Serial Killer Showdown! Charles Manson Claimed Greatest Murderer Title Over Ted Bundy
Dec. 10 2019, Updated 5:02 p.m. ET
Charles Manson declared himself the greatest serial killer of all time and claimed Ted Bundy was a “coward,” according to new book The Last Charles Manson Tapes: Evil Lives Beyond the Grave.
Serial killer Manson was handed a death sentence in 1970 after sending a group of his young followers to kill seven people in two nights of violence which rocked Los Angeles a year earlier.
His sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972 when California briefly overturned the death penalty, and behind bars his notoriety and cultural impact only grew.
According to one prison buddy interviewed for the book by investigative journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett, Manson would often boast about his crimes and fame, and slammed serial killer Bundy, who was caught in 1978 and confessed to murdering 30 young girls.
The jail confidant revealed: “Charlie knew his influence and how big he was. Sometimes he’d say ‘Ted Bundy was a coward’—and then tell you he, Manson, was the greatest serial killer of all time.”
Bundy had escaped prison twice and crossed the country on his murder spree, which covered horrific crimes including necrophilia. He was executed in Florida in 1989.
After his death, Bundy was assessed to have suffered bipolar disorder and possibly multiple personality disorder – but from his cell, Manson claimed he trumped Bundy in the crazy stakes too.
The prison pal added: “I asked him directly what he thought he should be diagnosed with and he’d say: ‘I’m everything. I’m schizophrenic, I’m bipolar. I’m a psychopath.’”
Manson died in 2017 a few months after he was deemed too weak for surgery after suffering internal bleeding. The Last Charles Manson Tapes: Evil Lives Beyond the Grave takes a detailed look into the famous murderer’s rise, life as the leader of a hippy cult in the 60s, the sensational murders and trial and his life in prison up until his death at age 83.
It also charts the life of members of the so-called Manson Family who took part in the murders, and who are regularly denied parole.
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The book is now available for purchase.
