What Ted Bundy Told Bill Hagmaier (And Where Is He Now?)

Elijah Wood’s No Man of God tells the story of Ted Bundy and Bill Hagmaier, Bundy’s “best friend” and final confidante — but what did Bundy confess to Bill Hagmaier in real life? Bill had a very unique position in earning Bundy’s trust, spending more than 200 hours with one of America’s more notorious killers in hopes of understanding him. So what did Hagmaier manage to get out of Ted Bundy, and where is he now?

Ted Bundy was one of the most ruthless killers in history. Though he was ultimately sent to the electric chair in Florida for the murders of 12-year-old Kimberly Leach, Margaret Elizabeth Bowman, and Lisa Levy, Bundy kidnapped and murdered at least 30 women between 1974 and 1978. Bundy stood out from the other serial killers of the era because of his charm and level of education, breaking the mold serial killers were traditionally believed to exist within. In an attempt to get any information from Bundy before his execution, the FBI sent in Bill Hagmaier, an agent with the Behavioral Analysis Unit, in an attempt to determine the motive for why Bundy killed those women. Between 1984 and 1989, Hagmaier worked to gain Bundy’s trust, slowly becoming Bundy’s “best friend,” in the killer’s terms.

As depicted in No Man of God, it took Bundy’s inevitable execution date for the killer to fully confess his crimes to Hagmaier. With every avenue to delay his execution exhausted, Bundy found himself on the eve of his death. It was then that Ted unleashed the gruesome details of his crimes on Hagmaier, confessing to at least 30 murders, though some remained unidentified. He gave Hagmaier a state-by-state breakdown of his crime spree; 11 victims in Washington, eight in Utah, three in Colorado and Florida each, two in Oregon and Idaho, and one in California. Today, ten of Bundy’s victims are still unidentified. In sessions that lasted upwards of 20 hours at a time, Bundy shared his murderous methods, including the decapitation of 12 of his victims and an inclination toward necrophilia.

In No Man of God, Ted Bundy and Hagmaier also spoke about philosophy and morality. Bundy confessed his fear of death to the FBI agent, who coached him through the mechanics of his impending execution and how he would face God. They talked about how murder allowed Bundy to feel like his victims’ God, giving him power over their body and soul. Hagmaier said Bundy told him that he was going to take him “where no policeman has ever gone before” — and the FBI agent confirmed he was successful. Hagmaier says that Bundy provided incredible insight into the mind of a killer, helping the agent to shape the newly forming science behind criminal behavior analysis.

After Bundy’s execution in 1989, Hagmaier was extremely sought out. He rose in the ranks at the FBI, becoming the chief of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crimes and one of the greatest criminal profilers. He was called in to assist on high-profile cases, including LA’s Night Stalker, the Green River Killer, and the “Weeping Killer.” He gave lectures on his time with Bundy, sometimes booked out for years at a time to share his knowledge with future profilers. Today, Bill Hagmaier is retired from the FBI, but he hasn’t stopped talking about Bundy; he served as an executive producer for No Man of God, helping to shape his own character and details in the film after years of turning down offers from Hollywood.

About The Author