Carole Ann Boone is the wife of Ted Bundy, a kidnapper, serial killer rapist, and necrophile. She was married to Ted Bundy for about 6 years between 1980 to 1986
Many would cringe at having anything to do with someone with a criminal record but Carol Boone did not only date but married and bore a child for one of the most notorious outlaws of the 20th century – Ted Bundy. Gifted with charisma and natural good looks, Bundy utilized deceptive tricks to rape and murder dozens of women from 1974 to 1978.
He always managed to avoid detection and several of his colleagues, including Boone, never figured out what he was up to. The law would eventually catch up with Bundy, but Boone stood by his side and testified in his defense. Her stance was borne out of a belief that her beloved was truly innocent. She would later turn out to be wrong and by the time Bundy was electrocuted, Boone had not only deserted him but formalized their divorce.
Carole Ann Boone Biography and Profile Summary
Full name: Carole Ann Boone
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White
Nationality: American
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Marital Status: Divorced
Carole Ann Boone’s Ex-Husband: Ted Bundy
Carole Ann Boone’s Children: One (Rosa)
Famous for: Being the ex-wife of kidnapper, serial killer rapist, and necrophile Ted Bundy
Carol Boone Was a Twice Divorced Mom of Two Before Meeting Ted Bundy
Not much information exists about Carol Boone’s family background, childhood, or educational history. Details about her place and date of birth are also not available. Friends however describe her as a woman of great depth and intelligence, and a lusty-tempered free spirit who was smart, witty, and competent at her job. Such admirable qualities were enough to give the bearer the confidence to blaze through life but in Boone’s case, she had the misfortune of getting mixed up with wacky men.
This resulted in two divorces that left her as a single mom at a young age. It also dealt a blow to her self-confidence but she managed to pick up the pieces of her life. Boone made ends meet through her work at the Department of Emergency Service in Washington, a state agency dedicated to helping search for missing ladies. She also rejigged her love life by going out with a male acquaintance. The man however turned out to be “large and unpleasant” and she started looking for ways out of the relationship.
She and Bundy Were Colleagues at the Department of Emergency Service in Washington
The romance with the large and unpleasant man left Carol Boone feeling low and when she met the charming, shy, dignified, restrained, and deep Ted Bundy at her place of work, she was quite taken with him. They became good friends in no time. This was in the year 1974 and ironically, it was the same year that Bundy began a string of rape and murder crimes that spanned Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, and Florida. Of course, some have argued that Ted actually started killing in his teens, but his first officially recorded murders commenced in 1974 and continued unabated for the next four years.
During this period, Ted Bundy perfected the act of approaching unaccompanied young girls under the ruse that he had a disability or injury. He would usually plead with them to help him take an item to his car and when they reach the vehicle, he would knock them unconscious, carry them off to an unknown location where he would eventually rape and kill them. Bundy made sure to leave as little DNA evidence as possible and so he evaded arrest from 1974 to 1977.
Carol Boone had no idea of what Ted Bundy was up to and did not in any way help him execute his murders. It was only when he was charged with the murder of a lady named Caryn Campbell in early 1977 in Colorado that she got an inkling of the whole thing. Despite such a serious allegation, Carol Boone believed that her friend and colleague couldn’t have been guilty of what they were accusing him of. She, therefore, supported Ted during his trial and was amongst those who furnished him with the funds with which he was able to plot and successfully escape from the Colorado jail in December 1977.
Boone and Bundy Began Dating in 1979 And Got Married During Bundy’s Murder Trial in 1980
Upon escaping from Colorado, Ted Bundy made his way to Florida in January 1978. The initial plan was to give up his criminal ways and live a clean life but his inherent sociopathic and sadistic tendencies wouldn’t let him. So, he returned to his old ways and within a space of a week, carried out a vicious attack on a bunch of sorority sisters at Florida State University. This left two ladies dead and many more injured and by February, Bundy further raped and murdered a 12-year old school girl named Kimberly Leach. By this time, authorities from several states had pinpointed Bundy as the prime suspect in several murders.
They apprehended him that same February 1978 and his trial for the three Florida murders began in earnest. The trial ran from 1978 to 1979 and during this time, Carol Boone became closer to Bundy more than ever. She fervently believed in his innocence and testified in his defense. They started dating and she relocated to Florida to be closer to him. Even after the jury found Bundy guilty, Boone still believed in his innocence. He, therefore, asked her to give a character testimony in his favor before sentencing and she took to the stand on the 9th of February 1980.
She described him as a warm, patient, and kind man. She also stated that she had never seen anything destructive in him. During this testimony, the couple also took advantage of a loophole in Florida law to get married. The obscure law has it that once there is a declaration of marriage in front of a judge in a court, then it is valid. So, during Boone’s testimony, she mentioned that her relationship with Bundy had evolved into a serious romantic thing. He asked her if she wanted to marry him to which she replied yes. He also stated that he wished to marry her and declared that they were married. The court had no choice but to allow a notary to witness the vows and stamp their marriage certificate.
Boone Divorced Bundy In 1986, Three Years Before His Execution
Despite all the testimony that Carol Boone gave in favor of Ted Bundy during his trial, the court found him guilty of the murders he had been charged with and sentenced him to death by electrocution twice for the murder of the two FSU students. His third sentence to death by electrocution was for the murder of the schoolgirl and this was handed down just a day after he and Boone were married. There was of course no getting out of jail this time around and Boone contented herself with visiting her new husband.
She visited him multiple times in prison, sometimes bringing her son, James, along. The lady simply believed that her man was innocent and she clung to this belief for several years. It was only when Bundy agreed to give prosecutors the location of the bodies of more victims in exchange for his execution being delayed that Boone realized that he was truly guilty. She immediately divorced him in 1986 and never visited him until his execution in 1989. Even on the day of execution, Boone refused to pick the call that Bundy tried to put across to her.
The Marriage Between Boone and Bundy Produced a Daughter Named Rosa
Some prisoners are allowed conjugal visits but this was not the case with Bundy. He was only allowed normal visits but he and Boone found creative ways to sleep together during her visits. This resulted in the birth of their daughter named Rosa Bundy on the 24th of October 1980. Boone initially took Rosa to visit her father in prison multiple times but after it became obvious that he was guilty, she stopped all the visits. She flew under the radar and so, there is not much that is known about her. Some sources have it that Carol Boone legally changed her name to Abigail Griffin and relocated to Oklahoma with her children. Others have it that she remarried again and had a quiet life.
A former colleague of hers, named Wood, has since come forward to reveal that Boone passed away in a retirement home in 2018. Rosa remains very much alive and is also living off-grid. The young lady knows that she can face unpleasant consequences for being related to an iconic serial killer and she has avoided anything that will lead to that. For instance, a 2020 Netflix documentary, Falling for a Killer, focused on Ted Bundy’s personal relationships and Rosa wisely stayed away from it. There is little information about her, save from Wood who reveals that she has grown into a fine young woman.
Key Facts About Carole Ann Boone
- Who is Carole Ann Boone? Carole Ann Boone was the lawful wife of notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy. They met while working at the Washington State Department of Emergency Services in 1974. Boone stood by Bundy throughout his trial and even after his conviction, believing in his innocence until he eventually confessed his crimes.
- How did Boone and Bundy meet? They met in 1974 while both working at the Washington State Department of Emergency Services, during the peak of Bundy’s murder spree. They grew closer over time, and their relationship evolved from colleagues to something more personal.
- How did Boone and Bundy get married? They got married in 1979 when Boone appeared for Bundy as a character witness. Bundy took advantage of a Florida law which allowed two people to marry in a courtroom as long as a judge was present.
- Did Boone believe in Bundy’s innocence? Yes, Boone was convinced of Bundy’s innocence throughout his trial and even when he was on death row. Her belief remained until Bundy confessed his crimes shortly before his death.
- Did Boone and Bundy have any children? Yes, they had a daughter named Rose who was born on October 24, 1982. The conception occurred while Bundy was on death row and despite prison regulations prohibiting conjugal visits. The exact circumstances of Rose’s conception have been the subject of much speculation.
- Where is Carole Ann Boone now? Carole Ann Boone died in January 2018 in a Washington State retirement home at the age of 70 from septic shock. Prior to her death, she lived a private life, having moved back to Washington State with her daughter Rose after divorcing Bundy.
- What was the relationship between Carole Ann Boone and author Ann Rule? Ann Rule was a former coworker and friend of Ted Bundy who wrote about him in her book, “The Stranger Beside Me.” Rule interviewed Boone’s daughter, Rose, but claimed to have no knowledge of their whereabouts, respecting their privacy.
- How did Boone react to Bundy’s confessions? She felt “deeply betrayed” upon hearing his confessions. This led to the end of their marriage, and she moved back to Washington State with her daughter.
- How did Boone manage to get pregnant while Bundy was on death row? This remains a subject of speculation. However, author Ann Rule suggested that it was common for inmates to bribe guards to allow couples to have sex in the prison, and Boone herself mentioned in an interview that the prison staff “didn’t care.”
- Did Carole Ann Boone have any other children besides Rose? Yes, prior to her relationship with Bundy, Boone had a son named James from a previous marriage.
- Why did Boone refuse Bundy’s final phone call? Boone was reportedly devastated by Bundy’s confessions to his murders, and as a result, she refused to take his final phone call.
- What happened to Boone and her daughter after Bundy’s execution? After Bundy’s execution in 1989, Boone and Rose left Florida for Washington. It’s believed that Boone changed both her and Rose’s names and they lived a private life away from the public eye.
