland,' braiding the author's personal story with those of her cast. A 'Star Trek' geek stuck in a rigid Christian Science family, she loathed her father and longed to escape. In Tacoma, 35 miles to the south, Ted Bundy grew up near the American Smelting and Refining Co., which disgorged obscene levels of lead and arsenic into the air while netting millions for the Guggenheim dynasty before its 1986 closure. Bundy is the book's charismatic centerpiece, a handsome, well-dressed sociopath in shiny patent-leather shoes, flitting from college to college, job to job, corpse to corpse. During the 1970s, he abducted dozens of young women, raping and strangling them on sprees across the country, often engaging in postmortem sex before disposing their bodies. He escaped custody twice in Colorado — once from a courthouse and another time from a jail — before he was finally locked up for good after his brutal attacks on Chi Omega sorority sisters at Florida State University. Fraser depicts his bloody brotherhood with similar flair. Israel Keyes claimed Bundy as a hero. Gary Ridgway, the prolific 'Green River Killer,' inhaled the same Puget Sound toxins. Randy Woodfield trawled I-5 in his 1974 Champagne Edition Beetle. As she observes of Richard Ramirez, Los Angeles' 'Night Stalker': 'He's six foot one, wears black, and never smiles. He has a dead stare, like a shark. He doesn't bathe. He has bad teeth. He's about to go beserk.' But the archvillain is ASARCO, the mining corporation that dodged regulations, putting profitability over people. Fraser reveals an uncanny pattern of polluting smelters and the men brought up in their shadows, prone to mood swings and erratic tantrums. The science seems speculative until the book's conclusion, where she highlights recent data, explicitly mapping links. Her previous work, 'Prairie Fires,' a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, won the Pulitzer Prize and other accolades. The pivot here is dramatic, a bit of formal experimentation as Fraser shatters the fourth wall, luring us from our comfort zone. While rooted in the New Journalism of Joan Didion and John McPhee, 'Murderland' deploys a mocking tone to draw us in, scattering deadpan jokes among chapters: 'In 1974 there are at least a half a dozen serial killers operating in Washington. Nobody can see the forest for the trees.' Fraser delivers a brimstone sermon worthy of a Baptist preacher at a tent revival, raging at plutocrats who ravage those with less (or nothing at all). Her fury blazes beyond balance sheets and into curated spaces of elites. She singles out Roger W. Straus Jr., tony Manhattan publisher, patron of the arts and grandson of Daniel Guggenheim, whose Tacoma smelter may have scrambled Bundy's brain. She mentions Straus' penchant for ascots and cashmere jackets. She laments the lack of accountability. 'Roger W. Straus Jr. completes the process of whitewashing the family name,' she writes. 'Whatever the Sackler family is trying to do by collecting art and endowing museums, lifting their skirts away from the hundreds of thousands addicted and killed by prescription opioids manufactured and sold by their company — Purdue Pharma — the Guggenheims have already stealthily and handily accomplished.' Has Fraser met a sacred cow she wouldn't skewer? Those beautiful Cézannes and Picassos in the Guggenheim Museum can't paper over the atrocities; the gilded myths of American optimism, our upward mobility and welcoming shores won't mask the demons. 'The furniture of the past is permanent,' she notes. 'The cuckoo clock, the Dutch door, the daylight basement — humble horsemen of the domestic Apocalypse. The VWs, parked in the driveway.' 'Murderland' is a superb and disturbing vivisection of our darkest urges, this summer's premier nonfiction read. Cain is a book critic and the author of a memoir, 'This Boy's Faith: Notes from a Southern Baptist Upbringing.' He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
The Herald Scotland
29-05-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Family anger over Scotland's failure to give 24/7 stroke treatment
The family has told The Herald he had to wait 17 hours for the surgery that might have saved his life and is demanding changes to treatment in Scotland. It has emerged that an NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's Significant Adverse Event Review (SAER) into Mr Bundy's death from August of last year, seen by The Herald states that there is no night-time provision - between 8pm and 8am - for thrombectomy across any health board area in Scotland. A thrombectomy is a surgery to remove a blood clot from an artery or vein and is used to treat some ischaemic stroke patients. Ischaemic stroke is the most common type of stroke caused by a blood clot cutting off blood flow to part of the brain. The procedure can restore blood flow to vital organs, like legs, arms, intestines, kidneys, brain or other vital organs. It can reduce the risk of death or permanent disability if performed promptly. Mr Bundy's family told The Herald that they believe that treatment failure is costing lives. Mr Bundy's son, James, a Falkirk councillor said: "When my dad suffered a stroke, he had to wait 17 hours for the surgery that might have saved him. Seventeen hours - not because of a lack of skill or care, but because the treatment wasn't available. That delay changed everything for him, and for us. READ MORE : Why do so many Scots die from a stroke? 'Devastating consequences': Anger as Scot Govt slashes stroke thrombectomy funding 'Doctors said I was too young to have a stroke at 43' 'Game-changing': Hope for stroke patients as life-saving clot treatment launches in Edinburgh "In Scotland today, if you have a stroke outside of office hours, your chances of recovery fall sharply. Thrombectomy, one of the most effective treatments for major strokes, is only. There is no night-time provision of thrombectomy anywhere in Scotland, and some hospitals have zero provision at weekends. That means we're living with a part-time NHS, where the time and day you fall ill can decide your fate." James Bundy (left) with father Tony (Image: Contributed) It has come despite the launch three years ago of the Scottish Government's Stroke Improvement Plan emphasises equitable and timely access to diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation services across all regions. The 2019/20 and 2020/21Programmes for Government made a number of commitments on stroke, including commitments to develop a national thrombectomy service and to "scope out and define what a progressive stroke service looks like". The family says that when Mr Bundy was in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow they were told surgery could not commence until the morning as it was in the patient's best interests. But they feel this was untrue as they believe the quicker a thrombectomy is conducted, the more effective it is. They say that the reason he had to wait was "simple" - no thrombectomy services were offered until 9am. "This isn't just a theoretical failure. It's a real one—with real consequences," Mr Bundy told The Herald. "My dad's story proves that. And what deepens our grief is knowing that the delay wasn't necessary. It happened because the system simply wasn't there when he needed it. "No family in Scotland should have to experience that kind of preventable loss. But we're determined not to let our anger turn into despair. Instead, we're channelling it into change. It comes as the rate of strokes in Scotland continues to cause concern as the third biggest cause of death in Scotland after heart disease and cancer. The European Standardised Rate for strokes in Scotland in 2022-23 year was 479.2 per 100,000 of population, the highest since the start of Public Health Scotland's records in 2013-14, when it was 398.0. Nearly 20,000 Scots have died from strokes over five years to the end of 2022. There were 3,806 deaths in Scotland in 2023 where cerebrovascular disease, including stroke, was the underlying cause. The family fought and won the right to a review last year over education surrounding the detection of strokes in Scotland following concerns that flaws were costing lives. When Mr Bundy's stroke started, his face, arms, and speech were unaffected, meaning that his FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) test was negative. The FAST test is used to assess a patient for the most common symptoms of stroke. However the family of the usually fit and healthy 53-year-old say he "lost his balance, his eyes were struggling to focus, and he was throwing up". The family say while they raised concerns that it could be a stroke, because his FAST test was negative, he was left in a corridor within the Glasgow Royal A&E department for over five hours before his fatal stroke struck. The family has been calling for an update to the stroke public health awareness campaign. Glasgow Royal Infirmary (Image: ColinMearns/Herald&Times) They say that whilst the FAST campaign has undoubtedly saved lives, the over-reliance on a public health campaign which does not include all symptoms has resulted in strokes, like Mr Bundy's being "misdiagnosed and people dying prematurely". They called for review of the FAST stroke campaign to ensure that it includes all symptoms of a potential stroke including the inability to stand, cold sweats, eyes struggling to focus, slowed speech, nausea, and vomiting. They say it is intended to maximise knowledge amongst the general public and medical profession. Mr Bundy added: "When my Dad fell ill, an ambulance was called but not despatched, at around 430pm on June 25. The reason was that a stroke was ruled out because of FAST. "Throughout the day, stroke was further ruled out by paramedics, triage, and nurses because my dad's symptoms were out with FAST. "Therefore, if thrombectomy was still available 24/7, he wouldn't have received it because the medical professionals and call handlers ruled out stroke because of the reliance on FAST. "This reliance on FAST 'directly contributed' to my dad's death, according to the SAER report "I therefore, cannot say that 24/7 thrombectomy would definitely have saved my dad's life because it wasn't the only factor that contributed." But he said that stroke was suspected by medical staff in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary later that night at 11pm. "But because of the lack of 24/7 thrombectomy, he couldn't get the surgery until 9:30am on Monday 26th June. That delay led to diminishing chances of survival," he said. Opposition spokespeople from Labour, the Conservatives, the Lib Dems, and the Greens have united to demand 24/7 access to thrombectomy treatment in Scotland. In a joint letter to health secretary Neil Gray they highlight the urgent need to end the current postcode-and-clock lottery that leaves stroke patients without access to life-saving care outside weekday hours. They say: "Shockingly, some hospitals still do not provide thrombolysis services at all. These gaps in stroke care are causing catastrophic delays in treatment and, in too many cases, preventable deaths." They said that Mr Bundy's case was "unacceptable". "It is not an isolated case," the said. "People are dying because essential stroke care is not consistently available across Scotland." Mr Bundy added: "We're grateful for the cross-party support we've received, and we are hopeful that by speaking out, we can help build a stroke care system that is fast, fair, and available to everyone—24/7." Two years doctors and charities urged the Government to reverse cuts in funding for thrombectomy amid fears that it will leave hundreds of stroke patients avoidably disabled. In a joint letter to the then health secretary Humza Yousaf, more than 150 stroke clinicians backed calls from Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) and the Stroke Association warning that the spending cuts and recruitment freeze would backfire.
The Herald Scotland
29-05-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Why do so many Scots die from a stroke?
His son, James has told the Herald he had to wait 17 hours for the surgery that might have saved his life and are demanding changes to treatment in Scotland. It has emerged that an NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's Significant Adverse Event Review (SAER) into Mr Bundy's death from August of last year, seen by the Herald states that there is no night-time provision - between 8pm and 8am - for thrombectomy across any health board area in Scotland. What is a stroke? A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. This can lead to brain cells dying within minutes. Strokes are medical emergencies that require prompt treatment to minimize brain damage and potential complications. What is the stroke rate in Scotland? The European Standardised Rate for strokes in Scotland in 2022-23 year was 479.2 per 100,000 of population, the highest since the start of Public Health Scotland's records in 2013-14, when it was 398.0. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ READ MORE: Revealed: Scotland's failure to give 24/7 treatment for strokes 'costing lives' 'Devastating consequences': Anger as Scot Govt slashes stroke thrombectomy funding --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Nearly 20,000 Scots have died from strokes over five years to the end of 2022. There were 3,806 deaths in Scotland in 2023 where cerebrovascular disease, including stroke, was the underlying cause. There are approximately 12,000 hospital admissions for stroke each year in Scotland, averaging 33 admissions per day. In 2023/24, the number of new cases of cerebrovascular disease, including stroke, in Scotland was 239 per 100,000 population. This represented a nine per cent decrease compared to 262 per 100,000 in 2014/15. Why do people die from a stroke? Primarily because it disrupts the blood supply to the brain, depriving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients. Brain tissue is highly sensitive to oxygen deprivation. Within minutes, affected brain cells begin to die. If blood flow is not quickly restored, critical areas of the brain that control breathing, heart function, and consciousness can be permanently damaged. Eight five percent of case are ischemic strokes and they are caused by a blocked artery (blood clot or atherosclerosis). James Bundy (left) with late father Tony (Image: Contributed) Brain tissue beyond the blockage begins to die and swelling (cerebral edema) can increase pressure inside the skull, compressing vital brain areas or cutting off additional blood flow. Why have so many Scots died from a stroke? Stroke is one of the biggest causes of Scotland after heart disease and cancer. It has in the past been seen as being due to a combination of health inequalities, lifestyle factors, and systemic issues in prevention and treatment. While stroke mortality in Scotland has declined over recent years, it has historically been higher than in many other parts of the UK and Europe. According to the Scottish Public Health Observatory, over the 20-year period from 1990 to 2010, Scotland had higher mortality rates for cerebrovascular disease, including stroke, than those in the rest of the UK and other Western European countries. Public Health Scotland in a briefing last year said Scotland has a "high prevalence" of the risk factors associated with cerebrovascular disease such as smoking and high blood pressure. Despite a substantial decrease in rates of death over previous decade, treating and preventing stroke was seen as a national clinical priority for Scotland According to University of Edinburgh guidance about strokes from last year there is concern that given increasing population exposure to some of the key risk factors for stroke in Scotland - obesity, smoking, alcohol misuse, high blood pressure, diabetes - that the incidence of stroke may increase in future years. What treatments are available for stroke victims in Scotland? Treatment for stroke in Scotland involves immediate medical intervention followed by rehabilitation: Thrombolysis involves the administration of clot-dissolving medication and is for ischemic strokes. Thrombectomy involves the surgical removal of a blood clot from a brain artery. Medications are often needed to control blood pressure, cholesterol, and prevent further clotting. Multidisciplinary teams provide physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language therapy. Community-based programs also support patients in regaining independence. The Scottish Government's Stroke Improvement Plan launched three years ago emphasised equitable and timely access to diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation services across all regions. What is the outlook for stroke survivors? According to Public Health Scotland as of 2023, survival rates have improved, with 84% to 86% of patients surviving 30 days or more following their first emergency admission to hospital with a stroke over the past ten years. (Image: Getty) However, recovery can vary. Some individuals recover fully, while others may experience long-term disabilities. Rehabilitation can take months or years and may involve adapting to new ways of living. But support services are available to assist stroke survivors in their recovery journey. How can strokes be prevented? According to the NHS, preventative measures include maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Additionally, managing underlying conditions like atrial fibrillation with appropriate medications can reduce stroke.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Baltimore man charged with murder after wife's body found in Anne Arundel County
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. () — Police said a Baltimore man was charged with murder after his wife's body was discovered in Brooklyn Park last week. Minutes after 9 a.m. on May 23, officers with the Anne Arundel County Police Department were called to the area of Disney Road and Alley 79 for a report of a dead body. There, police found 44-year-old Sarah Elizabeth Bundy, of Baltimore, suffering from trauma to her body. Detectives investigating after human remains found inside burning car in Anne Arundel County Homicide detectives responded to the scene and collected evidence. Their investigation revealed that Bundy's husband, 49-year-old Cedric Dion Calloway, was allegedly connected with her death. On the same day, detectives received an arrest warrant for Calloway, charging him with murder. Bundy's death remains under investigation. Anne Arundel County police urge anyone with information about the case to call 410-222-4731. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Anne Arundel County Tip Line at 410-222-4700 or . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
