The parking lot where Julie Cunningham was abducted

This is the location where serial killer Ted Bundy abducted Julie Cunningham.

At the time, it was a regular ground-level parking lot. However, these days, it is a multi-story car park.

On March 15th, 1975, Bundy drove into the small town of Vail, Colorado, eager to find his next victim.

By that stage, more than two months had passed since he brutally raped and murdered Caryn Campbell in Aspen.

As a result, the sexually violent urges that propelled him had awakened and were starting to bubble beneath the surface.

After driving into Vail, he decided to park his Volkswagen Bug in the Lionshead car park beside the I-70. He then strategically placed his trusty crowbar at the rear of the vehicle, out of plain sight.

Once his trap was in place, he headed into the downtown shopping area of Vail. According to Bundy, he was using crutches and carrying a boot bag.

When he reached the bridge by Gore Creek Drive, he spotted a young brunette walking towards him.

The woman in question was Julie Cunningham, a 26-year-old ski instructor who was walking to a local bar to meet a friend.

When she saw Bundy hobbling on his crutches and struggling to carry his boot bag, she took pity on him and offered to help.

Sadly, she had no idea that she had just wandered into the sights of one of America's most prolific serial killers.

When Bundy gladly accepted her offer, the pair walked westward through the streets of Vail, towards the Lionshead car park. According to Bundy's confession, they walked for more than half a mile before they finally reached his Volkswagen.

As soon as they got to the car, Bundy grabbed the crowbar that he had previously hidden and struck Cunningham over the head, knocking her unconscious. He then lifted her into his vehicle, handcuffed her, and drove westward along the I-70 towards the small town of Rifle.

One hour into the journey, Cunningham regained consciousness and began asking Bundy questions about who he was. She also pleaded with him to loosen her handcuffs.

Considering she had been hit over the head, it is likely that she was dazed, confused, and in a state of shock.

After reaching Rifle, Bundy exited the interstate and headed north along State Highway 13, towards Meeker.

As he was driving along, he was anxiously looking out for a side road that he could pull into.

A couple of minutes after joining State Highway 13, he spotted a dirt road and decided to make a turn.

However, when he pulled over and exited the car to scope the area out, he noticed that Cunningham had somehow removed the handcuffs and was attempting to escape.

According to Bundy, this led to a brief struggle between the pair, during which he struck her over the head with the crowbar and knocked her unconscious for the second time.

At that point, he took some cords out of his vehicle and strangled her to death while she lay on the ground.

Roughly six weeks later, he reportedly returned to the crime scene to bury her body and make sure that he hadn't left any evidence behind.

In January of 1989, Ted Bundy finally confessed to Cunningham's murder. Although he described the area where he buried her body, no trace of the 26-year-old has ever been found.

To this day, she remains listed as a missing person.

Photos

Photos of the lot and other related images.

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