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To Edna Martin, Ted Bundy wasn’t just a notorious killer; he was family.
For years, Martin, Bundy’s cousin, remained silent about her connection to him. However, she is now breaking her silence in the upcoming Oxygen documentary Love, Ted Bundy, which premieres on February 15 at 6 p.m. ET/PT. The documentary will feature personal letters Bundy sent her from death row in Florida.
According to a press release, “As Ted Bundy, America’s most infamous serial killer, awaited his execution, he corresponded with the woman who cared for him like a brother—his cousin, Edna Martin. For half a century, Edna hid her identity to shield her family from public scrutiny. Now, in Love, Ted Bundy, she is ready to share her story and unveil her intimate collection of letters for the first time.”
Bundy, who once pursued a law degree, admitted to the gruesome murder of 30 women. His charming demeanor masked a terrifying reality as he preyed on victims during the 1970s in the Pacific Northwest, Colorado, and Florida.
The documentary promises “exclusive photographs and first-time interviews with family and friends, as Edna shares stories about her cousin that only she can tell,” according to its description. Love, Ted Bundy aims to provide a personal and unsettling view of one of America’s most notorious serial killers, seen through the lens of someone who felt she truly knew him.
“Through exclusive photographs and first-time interviews with family and friends, Edna reveals stories about her cousin only she can tell,” the description of the documentary continues. “Love, Ted Bundy offers an intimate and unsettling portrait of one of America’s most notorious serial killers through the eyes of someone who believed she truly knew him.”
The two-hour special will take viewers into Bundy’s carefully crafted double life as he worked to juggle everyday responsibilities with his secret dark side.
“Ted and I we were best friends,” Martin remembered in a trailer. “Imagine having someone you care about turn out to be a monster.”
Ted Bundy’s Killing Spree
Martin recalled the fear that gripped the Pacific Northwest as a killer began to target college-age girls.
“Once a month almost another girl would disappear,” she explained. “The ironic thing is I felt safer because Ted lived so close.”
Bundy’s dark nature finally came to light in 1975 after he was pulled over prowling in a Utah neighborhood and police discovered burglary tools, a crowbar and pantyhose with holes cut in. Bundy was arrested and later linked to the attempted abduction of Carol DaRonch—one of the few women to escape his grasp.
“My brother said they’ve arrested someone. It’s Ted,” Martin said in the trailer. “I’m just screaming, ‘No, this can’t be true.’”
Bundy’s killing spree didn’t end there. After escaping custody twice, he headed to Florida where he attacked a college sorority house and unsuspecting 12-year-old girl before he was arrested a final time in 1978.
What Was in Ted Bundy’s Letters?
While on Florida’s death row, Bundy reached out to his cousin through a series of letters. She admitted she still doesn’t like to touch the letters today, explaining, “I was convinced evil was coming out of them.”
In one letter revealed in the trailer, Bundy seemingly addressed the killings, writing, “Dear Edna, I have no guilt, remorse or regret over anything I’ve done.”
To truly cut ties with her cousin, Martin knew she needed to confront him, asking in her own letter “Did you really kill those girls?”
To which Bundy replied, “Dear Cousin, Let the dead bury the dead. Be good. I love you, Ted.”
Love, Ted Bundy is produced by Marwar Junction Productions and directed by Christopher Cassel. Cassel also served as an executive producer on the project along with Joseph Freed and Allison Berkley.
“Every family has secrets,” Martin remarked in the trailer. “But who would want to confess their cousin was a serial killer.”
