Eleanor Louise Cowell, the mother of Ted Bundy, the most notorious serial killer in America, stood by her son unwaveringly. She adored him and consistently stood up for him.
Even after his admission of guilt, she remained steadfast in her belief that her son was incapable of committing such horrific crimes. Until the very end, she fiercely defended him.
In this piece, you will discover more information about Eleanor Louise Cowell and her son Theodore Robert Cowell, famously known as Ted Bundy.
Eleanor Louise Cowell, A Mother of A Serial Killer
Eleanor Louise Cowell entered the world on September 21, 1924, in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA. Her parents were Samuel (1898–1983) and Eleanor Cowell (1895–1971).
At the young age of 22, she gave birth to her son, Theodore Robert Cowell, on November 24, 1946 at the Elizabeth Lund Home For Unwed Mothers in Burlington, Vermont.
Cowell was pressured to give up her child due to the shame associated with having a child out of wedlock, which not only affected the unwed mother but also her family.
To conceal the disgrace, Louise Cowell’s parents made great sacrifices by accepting the child and raising Theodore as their own.
To maintain the façade, he was led to believe throughout his entire childhood that his grandparents were his parents and his mother was his sister, which was false.
Louise and Ted relocated to Tacoma, Washington, when he was merely three years old. It was in Tacoma that Louise met Johnnie Bundy, an Army hospital chef.
When they wed in 1951, Ted allegedly harbored envy towards their union. Subsequently, Ted was officially adopted by Johnnie, assuming the Bundy surname. However, Ted Bundy’s interactions with his family became increasingly strained following the marriage.
Who was Ted Bundy’s Biological Father?
The identity of the man who impregnated Eleanor Louise Cowell remains shrouded in mystery, even to her.
Various rumors suggest that Louise was courted by a military veteran named Jack Worthington, who purportedly left shortly after learning about her pregnancy.
Some family members speculated that Bundy was actually fathered by Louise’s own father, Samuel Cowell. However, DNA testing disproved the theory that Bundy was fathered by his own grandfather.
When Ted Bundy Uncovered His True Lineage
Bundy eventually stumbled upon the truth, although his recollection of the events varied. He recounted to his girlfriend that after his cousin taunted him as a “bastard,” a relative handed him a copy of his birth certificate.
However, according to biographers Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth, he obtained the certificate firsthand.
Ann Rule, a close associate of Bundy and a true crime author, asserted that Bundy only discovered his true identity in 1969 when he stumbled upon his original birth certificate in Vermont.
Although his official birth certificate listed an Air Force soldier named Lloyd Marshall as his father, Bundy remained unconvinced by this information.
Instead, he harbored a lifelong resentment towards his mother Louise for concealing the truth about his biological father and leaving him to unravel his true roots on his own.
Her Son, Developing into a Troubling Personality
From a young age, Bundy displayed disturbing behavior. According to Biography, Sandi Holt (who grew up alongside Bundy) revealed in the Netflix docuseries Conversations with a Killer that he derived pleasure from frightening people.
She also divulged how he would harm girls by digging holes and concealing them, with at least one girl falling victim. He referred to these acts as “tiger traps,” as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Julia, Louise’s younger sister, recounted waking up to find herself encircled by kitchen knives when Ted was merely three years old, standing beside the bed with a grin on his face.
Bundy also engaged in petty theft, stealing, and allegedly forging ski lift tickets in order to ski for free, as per Biography.
Subsequently, he developed into a “peeping Tom,” a deeply problematic psychological behavior involving stalking strangers, as mentioned in A&E.
Mental instability ran in the family. Louise Cowell and her younger sister displayed worrisome tendencies. Additionally, Louise’s mother suffered from severe depression and underwent electroconvulsive therapy.
Meanwhile, Samuel Cowell, Louise’s father, was a bellicose, alcoholic man notorious for his violent behavior.
Eleanor Louise Cowell Stood by Her Son Even After His Commission of Crimes
Eleanor Louise Cowell staunchly believed in her son, Ted, adamantly refuting his involvement in the crimes he was accused of, much like Bundy’s wife, Carole Ann Boone.
These were the sentiments she expressed to The News Tribune in 1980. She insisted, “Ted Bundy does not go around killing women and little children!” Louis stated following Ted Bundy’s conviction for the Florida crimes.
“And I know this, too, that our never-ending faith in Ted, our faith that he is innocent, has never wavered. And it never will,” she asserted.
According to the newspaper, Louise’s stance shifted when Bundy made a series of death-row confessions. However, she continued her correspondence with Bundy until his execution.
She persistently defended him as though he had been wrongfully convicted, even speaking to him on the day of his execution in the Raiford electric chair.
Aftermath
Following Ted Bundy’s execution in 1989, Louise Bundy resided in Tacoma and became an active member of Tacoma’s First United Methodist Church until her declining health rendered her unable to attend in her final years.
The burdens of her son weighed heavily on her and took a toll on her health. She remained a devoted mother to her four surviving children and a steadfast wife to her husband. Eleanor Louise Cowell passed away in 2012, at the age of 88.
