Ted Bundy is a name written into American history for all the wrong reasons, the serial killer responsible for the murder of at least 30 women.

Some estimate that his six-year spree in the 1970’s may have been upwards of 65, and when you talk of American horror stories his name often features prominently.

His modus operandi was simple – lure women to his car, knock them out, rape and murder them before disposing of their bodies. Quite incredibly, Bundy was arrested in 1974 and managed two separate escapes from custody, before he was recaptured in 1978 and sentenced to death in Florida.

That date of death was scheduled for January 24th, 1989, and in the hours before his execution he sat down for an interview with Reverend James Dobson. Here’s Rolling Stone:

The founder of religious right powerhouse Focus on the Family, Dobson was a prominent anti-pornography advocate – so it was no surprise that Bundy, a master manipulator, decided to use the interview to claim that the real motivation behind his murder spree was, in fact, violent pornography.

“I’m not blaming pornography,” he said in his final hours. “Though [my] fantasy life … was fueled by pornography.” This, of course, was a cop out – albeit one that Dobson and the religious right were happy to promote.

If you’re looking for some insight into what drove Bundy to commit his horrific murders this interview makes for interesting viewing:

An interesting fact on how Americans feel about the death penalty these days from RT:

Less than half ‒ 49 percent ‒ of Americans support the death penalty for those convicted of murder, according to a new poll, marking the lowest favorability [sic] rating for capital punishment since it was temporarily suspended in 1972.

A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that support for the death penalty has fallen by 7 percent since March 2015, with 49 percent in support and 42 percent in opposition. The high mark for support came in 1994, when 80 percent of Americans were in favor and 16 percent opposed.

[sources:rollingstone&rt]