Carol DaRonch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
June 8, 1956
- Telephone operator
- Advocator
- Human rights activist
Carol DaRonch | |
|---|---|
| Born | Carol Ann DaRonch June 8, 1956 Salt Lake City, Utah, U. S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1974 – present |
| Spouse | Michael |
| Children | 1 |
Carol Ann DaRonch (born June 8, 1956) is an American human rights activist and advocator.[1] She is known for surviving an abduction attempt by serial killer Ted Bundy.[1] Her escape on November 8, 1974 provided law enforcement with their first significant physical evidence and led to Bundy's first criminal conviction in 1976.[1][2][3][4][5]
DaRonch was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.[1] Her father was of Italian descent, while her mother had English ancestry. In 1974, she was an 18-year-old high school graduate working as a telephone operator.[1] She has described herself during this period as "extremely shy" and helpful, traits she believes Bundy targeted for exploitation.[1]
She attended night school at The University of Utah to earn a degree in business management.[1]
The 1974 abduction
Around 7:00 PM on November 8, 1974, DaRonch was window-shopping at the Fashion Place Mall in Murray, Utah.[1] Bundy approached her posing as "Officer Roseland," claiming someone had attempted to break into her 1974 maroon Camaro.[1] After verifying her car appeared untouched, Bundy convinced her to accompany him to a substation behind a nearby laundromat to sign a complaint.[1] When they found the door locked, he claimed they must go to the main police station and led her to his 1968 Volkswagen Beetle.[6]
Bundy drove to a nearby elementary school, pulled over, and grabbed DaRonch's arm.[1] He successfully locked one handcuff on her left wrist, but she fought back as he threatened her with a handgun and a crowbar.[1] DaRonch managed to tumble out of the vehicle and flag down a passing car driven by Wilbur and Mary Walsh, who rescued her while the handcuff still dangled from her wrist.[7]
Legal impact and conviction
In October 1975, following Bundy's arrest for a traffic violation, DaRonch identified him in a police lineup.[8] In February 1976, she was the key witness in Bundy's trial for aggravated kidnapping.[9] Despite intense cross-examination by defense attorney John O'Connell regarding her initial description of the vehicle and badge, she firmly maintained her identification, famously stating she would "never forget his face".[1] Bundy was found guilty and sentenced to 1 to 15 years in prison.[10][11]
DaRonch traveled to Aspen, Colorado, to testify in the murder trial of Caryn Campbell, where she was directly cross-examined by Bundy while he acted as his own attorney.[1] She also testified at his 1979 pre-sentencing hearing in Miami.[1]
Later life
Following the trials, DaRonch intentionally sought a life of privacy, though her case remains a cornerstone of Bundy's criminal history.[1]
Personal life
Legacy
She worked for decades in the telecommunications industry.[1] At the urging of her adult son, Levi, she broke her silence for the 2019 Netflix docuseries Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.[1][12]
In popular culture
- She was portrayed by actress Emily Longstreth in the 1986 television series The Deliberate Stranger.
- She was portrayed by actress Tiffany Shepis in the 2002 film Ted Bundy.
- She was portrayed by actress Christina Wolfe in the 2016 film Angel of Decay.
- She appeared as herself in the 2019 Netflix docuseries Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes and the 2020 Amazon series Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer.[1]
- She was portrayed by actress Grace Victoria Cox in the 2019 film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
- She was portrayed by actress Olivia DeLaurentis in the 2021 film Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman.[13]