The car used by one of the most prolific, well known serial killers in the world, Ted Bundy, has just become a museum piece, displayed for all to see in the National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington.
The beige 1968 Volkswagen Beetle used by Bundy during his glory days replaces John Dillinger’s 1933 Essex Terraplane getaway car in the museums' lobby, the New york Times reports.
Sure, there's no comparing the two vehicles. While Dillinger’s vehicle evokes a time of "romantic crime" in the "public enemy era," when gangsters fought the system and each other, Bundy's Beetle is a reminder of indiscriminate killing (Bundy admitted to 40 murders in a dozen states prior to his execution).
"I think it's creepy," admits for kansascity.com Janine Vaccarello, the museum's CEO. "He is the most notorious serial killer ever."
The car itself has not been restored and it largely in the same state as it was back in the 1970s. It is rusted, it has missing trim, the windshield is cracked and the interior is shredded by the police efforts to find evidence decades ago.
One of the most creepy aspects of the car is that it lacks the front passenger seat, removed by Bundy to make room in the small car for his victims. In a twist of irony, a 1976 Utah vehicle inspection sticker issued by the Utah State Patrol still stick to the windshield.
As for the Museum of Crime and Punishment, it is a privately run venue. The museum takes pride in being named by Good Morning America as a “must see for CSI fans,” and offers visitors a chance to experience anything from working in a crime lab to simulating high-speed police-chases.
The beige 1968 Volkswagen Beetle used by Bundy during his glory days replaces John Dillinger’s 1933 Essex Terraplane getaway car in the museums' lobby, the New york Times reports.
Sure, there's no comparing the two vehicles. While Dillinger’s vehicle evokes a time of "romantic crime" in the "public enemy era," when gangsters fought the system and each other, Bundy's Beetle is a reminder of indiscriminate killing (Bundy admitted to 40 murders in a dozen states prior to his execution).
"I think it's creepy," admits for kansascity.com Janine Vaccarello, the museum's CEO. "He is the most notorious serial killer ever."
The car itself has not been restored and it largely in the same state as it was back in the 1970s. It is rusted, it has missing trim, the windshield is cracked and the interior is shredded by the police efforts to find evidence decades ago.
One of the most creepy aspects of the car is that it lacks the front passenger seat, removed by Bundy to make room in the small car for his victims. In a twist of irony, a 1976 Utah vehicle inspection sticker issued by the Utah State Patrol still stick to the windshield.
As for the Museum of Crime and Punishment, it is a privately run venue. The museum takes pride in being named by Good Morning America as a “must see for CSI fans,” and offers visitors a chance to experience anything from working in a crime lab to simulating high-speed police-chases.