Rose Bundy is known almost entirely because of her father. She is the only biological child of Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers in American history. Beyond that fact, very little about her life is publicly known, and much of what circulates online is speculation.
This article explains who Rose Bundy is, how she was born while her father was on death row, and why her life has remained almost completely private.
Who was Rose Bundy’s mother?
Rose Bundy’s mother was Carole Ann Boone, a former colleague of Ted Bundy. The two met in 1974 while working at the Department of Emergency Services in Olympia, Washington. At the time, Boone did not believe Bundy was responsible for the murders he was being accused of.
Their relationship began as a friendship. Boone reportedly wanted to keep things platonic at first, even after Bundy expressed romantic interest. That changed years later, after Bundy was imprisoned.
How did Ted Bundy and Carole Ann Boone become a couple?
The relationship deepened in 1977 while Bundy was incarcerated in Utah. Boone wrote to him frequently and visited him in prison. During this period, Bundy escaped custody twice in Colorado, and while there has been public speculation about Boone’s involvement, there is no proven evidence that she helped him.
By the time Bundy was extradited to Florida, Boone was firmly committed to him and remained convinced of his innocence.
How did Ted Bundy get married during his trial?
In 1980, during Bundy’s Florida murder trial for the killings of Chi Omega sorority members Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy, Bundy acted as his own defense attorney. Boone testified as a character witness.
Later, during the separate trial for the murder of Kimberly Leach, Bundy surprised the courtroom by proposing to Boone while she was on the stand.
Under an old Florida law, a declaration of marriage made before a judge could be considered legally binding. Bundy, who had studied law, used this rule to claim Boone as his wife, despite prison officials refusing to allow a traditional ceremony.
How did Rose Bundy come to be born?
Conjugal visits were not permitted for death row inmates in Florida, which made Boone’s pregnancy a shock to the public. Various explanations have circulated over the years, ranging from secret sexual encounters to smuggled semen. These stories remain unproven.
What is known is that bribery and rule bending by prison staff was not unheard of in the American prison system at the time. No official explanation was ever given, and Boone stated publicly that she owed no one an answer.
When was Rose Bundy born?
Rose Bundy was born on October 24, 1981. She was Ted Bundy’s first and only biological child.
Before her birth, Bundy had acted as a father figure to the son of his former partner Elizabeth Kloepfer, as well as to Boone’s son from an earlier relationship. Despite this, his role in Rose’s life was limited to prison visits.
What were Rose Bundy’s early years like?
Rose spent her earliest years visiting her father in prison with her mother. Family photographs from this period show Boone holding Rose in visiting areas, with prison walls and guards in the background.
These images stand in stark contrast to ordinary family photos and are among the few visual records of Rose’s childhood.
Bundy was executed on January 24, 1989, after receiving multiple death sentences for murder. Rose was seven years old at the time.
Why did Carole Ann Boone divorce Ted Bundy?
Approximately three years before Bundy’s execution, Boone divorced him and moved back to Washington state. Reports suggest she never spoke to him again and cut off all contact.
After leaving Florida, Boone disappeared from public view, taking Rose with her.
Where is Rose Bundy now?
This is where confirmed facts end.
Most researchers believe that Boone legally changed her name and Rose’s name to protect her daughter from lifelong association with her father’s crimes. True crime writer Ann Rule, who knew Bundy personally, stated that she did not know Rose’s whereabouts and deliberately chose to respect her privacy.
Rose Bundy would now be in her early forties. Claims that she lives under the name “Abigail Griffin” have circulated online, but there is no verified evidence to support this. These claims should be treated as speculation.
A life deliberately kept private
Rose Bundy did not choose her father, and every indication suggests her mother did everything possible to give her a life away from public scrutiny. Unlike many figures connected to notorious criminals, Rose has never spoken publicly, written a book, or sought attention.
Her story is defined as much by what is unknown as by what is recorded.
Note: This article was updated in January 2025 to reflect the latest available information regarding Rose Bundy’s privacy and current status.
Sources
- Ann Rule, The Stranger Beside Me
- Florida court records, State of Florida v. Theodore Robert Bundy
- FBI crime summaries on Ted Bundy
- Contemporary reporting from The New York Times and The Washington Post
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There is no verified public record suggesting otherwise. Rose Bundy is believed to be alive and living under a private identity.
No. Rose Bundy is Ted Bundy’s only known biological child.
Rose was raised by her mother, Carole Ann Boone, who left Florida and removed herself and her daughter from public life.
No. Rose Bundy has never given interviews, written memoirs, or made public statements.
Her mother made deliberate efforts to protect her privacy and prevent lifelong association with her father’s crimes. That privacy has largely been respected.
There is no verified evidence to support this claim. The name Abigail Griffin appears online as speculation and should not be treated as fact.
