She disappeared from the public eye.
By Samantha Maffucci — Written on Feb 14, 2019
It’s been 30 years since Ted Bundy was executed. And though he was only officially charged with kidnapping and murder of a few victims, he was never sentenced for the 30+ murders he confessed to. Experts place the number as high as 100 victims, but the FBI gave a total tally of 36. The exact number remains unknown.
Bundy was primarily known for his charming demeanor. This made approaching his victims easy, as he would feign disability or illness, and then lure them to a secluded location. And while the public was horrified by his actions, there was one woman who stood by his side: Carole Ann Boone.
It was later revealed that Bundy had relationships with multiple women, though we now know that two of those relationships were more serious. Along with Elizabeth Kloepfer, who was partially responsible for Bundy’s apprehension and conviction, Carole Ann Boone later married the serial killer during his trial.
But who is Carole Ann Boone?
1. They met when she was newly divorced.
In 1974, Boone was working at the Washington State Department of Emergency Services where she became friends with Bundy. She was newly divorced from her ex-husband and raising her son, Jamey. Boone was immediately charmed by Bundy, and said that Bundy expressed his desire to date her.
When they met, Boone only had good things to say about him. In the book, The Only Living Witness: The True Story of Serial Sex Killer Ted Bundy, she said, “I liked Ted immediately. We hit it off well. He struck me as being a rather shy person with a lot more going on under the surface than what was on the surface. He certainly was more dignified and restrained than the more certifiable types around the office.”
Instead, the two grew closer as friends and things became romantic over time. According to Boone, “I guess I was closer to him than other people at the agency.”
2. They eventually married.
While Bundy was on trial for the murder of 12-year-old Kimberly Leach, he proposed marriage to her in the courtroom.
She accepted his proposal. Because Bundy asked her to marry him in an open court in front of a judge, it made the marriage legally binding. The jurors later sentenced him to death a few hours later. Boone also served as a character witness during the trial.
3. They had a daughter.
Though conjugal visits weren’t allowed on death row, there is speculation that the couple bribed the guards to allow them intimate time together. This resulted in the birth of Boone’s daughter, Rose, in 1981, and Boone named Bundy as the father. Not much is known about Rose, but there are reports that she lives in another country under a new identity.
4. She believed he was innocent.
With plenty of evidence mounting against Bundy, Boone maintained his innocence. In Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, the Netflix documentary series, a clip was played, with Boone saying, “Let me put it this way: I don’t think that Ted belongs in jail. The things in Florida don’t concern me any more than the things out west do. I don’t think they have reason to charge Ted Bundy with murder in either Leon county or Columbia county.”
While they remained friends before his arrest and trial, a romance blossomed between the two while facing charges. She moved to Florida with her son to be closer to Bundy, and made weekly visits to see him.
5. They had a falling out.
Later, she admitted she felt betrayed by his admission in court that he was guilty. She refused to accept a call from him on the day of his execution. According to Polly Nelson, an American lawyer and author of Defending the Devil: My Story as Ted Bundy's Last Lawyer, “She was hurt by his relationship with Diana [Weiner], and devastated by his sudden wholesale confessions in his last days.”
Three years before his execution, the two ended their relationship. She moved back to Washington with her daughter Rose and her older son. According to sources, Boone hid for decades and changed her identity four times.
6. She passed away.
In January 2018, Boone passed away from septic shock at age 70. She had been living in a retirement community at the time of her death, where she was known to be low-key and friendly.
One of her friends in the senior home said that she “enjoyed knitting and watching soccer. She had attitude. She loved nature programs, especially ones about sharks.” She never revealed Bundy’s secrets to the public.
Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.