Podcast Summary: What It Was Like – “Ted Bundy Tried to Kill Me”

Host: Julian Morgans
Guest: Connie Geldridge
Release Date: February 28, 2026

Overview

In this gripping and deeply personal episode of What It Was Like, host Julian Morgans interviews Connie Geldridge, who at age 14 survived a chilling encounter with Ted Bundy in Washington state. Decades before Bundy’s infamous murder spree and capture, Connie experienced firsthand the early signs of his sadism and desire for control.

This conversation not only explores Connie’s terrifying experience with Bundy, but also delves into the lifelong trauma it caused, the failure of adults to listen or act, and Connie’s perspective on serial killers and the culture that has grown around them. The interview is raw, honest, and sheds new light on Bundy’s formative years and the wounds victims carry.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Connie’s Background and Family Life

• Connie’s Difficult Childhood
  • Raised in a chaotic, hostile home environment in a cramped house with six family members ([06:20]):

    “My childhood was pretty ugly as far as parents go...There was six of us living in 800 square feet, two bedrooms and one bathroom.”
    — Connie, [06:20]

  • Parents were often neglectful or hostile; her mother showed more interest in outdoors activities than mothering.

The Day at the Lake: Connie Meets Ted Bundy

• The Encounter Begins

  • 1967, Connie is 14, forced to go to the lake with family ([07:26]).
  • After a heated argument with her mother over her swimsuit, Connie wanders alone and sits under a tree, upset.

• Introduction to “Ted”

  • Connie hears rustling and sees a “lifeguard” emerge—Ted Bundy, a young man with a yellow bootlace-tied whistle ([10:00]).

    “He said, hi, I'm the lifeguard...I said, when did they hire lifeguards? And he goes, we're new...He said, hi, I'm Ted...My last name's Bundy.”
    — Connie, [10:00–10:40]

  • She laughs at his name, repeatedly calling him “Theodore Bundy”—a detail she’d never forget.

• Shifts in His Behavior

  • Bundy initially pretends to be charming, but quickly becomes intrusive and threatening ([11:56]):

    “He starts to become a little darker and darker... He was like asking me millions of questions...He never stopped smiling, smirking or grinning the whole time.”
    — Connie, [12:02]

• Escalating Sadism & Violence

  • Ted insists Connie go swimming, physically forces her, scratches her arm, blocks her from escaping.
  • In the water, he races her to the dock, kicks her as she tries to climb up, and eventually attempts to drown her by pulling her underwater by the hair ([15:00–19:00]).

    “He punched me back under the water, and there I stayed...I could see him laughing, and his face went gnarly...his eyes were like two big black marbles. The ugliest things I ever seen...I am looking at a demon here.”
    — Connie, [19:00]

• Connie’s Escape

  • Remembers a survival trick from summer camp: plays dead underwater, then manages a desperate escape by swimming under the dock, finally screaming for help as Bundy flees ([20:30–21:45]).

Aftermath & Family Response

• Mother’s Dismissive and Cruel Reaction

  • Connie, bruised and terrified, tells her mother, who believes neither her story nor her injuries ([25:22]):

    “She actually called me a liar even though I had scratches...even my hands were black and blue. She wouldn't help. Nobody listens.”
    — Connie, [25:22]

  • Rather than helping, Connie’s mother grounds her for “ruining the fun.”

• Silent Suffering & Isolation

  • With no support, Connie bottles up the trauma, avoids swimming, and never reports the crime to police ([26:43]).

    “You just kind of pack it away and internalize it...I never went swimming again. To this day, I don't swim.”
    — Connie, [26:43]

Processing the Trauma & Realizing the Truth

• Understanding Decades Later

  • For years, Connie’s memory of the event doesn’t connect with Bundy’s notoriety. Only after reading about Bundy’s crimes in Anne Rule’s book does she understand the magnitude of what happened to her ([29:21]).

    “I just gasped. I was like, oh, my God. He was the one that tried to kill me in 1967. The problem was there is nothing...that says he hurt anybody prior to 1974.”
    — Connie, [29:21]

• Validation from Anne Rule

  • Corresponds with crime writer Anne Rule, who believes her account and confirms Bundy’s violence predates the official murders ([31:00]):

    “She said, I absolutely agree that you were a victim of Ted Bundy...He had killed a little girl back in 1961 in this area.”
    — Connie, [31:00–31:30]

• Recurring Nightmares & Healing

  • Haunted by underwater dreams until discussing her trauma in depth cured them ([32:45]):

    “After I talked to Ann Rule, the dreams went away. Never had another one ever since.”
    — Connie, [32:45]

Reflections on Bundy, Trauma, and True Crime Culture

• Bundy’s Early Darkness

  • Connie insists Bundy was always sadistic, “not anybody to worship” ([33:35]):

    “He just wanted to see me die under that water. He was just laughing—it makes my blood run cold.”
    — Connie, [33:35]

• Disgust with Serial Killer Glorification

  • Deeply disturbed by Bundy’s posthumous fame and fandom ([34:15]):

    “It disgusts me. He's got fan clubs out there...He was not your friend. He was not anybody to worship.”
    — Connie, [34:15]

  • Expresses survivor’s guilt and frustration—wonders if reporting him could have saved later victims ([35:30]).

• On Processing Trauma and Breaking the Silence

  • Finds talking publicly therapeutic, even as she continues to struggle with trust ([36:58]):

    “It's part of my therapy...Every time I talk about [it], it gets a little bit easier to deal with.”
    — Connie, [36:58]

  • Describes growing up in an abusive, terror-filled home, further compounding her trauma ([36:58]).

Broad Reflections: Evil, Society, and Hope

• Seeing “Demons” in People

  • Connie believes evil exists and is visible:

    “There are demons in this world, and they are out there and they are ready to hurt you.”
    — Connie, [37:58]

• On the Media’s Attempts to “Understand” Bundy

  • Skeptical that Bundy can be understood or explained by endless documentaries ([38:40]):

    “When his eyes...looked like two big black marbles instead of eyes... He was like, in my face. A lot of people ask me, why didn't I scream? I couldn't.”
    — Connie, [39:05]

• Lingering Trust Issues

  • Her life experience left her very protective as a mother, highly distrustful, and sometimes almost a hermit ([44:13], [48:38]):

    “Not to trust strangers. Sometimes don't even trust your own family. Anybody that you meet could have the ability to take your life at any minute without remorse.”
    — Connie, [48:38]

• On Serial Killers in the Pacific Northwest

  • Julian and Connie discuss the region’s odd “spookiness” and prevalence of serial killers, with Connie blaming the terrain, climate, and local culture ([45:02–46:27]).

• Finding Hope

  • Despite everything, Connie believes “there are more good people than bad people,” but emphasizes the need for communication and empathy ([46:56]).

    “We need to talk more.”
    — Connie, [47:58]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Bundy’s Transformation:

  “He started to go from authoritarian type person... He started acting like a 14 year old... grabbing me, raking me... and then in the water, he was stomping on my fingers... I am looking at a demon here. This is not even human.”
  — Connie, [15:00–19:00]

• On Family Betrayal:

  “I don't know who hurt me more that day, Ted Bundy or my mother.”
  — Connie, [40:03]

• On Glorifying Killers:

  “Everything is Bundy, Bundy, Bundy... He's become more popular to this day than he ever was back in the 70s. That makes a hero out of him.”
  — Connie, [34:15]

• On Trauma’s Echoes:

  “You just kind of pack it away and internalize it...I never went swimming again.”
  — Connie, [26:43]

Notable Timestamps

• 06:20: Connie describes childhood and family dysfunction.
• 10:00–13:00: The first moments meeting Ted Bundy at the lake.
• 15:00–20:00: Bundy’s behavior turns violent—physical and psychological torment in the water.
• 19:00: Connie’s near-drowning, vivid description of Bundy’s “demon” face.
• 25:22: Mother’s cruel disbelief, Connie’s isolation begins.
• 29:21: Discovery of Bundy’s true identity and timeline confusion.
• 32:45: Recurring dreams and the healing effect of speaking about the trauma.
• 34:15: Discussion of Bundy “fan culture” and Connie’s perspective on true crime glorification.
• 35:30: Survivor’s guilt and “what ifs.”
• 36:58: Therapy through storytelling, and further details on abusive family home.
• 39:05: Connie’s inability to scream and the depth of Bundy’s evil.
• 44:13: How the event shaped her approach to motherhood.
• 46:56–47:58: Reflections on hope and the value of communication.
• 48:38: Personal lessons—on trust and the ever-present shadow of trauma.

Final Reflection

This episode provides an unfiltered, first-person account of an encounter with one of America’s most notorious serial killers—years before his crimes became known to the world. Connie’s harrowing story, coupled with her reflections on trauma, victim-blaming, and the perils of true crime fascination, holds lessons about empathy, vigilant awareness, and the need for society to listen to those who have survived darkness.

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