Fake News: Conservation of energy for Ted Bundy’s execution.
Introduction
Back in 1986 the Ted Bundy execution was all anyone could talk about and to this day is still a well versed topic. During the time of his execution a letter was sent out from the Florida governors office that was then faxed over to a variety of news paper throughout the U. S.. the letter was about the electricity concerns of Bundys execution. The letter proposed that all residence of the state of Florida shut off anything that uses electricity on the day of Bundy’s execution. This way the highest amount of legal voltage possible could be delivered during the execution. Not only would Bundy receive one of the most painful deaths but a gold commemorative coin would be produced and for sale to celebrate the event. After some more reading i realized this event was just another case of fake news and that fake news is not a new concept, it has been going on even before the internet we know today existed.
Research
After Googling the original headline it popped up on www.snopes.com which pretty much debunked the entire story. I found that an anonymous writer configured this letter and made it look like it was coming from the governors office. then the writer proceeded to fax the letter to news papers all over the united States. Even in the 1980’s there where “internet Trolls” sending fake news by fax! This letter caused a lot of confusion and disapproval from the public but was soon after debunked.
This letter was also found in the book The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule which is a novel written about the friendship between Ann and Bundy who where coworkers during the time before Bundy was convicted.
Something i found interesting about this story is that it happens so long ago, before the internet was even used for things like social media a news yet fake stories and news where still able to slip through the cracks of production. The anonymous writer sent this out as a prank which they got away with unscathed because there was no way at this time to track exactly where and who sent the fax if said person sent it from a public place. once the story was published by newspapers the Governor of Florida and had to have caught wind of the story and most likely disproved it but there is no clear evidence of this that i could find. In the end the plan to turn give Bundy this mega charged execution never came to fruition. Bundys execution date ended up getting pushed back 3 years because of delays and appeals. Ted Bundy was finally executed January, 24 of 1998 with the same amount of voltages as every other person put to death by electrical chair.
Even though the cause of fake news is blamed on social media this story proves that fake news has been going on much longer than expected. although the spread of fake news has definitely gotten worse with the growth of the internet. If possible there will always be someone trying to pass fake information as truth weather it be for personal gain, protection of status, or in this case just for fun. The spread of fake news will continue with the growth of the internet so now it is up to readers discretion and ability to decipher the consistent and unfiltered flow of news.
Works Cited
Admin. “The Day Ted Bundy Was Executed In Photos.” True Crime Magazine, 18 Oct. 2018, www.thecrimemag.com/day-ted-budy-executed-photos/.
Mikkelson, David. “FACT CHECK: Were People Asked to Conserve Electricity for Ted Bundy’s Execution?” Snopes.com, www.snopes.com/fact-check/deadly-kilowatt/.
Paoletti, Gabe. “‘The Very Definition Of Heartless Evil’: The Story Of Ted Bundy.” All That’s Interesting, All That’s Interesting, 28 Feb. 2019, allthatsinteresting.com/ted-bundy.
Rule, Ann. The Stranger Beside Me.
New York: W.W. Norton, 2000. ISBN 0–393–05029–7 (pp. 395–396).