The Man Behind the Myth

Ted Bundy has been described as suave, debonair, and smarter than the people pursuing him. Decades of attention have made that image familiar. Books have been written, movies have been made, magazine articles have been written, clothing has been sold, and even comic books have been made about him. I don’t believe it tells us who he was.

Bundy chose victims he could catch by surprise. Some were asleep. All were weaker than him, or in compromised situations. His crimes showed cruelty toward vulnerable people, not courage. However, for all the confidence he projected, the battle he could never win was within himself.

Then, on February 15, 1978, he ran up against Pensacola Police Officer David Lee.

Lee did not know whom he had stopped. To him, it was simply another suspect. When the encounter turned into a struggle, Bundy fought to get away, but David wasn’t a weak, vulnerable person. Lee persisted and defeated the killer in mortal combat. Bundy’s flight ended on a Pensacola street. He lost.

There is much more to what happened that night, and I intend to tell it at The Last Stop: The Final Capture of Ted Bundy. But I want the focus to be clear before anyone enters the room: Bundy is not the hero of this story. His victims deserve our remembrance. David Lee’s actions deserve our attention.

The Lead Investigator tickets have sold out, and only 17 General Admission tickets remain as of this post. The event takes place November 12, 2026, at the Museum of Commerce in Pensacola.

In addition to dinner and the story, Michael Earl Simmons will sell his latest book, “The Last Stop: The final arrest of Ted Bundy.”

Why do stories about Bundy so often linger on his supposed charm, while the people who confronted and stopped him receive less attention? What do you think?

For tickets, go to: https://sweetteamurders.com/event/the-last-stop/