You know, Ted Bundy seemed perfectly sweet to people who knew him socially. It was terrifying - I know people who got rides home with him in high school, and didn't suspect a thing.
But, the story of his mom's attitude is most interesting, really. I can't imagine what his childhood had to be like, but his mom sort of rationalized the entire serial killer thing until the very end. She'd say things like "he is a nice boy"... and I always wonder whether she couldn't come to terms with any failure on her part. Granted, the magnitude of responsibility would be crushing to any parent, but it reminds me of the N tendency to edit out all facts that challenge their self-image.
--FlowerGirl