On this journey, I have taken back control of my life.. Hundreds of revelers celebrated outside the prison. Next, Kleiner took a job at a bank as a teller where she would face another traumatic experience. A police handout of the Chi Omega houses interior steps. In a 2019 interview, she recounted her experience on the witness stand. She overcame breast cancer in her thirties. When her friend Susie died two years later, Kathy attended the funeral and ran into some former sorority sisters. Kathy Kleiner Rubin: A Life Touched but not Destroyed by Serial Killer Again, thank you for following up with me, Karen. Kathy waited for the trial to start in a conference room with Karen Chandler, Nita Neary, other sorority sisters and the paramedics, all of whom were witnesses for the prosecution. He was seen on the night of Saturday, January 14th at a local college bar, named Sherrods. He picked up a heavy piece of firewood as he approached the back door of the building. She wondered why none of her family or friends were nearby, only to find that police were guarding the room and not letting anyone come in. Renting a room near the Florida State campus, Bundy started prowling around the local area, searching for his next victim. Eating was difficult and usually included eating soft, runny food. Did Any of Ted Bundy's Victims Survive? - Kathy Kleiner Rubin's Ted Kathy Kleiner, pictured here in an undated photo, was just 20 when Ted Bundy snuck into her room at the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University on Jan. 15, 1978 and attacked her.. When the sun finally rose, two women were dead, and three had been mercilessly assaulted. as they prepare for an evening cookout where they will serve "Bundy burgers" and "electrified hot dogs. They were her heroes. But her jaw was completely shattered, hanging from just one joint on the side of her face. She was also excited to be part of such a popular campus society. The New York Times would call him Kennedy-esque. Hollywoods hottest A-listers would play him on the big screen, groupies would swoon over him, and his face would be printed onto t-shirts. Kleiner sent her 8-year-old son to her mothers house because she did not know how she would react to the events. The only lead investigators had on the Chi Omega killer was a dental imprint he left behind on Levys body. Kathy's first marriage crumbled apart soon after Ted Bundy's conviction. After exhausting his appeals, Bundy was executed by electric chair on January 24, 1989. After the burst of light faded from the room, it suddenly seemed very dark. During his first escape, he leaped from a courthouse window in Aspen, CO; for his second, he left his cell in Glenwood Springs, CO, by crawling through a small hole in the ceiling. Her mother initially tried to cover the mirror in the bathroom so Chandler couldnt see the extent of her facial injuries. After a couple of visits, they told her she seemed to be coping well and asked her if she needed them to come back. During the time between the attack and Bundys trial, Kathy tried to call the Chi Omega house to speak with her sisters. To my surprise, I learned shes much more than a survivor. The sudden brightness spooked their attacker and he quickly exited with no further brutality. He was found guilty on three counts of attempted murder, two counts of burglary, and two counts of murder. While Kathy was a sister and attended sorority events I remember her as being more active in her church activities and her then boyfriend, now ex-husband David. When a doctor suggested running a rape kit on her, she became anxious and scared. As the four young women at the Chi Omega house lay grievously injured in their beds, Nita Neary watched Ted Bundy escape through the sorority houses front door just as she entered the building from the back. The sisters had been asked by police not to contact Kathy so that their conversations wouldnt corrupt her memory of the crime. By all accounts, Bundy was a narcissist with a desperate need to control his own image. Is this the man you saw in your room that night? the prosecution asked Kleiner. In 2005, Kleiner was faced with another tragedy but this time, she was one of millions affected. Kathy was initially interested in attending the proceedings, but was disappointed with the various stays. Were not part of the story for them.. Kleiner laughs. But every time I did, I looked behind me, and there was nothing to be afraid of., More stories: How Mary Vincent Survived Lawrence Singletons Attack, More stories: Jennifer Holliday: A Story of Survival in East Texas, More stories: How Cindy Paulson Escaped Serial Killer Robert Hansen, Shari Rose created Blurred Bylines to help bring stories from marginalized perspectives and experiences into the national conversation. Finding a darkened student apartment, he broke in and sexually assaulted Cheryl Thomas, a Florida State dance student. Bundys first escape was from an Aspen facility in June 1977. Karen, thank you very much for sharing your experience and posting to this website. Though the nightmare of Ted Bundy would never fully disappear, Kathy was finally able to move on. By the time Bundy arrived in Tallahassee, FL,in January 1978, he had already killed nearly 30women across the US and was on his second escape from prison. (. One day while she was working at the bank, she was robbed at gunpoint. Deemed a flight risk, he was subsequently moved to the jail in Glenwood Springs, Colorado to further await his trial. They removed bumper stickers from cars and stopped wearing Chi Omega apparel. Margaret and Lisa really haunted me, she says. Police later determined that Bundy was already in the house by that point and was likely the one who turned off the light. Chandler recounts what happened at the Chi Omega house in a 2019 interview with 20/20. Young pledges might be less inclined to join Chi Omega if they heard about the oak log and the hairspray bottle and the three breaks in Kathys jaw. At the Chi Omega house, four sorority sisters were viciously attacked by Ted Bundy in a frenzied, violent assault. She recalls being in her Boca Raton condo with her fiance Scott and she sat on the sofa, wailing, for about fifteen minutes, mourning the loss of Lisa and Margaret. It was then that he began planning his attack. They saw things no one would ever want to see. She moved to Miami to be close to family, and got married shortly after recovering from her injuries. Menu. The young woman, unsteady on her feet, entered her room and noticed that the blood-stained walls looked very brutal. Her brand new sheets that she received for Christmas were covered in blood. Florida State University's Chi Phi fraternity celebrates the execution of Ted Bundy in 1989 with a large banner that says, "Watch Ted Fry, See Ted Die!" I told them, you know, youre the professionals here, she laughs. When he entered her room, Bundy tripped over a trunk placed between the beds of Kleiner and her roommate. So as to actually be able to use her jaw again, an oral surgeon had to re-break it and then use metal pins and wire to shut it again. Kleiner saw Bundy before he attacked her. At that point, the women saw Kathy and noticed she had been hurt. My sisters meant the world to me, she remembers. She wanted to let them know how much she appreciated them. Kathy Kleiner is someone whose life has never been easy. He would be executed that morning. Before Bundy stumbled into Kathy's room, he had . We only had fall rush. On the way to the hospital, she didnt lose consciousness, but found she couldnt communicate due to the damage to her jaw. She is not defined by that night. I, like Kathy recovered at home, not the sorority house. Two young women, Kathy Kleiner and Karen Chandler, survived their injuries. Two of her sorority sisters were killed the night of the attack: January 15, 1978. Kathy Kleiner, one of Bundy's surviving victims, remainsvocal about her experience. She survived the attack. next door, room number 8. I live in North Carolina and I'm fascinated by all things "murder." 5.4K Share 659K views 3 years ago Kathy Kleiner was just 20 when she nearly lost her life to notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in 1978. A young man was returning sorority sister, Nita Neary, to the house and his cars headlights lit up the room. I gave her his info. One killed herself on the Anniversary a year later. Do you think hed enjoy the attention, I ask. Watching movies and reading books about him have helped her come to terms with the attack. More stories: A Hitman Came for Susan Kuhnhausen. Episode 69: Kathy Kleiner Rubin, Ted Bundy Survivor - NYU He ascended to the second floor carrying a piece of oak firewood that he grabbed from outside of the building. But now I was in control, and hes the one that was gonna be the victim and that gave me so much internal power that afterwards, she said. [The blow] shattered my jaw. By remaining on this website, you indicate your consent. Two young women, Kathy Kleiner and Karen Chandler, survived their injuries. ~ What Daughters of Bilitis Achieved for Lesbian Rights in the U.S. ~ Crystal LaBeija: Iconic Drag Queen Who Transformed Queer Culture, ~ How Abby Hernandez Convinced Her Kidnapper to Let Her Go, ~ Reckless Eyeballing: How Matt Ingrams Trials Reveal Fear of Black Sexuality. My purpose in this post is not to dump on Kathy, but I am offended that Kathy has made allegations on what I believe to be some of the finest women that I have ever known. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. She was home schooled until 7th grade and was bound to her house because of a weakened immune system from the chemotherapy. But she doesnt let it take over her life, going as far as to joke about it with her husband from time to time. The sheriff would not have subjected us to an active crime scene, nor would my mother have allowed it. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. He tried. She would have a radical left mastectomy, endure nine rounds of chemotherapy, and four other related surgeries. Kathy Kleiner: In January of 1978, I was 20 years old. Today, Kathy Kleiner Rubin is married and says that she found solace in learning about the case, and even about Bundy himself. Chi Omega survivor of Ted Bundy murders: 'I was asleep' when evil Surviving Ted Bundy: Women attacked by notorious serial killer share Kleiner was visited by two psychologists whilst she recovered in hospital in Tallahassee. She chose Chi Omega because it was supposed to be the best sorority house on campus. Kleiner tells me that she didnt hear from any journalists or filmmakers until 2018, when CNN approached her about a documentary they were producing to mark 30 years since Bundys death. View all posts by E.J. Kathy has built a whole network of friends since the incident & is in high demand these days! A devious and manipulative person, Bundy created a myth of himself as charismatic, handsome, and smart: A myth that, arguably, still endures today. And I didnt want him to think he had any power over me at all.. Kleiner said that she had never been contacted by the Chi Omega sorority in the years following the murders. If you go to a place in your mind thats safe and happy, go there and visit. And me, thats a lot how I visualize things.. He Didnt Survive. He got spooked and ran out, and Im still waiting for the next blow to come, Kleiner recounted. So he came back to my side of the bed to go ahead and hit me enough until I died.. She woke up in single hospital bed with flowers all over her room, but she woke up alone. After every difficult experience, she has moved beyond it to thrive in her life. Crime-Fighting Broad: Kathy Kleiner CrimeReads Bundy, thinking someone had spotted him, fled. It could not be stitched, having to heal with time. Kleiner and her husband divorced, and she became a single mother for eight years until she married her high school friend, Scott Rubin, in 1989 the same year Bundy would finally be executed. Every time I had chemo, I said I had one more to go through, Kleiner said. He was sitting there at the table, just looking at me, and I looked at him. I would like to reach out to you to learn more about your life after this traumatic event. She could only communicate by making moans and groans. Whatever didnt have blood on it had black powder from where investigators had attempted to lift fingerprints. On January 15, 1978, Ted Bundy entered the FSU Chi Omega house and, in the space of about 15 minutes, attacked four of girls, leaving two dead and two brutally injured. Then, the violence suddenly stopped. His victims, like. It was the sound of her front bedroom door opening. It hurt so much. A Cuban doctor gave Kleiner an experimental dose of chemotherapy, which caused her to lose her hair but immensely improved her lupus. What are the chances the bank would be robbed twice in a row?, Cole tells me Kleiners attitude may be attributed to a psychological theory dubbed Post-traumatic Growth (PTG), in which people give meaning to a traumatic event that allows them to not only survive but thrive. 5 Days Later, He Murdered Her. They hugged her, but it was too little, too late. But he ran out. Thus, Ted Bundy never got the chance to abuse her sexually. But in the meantime, Kathy left message after message for her sorority sisters, and no one ever called her back. His actions were tempered and he took few chances. She survived, but her injuries were so severe she had to abandon her dreams of being a professional dancer. She never returned to Florida State University for classes. One of my ways of healing was that I had this horrific thing in front of me, but if I took baby steps and walked away, Id look behind me and see it was walking away, Kleiner said. One of the sorority sisters who had gone to the bathroom saw Karen and walked her back to the room. She kept wondering why Karen didnt come over to help her, not realizing that she was hurt as well. I remember the paramedic being there and I asked him what was going on. She realized she needed to heal first, physically and emotionally, before having a serious relationship. Their room faced a parking lot, and a cars headlights illuminated the small space. She survived the attack. But, like other. Kleiner doesnt have a problem with true crime culture, she tell me, because she consumes it too: shes watched all the documentaries about Bundy, and read all the books.