Was My Mom Followed By Ted Bundy?
- My mom was followed by a murderer,
and this is that story.
All right so this story goes all the way back
to the mid 1970s.
So this is my moms junior year of high school.
Well it was the end of her junior year of high school
I guess I should say.
Actually it was the start of her summer vacation.
It was a beautiful day so my mom,
her sister, and her friend, decided to take
a little day trip.
So the three of them hop in the car
and they're off.
So it takes them about two and a half hours to get there.
They're listening to the radio, talking about things
they wanna do for the summer, and eventually
they arrive at their destination, Oak Creek Canyon Park.
So for context this trip and this entire story
is all taking place in Northern Arizona.
The park they're at sits in the middle
of Coconino National Forest.
So one of the main reasons they wanted
to go to this park is because it's absolutely
gorgeous over there.
There's trees, mountains...
One of the things they notice when they get there
is that it is very open.
Almost too open.
So they park their car in a small parking lot
and they start scoping out an area
for them to hang out.
They end up plopping down at a small pond
by the park with plans to just hang out for a few hours.
They had bought some food, they were maybe
gonna do a picnic.
They didn't really know, other than the fact
that they were just enjoying,
that summer had just begun.
I feel like it's important to mention
that my mom has been to this park before.
She's been there a few times with some friends and what not.
But it was very empty that day.
Which was strange for such a nice day.
Anyway so there they are just hanging out,
when suddenly my mom notices a man across the pond.
A couple minutes go by and my mom is sitting there
trying to stay engaged in the conversation with her sister,
when she stares back across the pond.
The man is still standing there.
He's staring at them, rubbing his chin thoughtfully
like, I see you.
Obviously my moms first thought is,
"what they hell is this guy doing out here by himself?"
and, "why is he staring at us like that?"
Trying her best not to stare back
she does a few quick glances at best
and she notices his clothes.
He's really well dressed.
Which is just another weird detail
that didn't seem to add up to my mom.
"We should just move to a another area."
"I'm getting really creeped out", she thought to herself.
After deciding that the situation
isn't normal, she gets the attention
of her sister and her friend,
pointing at the man staring
at them across the pond.
They tell her she's overthinking it
and she's just being crazy.
He's probably there just enjoying
the park like anyone else would.
It is a public park after all.
And you know they were probably right.
People are allowed to be outside.
People are allowed to go to public parks.
Whatever.
Still feeling uneasy, my mom tries her best
to go back to just enjoying her day.
Out of the corner of her eye,
she notices a slight movement.
Instantly her eyes dart back across the pond.
The man isn't there anymore.
Suddenly she catches sight of the man.
He's walking along the edge of the pond,
headed their direction.
The scariest part, he was walking with intention.
He was walking toward them.
And to my mom, that was it.
So as to not escalate the situation
any further, because my mom had no idea
what was going to happen, my mom
softly but sternly pointed out
the man walking across the pond.
Finally they all agree
that something wasn't right about this situation
and that they should move, now.
As quickly and quietly as they could,
they gathered their things
and headed back to the car.
All the while, my mom is sneaking glances at him.
He was still there, walking with an even
quicker pace than he was before.
Closing in on where they had just been seconds before.
My mom will say to this day,
she had the worst feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She was practically hyperventilating.
Out of fear, instinct, caution,
whatever you wanna call it,
my mom picks up a rock on the way to the car.
They reach the car, they throw their stuff in the trunk
and they pile in.
My mom is hunched over in the back seat
clutching the rock for dear life.
She peaks out the back window
as the car starts.
She doesn't see him.
Wherever he was, they needed to get outta there.
With the tires practically squealing
out of the parking lot, they race
down the same road they drove in on.
At this point, everyone's eyes
are glued to the rearview mirror.
"So that was weird," my mom thought to herself.
Rock in hand, my mom was definitely shaken up.
My mom's sister, the one who was driving the car,
quickly looks in the rearview mirror
and she says, "oh my god look."
The energy in the air, they felt cold.
They just felt wrong.
Slowly my mom peers out the back window one more time.
To her horror, she sees a car
emerging from the same parking lot, following them.
She'll never forget the feeling
of watching a yellowish, cream colored, Volkswagen Beetle
slowly gaining ground on them.
Now, everyone was truly terrified.
What did this person want?
Why was he following them?
All my mom knew was this person is evil.
She could feel it.
Her sister floors the gas peddle
and luckily they were able to maintain a distance
between themselves and this man.
Eventually they get to a gas station
and they pull over to what they hope is safety.
To their surprise, and ultimately their relief,
the man drives right by them.
My mom, my moms sister and her friend,
they were all really unsettled by the whole thing.
Now, you're probably wondering why I just told you
that story, please don't go anywhere.
I'm about to explain the craziest part.
So about 15 years go by.
My moms just at home, minding her own business
watching the news, when she sees
that convicted serial killer Ted Bundy
is about to be sentenced to death.
She's watching the news learning more about this man,
and she learns that he was well dressed,
he drove a yellow, cream colored Volkswagen Beetle,
and he committed several murders in Colorado.
Which is right about Arizona.
And as she's watching the news, the phone rings.
(phone rings)
My moms sister, my aunt who was with her
when this happened all those years ago,
is watching the same broadcast when she calls my mom.
And without even saying hello,
the very first thing my aunt says is,
"do you think it was him?"
And without missing a beat, my mom slowly says,
"I know it was him."
(creepy music)
