Many serial killers have paraphilias, but Ted Bundy took the term “fetish” to another level by being obsessed with white socks.

Bundy loved the fact that he possessed so many of them and fell into euphoria when his possessions were mentioned during court proceedings.

In Hugh Aynesworth’s book Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer, Bundy himself said,

“One of my fondest dreams is to have all the underwear and socks I ever could conceivably use. It’s one of my fantasies. To be able to wear new socks every day! And I must admit, I have had three or four dozen socks, all purchased on (stolen) credit cards.

“Even in Pensacola, I went to a shopping mall and bought some socks. I was buying socks everywhere.

“I’ve got a sock fetish. No question about it. I must have six or seven pairs right here with me in my cell.

“I’m very close to my feet. Right now. I’m lying on my back with my foot propped up on the bars. And I’m studying my toes. For a good portion of the night. They’re probably the most attractive feet you’ve ever seen.

“Socks are such a serious part of my life. They’re so very important to me. They kept reading the list of socks and all [in court] and I felt proud. Honestly, it didn’t even begin to occur to me that people might wonder why I had all those socks. I just felt proud that I owned all those socks. Like a man who stands at the back of his ranchhouse and looks out over the range and sees all the cattle.

“The only time I began to have a little bout of sheepishness was when I read about a white sock with a blue bar and green stripe on the toe. Those are odor eaters–and that was getting too personal.”

In fact, the 2002 movie, Ted Bundy, (starring Michael Reilly Burke), has a shot of a sock drawer full of white socks, rolled up and in perfect order.

True Crime Factbook
This story originally appeared in the True Crime Factbook.
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