Carol DaRonch | |
|---|---|
| Born | Carol Ann DaRonch June 8, 1956 Salt Lake City, Utah, U. S. |
| Other names | Joanne DaRonch |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1993 – present |
| Spouse | Michael (husband) |
| Children | 1 |
Carol Ann DaRonch (born June 8, 1956) is an American human rights activist and advocator. [1] She is known for surviving an abduction attempt by serial killer Ted Bundy. [1] Her escape on November 8, 1974, provided law enforcement with their first significant physical evidence and led to Bundy's first criminal conviction in 1976. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
DaRonch was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Charles and Katherine DaRonch. [1] In 1974, she was an 18-year-old high school graduate working at a local mall and as a telephone operator. [1] She has described herself during this period as "extremely shy" and helpful, traits she believes Bundy targeted for exploitation. [1]
She attended night school to earn a degree in business management and worked for decades in the telecommunications industry. [1]
Around 7:00 PM on November 8, 1974, DaRonch was window-shopping at the Fashion Place Mall in Murray, Utah. [1] Bundy approached her posing as "Officer Roseland," claiming someone had attempted to break into her 1974 maroon Camaro. [1] After verifying her car appeared untouched, Bundy convinced her to accompany him to a substation behind a nearby laundromat to sign a complaint. [1] When they found the door locked, he claimed they must go to the main police station and led her to his 1968 Volkswagen Beetle. [6]
Bundy drove to a nearby elementary school, pulled over, and grabbed DaRonch's arm. [1] He successfully locked one handcuff on her left wrist, but she fought back as he threatened her with a handgun and a crowbar. [1] DaRonch managed to tumble out of the vehicle and flag down a passing car driven by Wilbur and Mary Walsh, who rescued her while the handcuff still dangled from her wrist. [7]
In October 1975, following Bundy's arrest for a traffic violation, DaRonch identified him in a police lineup. [8] In February 1976, she was the key witness in Bundy's trial for aggravated kidnapping. [9] Despite intense cross-examination by defense attorney John O'Connell regarding her initial description of the vehicle and badge, she firmly maintained her identification, famously stating she would "never forget his face". [1] Bundy was found guilty and sentenced to 1 to 15 years. [10] [11]
DaRonch traveled to Aspen, Colorado, to testify in the murder trial of Caryn Campbell, where she was directly cross-examined by Bundy while he acted as his own attorney. [1] She also testified at his 1979 pre-sentencing hearing in Miami. [1]
Following the trials, DaRonch intentionally sought a life of privacy, though her case remains a cornerstone of Bundy's criminal history. [1]
She lives in Utah with her husband Michael and she has a son named Levi. [1]
She worked for decades in the telecommunications industry. [1] At the urging of her adult son, Levi, she broke her silence for the 2019 Netflix docuseries Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes . [1] [12]
Bundy was convicted of kidnaping Carol DaRonch, 19, from Fashion Place Mall earlier that day.[ permanent dead link ]