This is the witness testimony of Anne Swensen, a woman Ted Bundy met while attending Mormon Church functions in Salt Lake City. They dated briefly in early 1975 and remained friends afterwards. She testified in defense of Bundy on Wednesday, February 25, 1976.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. LUBECK:
Q: Would you state your name, please?
A: Anne Swensen.
Q: And your address?
A: 155 Second Avenue.
Q: Miss Swensen, you have been ill lately, is that right?
A: Yes.
Q: The last few days? Have you been to work the last couple of days?
A: No, I haven’t.
MR. LUBECK: I asked that so the Court will understand she’s having a difficult time speaking.
THE COURT: All right. Miss Swensen, I appreciate you have got a problem with your voice. Keep your voice up as much as you can, however, if you would, so that you can be heard at least at counsel table, and particularly so Mrs. Price can hear you, because she’s got to take down what you’re saying.
Q: Miss Swensen, who are you employed by?
A: O’Connell & Stansfield.
Q: This is John O’Connell?
A: Yes.
Q: And I’m in the same firm?
A: Yes.
Q: When did you start to work there?
A: July 1975.
Q: And do you know the Defendant, Ted Bundy?
A: Yes, I do.
Q: When did you first meet him?
A: February 1975.
Q: And what was the occasion of that first meeting? Where was this?
A: It was at a church social function.
Q: What part of February 1975 was that?
A: It was between the first and the middle.
Q: After you first met Mr. Bundy, did you ever have an occasion to see him other than that after that initial meeting?
A: Yes, I did.
Q: How often in February and March of ’75?
A: I saw him probably four or five times a week for about four weeks or so.
Q: Did you ever have occasion to be in his car at that time?
A: Yes.
Q: How many times in February and March, ’75?
A: Probably at least 15 times.
Q: Miss Swensen, I will show you what has been marked as Exhibit 20, a photograph of a torn car seat, and I will ask you if you on those occasions when you were in Mr. Bundy’s car in February, ’75, if his car seat ever looked anything like that?
A: No.
Q: Did you have any reason to pay attention to that?
A: Yes, I think I would.
Q: Why is that?
A: I have a degree in Interior Design, and therefore am pretty much aware of my surroundings, and I think I would have been aware of the condition of his car.
Q: Do you know if in that period of time his back car seat was ripped at all?
A: I suppose it could have been slightly ripped, but I’m sure if it was this extreme, I would have noticed it.
Q: As you were in his car, was there anything about the roof of his car that you ever noticed while you were in it?
A: Yes. He had a sun roof.
Q: What is the first time you ever noticed that?
A: The first time I was in his car, I noticed it.
Q: What was there that you noticed about it?
A: Well, I noticed that there was a handle and there was a roof that slipped back.
Q: Can you describe the handle and what did it look like?
A: It was just a handle that hung down from the roof about two or three inches, far enough to grip, and it was just one that you turned manually.
Q: When you saw Mr. Bundy on those numbers of occasions, I take it a lot of those were dates?
A: Yes.
Q: And some informal occasions, I guess?
A: Yes.
Q: Did you ever see Mr. Bundy on any occasion when you were with him dressed in shiny patent leather shoes?
A: No, I didn’t.
Q: I almost hesitate to ask this, but have you ever been in his apartment?
A: Yes, several times.
Q: Did you ever have occasion to look into his clothing closet?
A: Yes, I have.
Q: Why was that?
A: Because I wanted to see what kind of clothes he had.
Q: Were you snooping around?
A: Sort of. No, he was sitting right there.
Q: The time you knew him until even now, have you ever seen in his apartment or on him any shiny patent leather shoes?
A: I didn’t see any in his closet, and I have never seen him wear any.
Mr. Lubeck: Thank you. I think that’s all.
CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. YOCOM:
Q: Is it your testimony that you have never seen Mr. Bundy’s vehicle, the back seat, in the condition that is shown in this exhibit?
A: Yes, I never have.
Q: Never seen it that way?
A: Uh-uh.
Q: You knew him right up until, well, including now, I suppose, but right up until this time he sold his automobile?
A: No. I only had occasion to be with him in February and March.
Q: Just February and March of ’75?
A: Um-hmm.
Q: And I assume, then, after March of ’75, you ceased seeing him?
A: Yes, I did.
Q: And I take it that you never recall any rip at all in his automobile seat?
A: There could have been a slight rip that I wouldn’t have noticed, but I’m sure that if it was something that extreme, I would have noticed it.
Q: Were you ever in the back seat?
A: No, I never rode in the back seat.
Q: Just in the front seat?
A: Um-hm.
Q: Ever observe what he carried in that car?
A: Oh, he usually had his books in the car.
Q: Any tools?
A: I don’t recall any tools.
Q: Did you ever see him with a crowbar in that car?
A: I don’t remember a crowbar.
Q: Or in his apartment?
A: No.
Q: How about a pair of handcuffs?
A: No, I never saw a pair of handcuffs.
Q: Did you know he owned a pair of handcuffs?
A: No, I didn’t.
Q: Have any suitcase in that closet when you were looking in there?
A: Yes, I think he did.
Q: Had several, didn’t he?
A: I think so.
Q: Did you ever open those suitcases and go through them to see what was in them?
A: No, I didn’t.
Q: The period of time that you know him– just go over this again– was February and March of 1975?
A: Yes.
Q: To your knowledge, did he ever take any trips during that period of time?
A: Not to my knowledge.
Q: Did he ever go out of state, to your knowledge?
A: No.
Q: Did he ever tell you about going out of state during that period of time?
A: No. I don’t–
MR. YOCOM: No further questions.
MR. LUBECK: Nothing further.
THE COURT: Thank you, Miss Swensen, you may be excused.
Special thanks to Erin Banks for her transcription assistance.
Who knew Bundy had a “proto” Carol Boone? I learn something new every day reading this blog.