will provide information regarding the investigation, the findings that led to this conclusion, and the decision to close the case,  the sheriff's office said in an official statement.

Who was Ted Bundy?

The backstory:

Ted Bundy (1946-1989) was one of the most notorious American serial killers, kidnappers, and rapists. Before his execution in Florida's electric chair in January 1989, he confessed to 30 homicides committed across seven states between 1974 and 1978, though investigators suspect his true victim count was significantly higher.

FILE - Accused murderer Ted Bundy attends the second day of jury selection in his murder trial, June 27, 1979, in Miami, Fla. (AP Photo,File)

Bundy was born Theodore Robert Cowell in Vermont, but his formative years and early adulthood were centered entirely in the Pacific Northwest. What made Bundy uniquely terrifying to the public and elusive to law enforcement was his outward presentation:

The  Chameleon  Persona: Unlike the stereotypical image of a violent criminal at the time, Bundy was conventionally handsome, articulate, charismatic, and politically connected.

Modus Operandi: He frequently feigned physical disability (wearing a fake plaster cast or walking with crutches) or posed as an authority figure (like a police officer) to ask young women for assistance loading items into his bronze Volkswagen Beetle. Once his victims were close, he would overpower, abduct, and assault them.

Significance to Washington state

Washington state was the crucible of Bundy's life, his education, his public integration, and the launchpad of his killing spree.

The Source: Information in this story came from the Associated Press, King County Sheriff's Office, Washington State Multi-Agency Task Force, King County and Thurston County Superior Court archives, Seattle Post-Intelligencer (1974-1989), The News Tribune, and previous coverage and reporting from FOX 13 Seattle.

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