Ted Bundy's Issaquah site

This is the Issaquah site where serial killer Ted Bundy left the bodies of Janice Ann Ott and Denise Marie Naslund.

Authorities also believe it is the location where he buried the remains of Georgann Hawkins.

In 1974, young women began disappearing from Seattle with increasing frequency. By that summer, it had become apparent that someone was abducting them.

Discovery

On July 14, 1974, Bundy lured Denise Marie Naslund (19) and Janice Ann Ott (23) away from Lake Sammamish. The murders occurred separately, approximately four hours apart.

While authorities investigated the disappearances, the absence of bodies hampered their progress.

Two months later, on September 6, 1974, two grouse hunters discovered skeletal remains at this location on the outskirts of Issaquah. During an examination of the site, police found numerous human bones that had been scavenged and scattered across the terrain by wildlife.

The discovery confirmed suspicions that the unidentified man calling himself "Ted" was killing women in the Washington area.

ESAR personnel conducted an extensive, shoulder-to-shoulder search on their hands and knees. More than 200 people participated in the multi-day operation.

The team recovered a skull, spine, mandible, pelvis, five femurs, teeth, and several other bones from the site.

Investigators identified some remains as belonging to Ott and Naslund.

The search team recovered five femurs from the wooded area. The presence of an extra thigh bone, along with four additional lumbar vertebrae, indicated that the killer had left at least three victims at the site.

Georgann Hawkins

Hawkins disappeared from Seattle's University District on June 11, 1974.

During his final confession to King County Detective Robert Keppel in 1989, Bundy claimed that he left her remains at Issaquah.

Bundy stated he buried Hawkins' head on a rocky hillside near the main dump site. He carried her head 25 to 50 yards north along the dirt road, turned left, and walked approximately 10 yards through the trees until he reached a "very rocky" and "very hilly" area.

On February 15, 1989, Keppel and other officers used heavy machinery to excavate an area approximately 58 by 23 feet to a depth of 4 feet. However, they found nothing.

In 1974, police typically required a skull or mandible to identify skeletal remains via dental records, as DNA testing did not exist.

Bones found at the crime scene were later cremated by the coroner, as it was policy to dispose of unidentified remains after a set period. Consequently, it is impossible to confirm if this was Hawkins' final resting place.

Bundy confessed nearly 15 years after her murder. He had been drinking heavily at the time of the crime, which may have distorted his memory. Wildlife or construction work may have also disturbed the remains in the years following her disappearance.

Investigators believe Bundy was being truthful about Hawkins, as the presence of additional bones indicated a third victim had been found at the site. At the time of the confession, his execution was just over a week away. He knew he needed to provide sufficient information to justify a stay of execution.

Changes

The area has changed significantly over the years. Highlands Drive NE and the Swedish Issaquah Campus did not exist in 1974. The campus was constructed more than 30 years later.

In 1974, a short, winding dirt track provided access to the wooded area. The disposal site sat north of an abandoned cabin and the railroad.

Although the railroad that ran through Issaquah's Olde Town neighborhood no longer exists, the route remains. The Rainier and Issaquah-Preston walking trails eventually replaced the railway line.