A set of rare handwritten letters by serial killer Ted Bundy, his family, and his longtime girlfriend to Judge Stewart Hanson are now available in a limited sale via blockchain technology, digitized in a high-quality format and uploaded to Cargo.

Written in 1976 and never before publicly released, the letters plead Bundy’s case to Judge Hanson during and immediately after his first trial. First arrested in 1975, Bundy was tried for kidnapping and assault in Utah, before the full scope of his crimes was apparent. In addition to letters by Bundy himself, this rare collection includes letters written by his mother, brothers, and longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer. Personal and pleading, the letters to Judge Hanson express that Bundy was a nice man and that he couldn’t possibly be guilty of the crimes of which he had been accused and was to stand trial.

Calculated emotional control

The letters from Ted Bundy himself make a case for his own innocence—but, with today’s perspective, also show the depth of his manipulative capabilities and the calculated way he could control his emotions while not revealing what lurks beneath. Those authored before Judge Hanson’s February 1976 guilty verdict—issued after a somewhat lengthy deliberation—seem intended to influence the outcome. After Judge Hanson issued his verdict, the letters from Bundy himself continued, pivoting in purpose to appeal for mercy and justice.

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The manipulation continues

Ultimately, Bundy was sentenced to one to 15 years in Utah’s state prison; he served about four months before he was extradited to Colorado to stand trial for a murder he was suspected of committing in the state in 1975. Over a dozen years, from 1977 to 1989, Bundy manipulated and confounded law enforcement and legal authorities in many ways, including through letters written after these, via escape attempts (successful and not), in statements at his trials, through confessions, and with the revelation of tantalizing clues that stayed his scheduled execution. In January 1989, he was put to death by electric chair.

Thirty years on, Bundy still fascinates

Today, Ted Bundy is recognized as an unusually organized, methodical, and calculating serial killer. Not only did he plot his crimes and canvass intended crime scenes in painstaking detail, he appears to have possessed unusual cunning. This chilling quality is evident in his ability to appeal to and lure dozens of young women; to leave no incriminating personal forensic evidence at the scenes; and even in what Judge Hanson described as his ‘changeling’ appearance, which makes no two photographs of Bundy ever look alike. Though more than 30 years have passed since his execution, Ted Bundycontinues to disturb and fascinate.

For sale on the blockchain

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Now, access to these never-before-released early letters is available—for a limited time and audience. Digitized in a high-quality format and uploaded to Cargo, the letters are securely stored and encrypted via ERC-721 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain. Ten total tokens will be offered for sale. Only purchasers holding the cryptographic signature from one of the 10 tokens will be able to download the files. Once downloaded, the letters belong to the token owner, and the tokens (and letters) can be resold for a price of the purchaser’s asking.

Sean Papanikolas, Cargo founder and current owner of the letters, says about them, “People are going to want to see these letters. Not only can they see them, but Cargo makes it so they can own and there’s only a limited amount available – which creates digital rarity, and scarcity for something that is physically rare and scarce.”

More information and token sale information can be found here: https://tedbundyletters.com

SOURCE Cargo

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