Ted Bundy’s Double Life: A Review of The Phantom Prince
- Jaime P. Morales
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy – A Reflection
The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy is a haunting memoir written by Elizabeth Kendall (a pseudonym), the long-time girlfriend of one of America’s most infamous serial killers, Ted Bundy. Originally published in 1981 and later updated in 2020 with additional reflections from Elizabeth and her daughter Molly, the book offers a raw and deeply personal account of what it was like to love a man hiding a monstrous secret. This isn’t just a true crime book, it's an emotional journey through love, denial, fear, and survival, told from the perspective of someone who unknowingly shared her life with a killer.
The memoir stands out because it shifts the lens from Bundy’s crimes to the people affected by them, particularly Elizabeth, who struggled for years with guilt, confusion, and trauma. Her voice is clear, painful, and human. The Phantom Prince isn’t about sensationalizing murder, it's about understanding how easily someone can be manipulated, and how the people closest to predators are often left questioning everything.
Main Characters in The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy
Elizabeth Kendall (Author and Narrator)
The author of the memoir and Ted Bundy’s long-time girlfriend (under the pseudonym Elizabeth Kendall). She shares her personal experiences of being in a romantic relationship with Bundy, describing her love, suspicions, fears, and eventual emotional reckoning as his crimes came to light.
Ted Bundy (The “Phantom”)
Elizabeth’s boyfriend and later revealed to be one of America’s most notorious serial killers. The book details his charm, their seemingly normal relationship, and Elizabeth’s gradual realization of his dark side.
Molly Kendall
Elizabeth’s daughter from a previous relationship. She lived with Elizabeth and Ted during much of their relationship. In the updated 2020 edition of the book, Molly contributes her own reflections on growing up around Bundy and the lasting emotional impact.
Secondary Characters
Detectives and Law Enforcement Officials
Various police officers and investigators are mentioned throughout the book, especially as Elizabeth begins to suspect Ted and eventually reports him to authorities. They represent law enforcement’s slow progression in connecting Bundy to the crimes.
Ted’s Friends and Associates
Several unnamed or briefly mentioned people in Bundy’s life, friends, coworkers, and law school acquaintances, appear throughout the story, contributing to the image of Bundy as a well-liked and respected man. Their presence adds to the surreal duality of his public and private life.
Elizabeth’s Friends
A few of Elizabeth’s friends make appearances in the book as sounding boards for her doubts and fears about Ted. They help illustrate how isolated Elizabeth felt in trying to make sense of her relationship.
Victims (Brief Mentions)
While The Phantom Prince is not a detailed account of Bundy's crimes, there are references to some of the missing women whose cases eventually led to his capture. The book does not list victims extensively but acknowledges the increasing fear and suspicion surrounding the disappearances.
Falling for a Monster
The Phantom Prince is one of those true crime books that you can't put down. It’s fascinating to read from the perspective of someone who unknowingly fell in love with a monster. There are lessons here for everyone, how manipulation works, how predators exploit vulnerabilities, and how one person can cause unimaginable destruction in the lives of others.
At first, it’s easy to feel frustrated with Elizabeth. Some readers might be tempted to blame her, to say she should have known what kind of man Ted really was. But hindsight is 20/20. If we put ourselves in her position, would we have acted differently? In the 1970s, being a young, divorced woman raising a child alone carried heavy stigma. It’s understandable that she wanted to see the best in someone who seemed kind, intelligent, and attentive. And honestly, how many of us would ever suspect that the person we're dating could turn out to be one of the most prolific serial killers in American history? The idea is so far outside normal human experience that it's easier to believe they’re cheating than believe they’re out committing brutal, animalistic murders.
Does the Race of a Phantom Matter?
As Elizabeth’s story unfolds, we see her perception shift, her love unraveling as she slowly realizes the horrifying truth. But one aspect that often goes unmentioned in discussions about this book is the role of race.
It’s important to ask hard questions: What if Ted Bundy had been Black and his victims white? Would he have been caught sooner? Would he have even gotten away with the first few murders? Historically, the justice system in America has shown patterns of racial bias, in who gets believed, who gets protected, and who gets punished. If his victims had been Black women, would their cases have gotten the same attention?
These aren’t comfortable questions, but they’re necessary ones. Recognizing racial dynamics in true crime helps expose the broader inequalities that shape our world, including access to justice, safety, and societal empathy. This isn’t about blaming white people; it’s about increasing awareness of the implicit biases that exist, even in life-or-death situations.
My Personal Experience with a Phantom
There’s one part of Elizabeth’s story I relate to on a chilling level, when she and Ted were kayaking, and she fell into the water. He grabbed her and pushed her under, as if trying to drown her. In that moment, she saw something terrifying in his eyes: nothing. Emptiness. A hollow soul.
I once worked in emergency medicine at a Level I trauma center. One night, I was helping with walk-in triage during what felt like a typical shift, the beeping monitors, the moans of patients, the usual chaos. But everything changed when one particular man walked in. The air felt heavier. The room got colder. It was like something invisible but suffocating had entered with him.He calmly told us that he had killed his roommate and dumped the body in a dumpster.
There was no emotion in his face, no guilt, no anger, just nothing. His eyes didn’t look at you, they looked through you. He was tall and intimidating, easily over six feet and 200 pounds. I walked him to the psychiatric unit, doing my best to remain calm. Nothing happened to me directly that night, but I’ll never forget that feeling. Like Elizabeth, I recognized that same darkness, the total absence of humanity in someone's eyes.
Final Thoughts
The Phantom Prince is more than a true crime memoir. It’s a sobering exploration of love, trust, manipulation, and trauma. Elizabeth Kendall’s story reminds us that monsters don’t always wear masks, and that sometimes, they’re sitting right across the dinner table.
It forces us to confront uncomfortable truths: about how easily we can be fooled, about how much race and privilege affect justice, and about how deeply personal survival can be. Most importantly, it shows us that the people closest to evil often suffer in silence, and that they, too, deserve to be heard.
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