Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Liz remained with Ted primarily because of his calculated deception and charm. Throughout their relationship, Ted consistently denied any involvement in the murders, claiming he was being framed and that Carol DaRonch was shown his photo before the lineup. Liz wanted to believe the man she loved, and his manipulative nature allowed him to maintain her trust for years despite mounting evidence.

Foreshadowing: Early in their relationship, Ted's charm and ability to bond quickly with Molly masked the darker aspects of his character.

• liz kendall
• ted bundy
• relationship
• manipulation
• denial

Ted escaped from the courthouse by representing himself in court, which gave him access to legal documents and a degree of freedom within the courtroom. During a proceeding, he simply walked out of the building. The escape was brief, however, as he was quickly recaptured.

Foreshadowing: Ted's decision to represent himself was itself a strategic move that provided him with opportunities for manipulation.

• courthouse escape
• trial
• self-representation

Multiple pieces of evidence convicted Ted Bundy, including Carol DaRonch's positive identification of him as her kidnapper during a police lineup, physical items found in his possession (trash bags, crowbar, ropes), and most notably, forensic evidence linking his teeth to bite marks found on victims. The Colorado charges for Caryn Campbell's murder added to the mounting case against him.

Foreshadowing: The arrest in 1975 revealed disturbing items in Ted's possession that would become crucial evidence.

• evidence
• conviction
• bite marks
• carol daronch
• forensic evidence

Carole Ann Boone was one of the many women who believed in Ted's innocence despite overwhelming evidence against him. Ted capitalized on this belief, and their relationship developed during his incarceration. They married while he remained on death row, demonstrating his continued ability to manipulate and charm those around him even while imprisoned.

Foreshadowing: Even during the Florida murders, women remained fascinated by Ted, with some believing in his innocence.

• carole ann boone
• marriage
• prison
• manipulation

In 1974, young women Janice Ott and Denise Naslund disappeared from Lake Sammamish. Witnesses reported seeing a man matching Ted Bundy's description, wearing a cast on his arm, approaching women for help with his sailboat. Both women were later found dead, and this case became one of the earliest linked to Ted Bundy.

Foreshadowing: The disappearance of young women marked the beginning of the dark turn in the narrative.

• lake sammamish
• janice ott
• denise naslund
• disappearances

Ted chose to represent himself primarily to gain more control over his defense strategy and to manipulate the proceedings directly. This decision gave him unusual access to evidence and allowed him to attempt the dramatic courthouse escape. It also allowed him to continue presenting himself as an innocent man fighting the system.

Foreshadowing: Ted's decision to represent himself provided the opportunity for his brief escape.

• self-representation
• court
• defense strategy

When Ted was arrested in 1975, investigators found incriminating items in his possession, including trash bags, a crowbar, and ropes. These items, combined with witness descriptions and the mounting missing persons cases, established probable cause for his arrest and became evidence in the case against him.

Foreshadowing: This discovery came after the 1974 disappearances at Lake Sammamish.

• arrest
• evidence
• trash bags
• crowbar
• ropes

Years after Ted's imprisonment, Liz received a disturbing letter from him that compelled her to visit him in prison. During this visit, Ted finally admitted to the murders, recounting horrifying details of his crimes. This confrontation forced Liz to fully accept the reality of who Ted really was.

Foreshadowing: The letter marked the culmination of Liz's years of denial and uncertainty.

• letter
• prison visit
• confession
• liz kendall

Ted typically approached women by feigning injury or asking for help, often claiming he needed assistance with something like his car or a sailboat. He used his attractive appearance and polite demeanor to gain their trust before luring them away. The cast on his arm mentioned in the Lake Sammamish witnesses' accounts was part of this deceptive strategy.

Foreshadowing: The witnesses at Lake Sammamish described exactly this type of approach.

• victims
• approach
• deception
• method

After escaping from courthouse custody, Ted Bundy traveled to Florida where he carried out a series of brutal murders at a sorority house. These killings added to his notoriety and further cemented his status as one of America's most infamous serial killers. The murders occurred during his brief period of freedom after the escape.

Foreshadowing: Ted's courthouse escape directly led to these additional murders.

• florida
• sorority
• murders
• escape

Ted Bundy was executed by electrocution in January 1989. The film shows archival footage of his execution, which marked the end of his life and provided closure to some of his victims' families, though the emotional scars remained for those affected by his crimes.

Foreshadowing: The film built toward this inevitable conclusion from the beginning.

• execution
• electrocution
• 1989
• death penalty

After Ted Bundy's execution, Liz and her daughter Molly continued their lives in Washington State. The film concludes by showing the emotional toll the relationship had on Liz, with lasting scars from her years of deception and the trauma of loving someone she never truly knew.

Foreshadowing: The film ends with images of the emotional impact on Liz, showing the lasting consequences.

• liz kendall
• molly
• washington state
• aftermath